A glimpse into Nepal’s living culture and spiritual harmony

It was the Newari New Year, a day of celebration for one of Nepal’s oldest ethnic groups, the Newar people. They are believed to be the earliest inhabitants of the ancient Kathmandu Valley, including Bhaktapur and Lalitpur. Today, the Newar community has spread across Nepal, but on this special day, they gather in Kathmandu, the heart of their cultural heritage.

From early morning, Kathmandu Durbar Square was alive with people dressed in their striking traditional outfits, rich blacks and vibrant reds. Families, children, elders, and communities filled the square with laughter, music, and offerings.

The Newari New Year coincides with the fourth day of Tihar, part of Nepal’s five-day Diwali celebration. We felt incredibly lucky to experience it. Initially, we had planned to come to Nepal after the festival to avoid higher travel prices, but ironically, flight tickets were only available during that period. Strange, isn’t it? Sometimes, fate has its own sense of timing; allowing us to experience big festival in Kathmandu.

We wandered through the temple complex, moving from one layer of history to another. One of the most fascinating was Kasthamandap, literally “the temple made of wood.” It’s said that the entire structure was built from a single tree. Next to it stood a smaller shrine, built from the remaining wood, a poetic continuation of the same life.

We also visited Hanuman Dhoka, the ancient royal palace. Hanuman, together with Kaal Bhairav, is revered as a divine guardian of the city. Sadly, the Kathmandu Museum was closed for the holiday, but the atmosphere outside, filled with prayer and celebration was more than enough.

The highlight of the day was witnessing the Kumari, the Living Goddess of Kathmandu. The Newar people visit Kumari Ghar at Durbar Square to receive her blessings for the New Year. Every ancient city in Nepal has its own Kumari, but the most sacred one resides here in the spiritual center of Newar culture. Watching people queue patiently to receive her blessing was moving. There was a sense of reverence in the air, faith expressed not in grand gestures, but in simple devotion.

As I learned more about Kumari, I realized how fluid faith is in Nepal. The Kumari is believed to be a living incarnation of Durga, a Hindu goddess, yet she is chosen from a Newari Buddhist family. The coexistence of these beliefs doesn’t seem to cause confusion, only harmony.

The realization reminded me of a conversation from my first visit to Kathmandu two years earlier. We had visited a Thangka painting shop near Boudhanath, a major Buddhist site. The walls were covered with paintings, some of the Buddha, others of Hindu gods and goddesses.

One of our group members asked the shop owner, “So what is the main religion in Nepal?”
He smiled. “Mostly Hindu,” he said, “but many of our Thangka artists are Buddhist.”

When asked why they painted so many Hindu deities, he replied gently, “In Buddhism, we honor all enlightened beings. Anyone who has attained enlightenment is our Guru. Every day, I pray to both.”

That moment stayed with me, and learning about the Kumari only deepened it. Nepal, I realized, is profoundly spiritual. It doesn’t divide belief by label or boundary. People here live faith as connection, to the divine, to each other, and to the world.

That day at Kathmandu Durbar Square, during my second visit to the city, my senses overflowed. My eyes feasted on the colors of the New Year festival, my heart absorbed the warmth of the people, and my mind quietly wrote it all down in memory.

Thank you, Nepal for your spirit, your light, and your kindness. It’s not easy to move on from a journey like this.