Basantapur Durbar Square hosted Newar New Year on 10 November
Published on 11/14/2026 at 18:27 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWSProcession and heritage context
- On 10 November 2026, Newar groups gathered at Basantapur Durbar Square for Nepal Sambat 1147.
- Mha Puja and traditional music connected the Newar New Year with the square's cultural setting.
- Kathmandu Metropolitan City identifies the site as part of Kathmandu Valley's UNESCO World Heritage listing.
Basantapur Durbar Square hosted Newar New Year celebrations in Kathmandu on 10 November 2026, as the Newar community welcomed Nepal Sambat 1147 with a cultural procession. The gathering brought together Hindu and Buddhist Newar groups in a public celebration linked to music, dance and tradition.
Newar New Year brought a procession to Basantapur
The celebrations began early on 10 November 2026 at the historic square, which became a centre for the Nepal Sambat New Year. Thousands of people gathered, while participants in traditional clothing joined a procession and cultural programme.
Dhime drums, flutes, traditional songs, dances and other performances formed the programme described by DD News coverage of the celebrations. The event was not a separate commercial attraction, but a community observance held at one of Kathmandu's principal historic squares.
The Newar New Year is also known as Nhu Daya Bhintuna. The date coincided with Mha Puja, a Newar ritual focused on worship of the self, with prayers for health, happiness and prosperity.
Why Nepal Sambat 1147 matters at the square
Nepal Sambat 1147 is the indigenous lunar calendar's New Year for the Newar community. The occasion forms part of Swanti, the Newar tradition associated with Tihar, whose principal days include Lakshmi Puja, Mha Puja and Kija Puja, commonly known as Bhai Tika.
Reporting by ThePrint on the New Year describes cultural events and a procession organised at Basantapur Durbar Square on 10 November 2026. That connection gives the celebration a specific setting: visitors were seeing living Newar customs in the same palace square that forms part of Kathmandu's historic urban fabric.
The calendar is traditionally associated with Shankhadhar Sakhwa, a merchant and philanthropist from the Kathmandu Valley. Historical accounts credit him with beginning the calendar in 880 AD after freeing people from debt, a story that remains part of the cultural meaning attached to Nepal Sambat.
The UNESCO-listed setting behind the New Year event
Kathmandu Metropolitan City identifies the site as Kathmandu Durbar Square, also called the Basantapur Durbar area, and places it among the three palace squares of Kathmandu Valley. The municipal page records the square as part of the UNESCO World Heritage listing and gives its address as Digha Pahleza J P Setu Road, Kathmandu 44600.
That official description helps place the 10 November 2026 procession within the wider heritage site rather than treating it as an event in an unnamed part of the capital. The drums, costumes and movement through the square connected the Nepal Sambat observance with a site recognised for its palace and temple landscape.
Visiting Basantapur Durbar Square: what travellers from Western Europe should know
- The Newar New Year procession and cultural programme took place at Basantapur Durbar Square on 10 November 2026. The event has therefore already passed for visitors arriving after that date.
- The programme included Dhime drums, flutes, traditional songs, dances and cultural performances, while Mha Puja marked the New Year within the wider Swanti tradition.
- The municipal address is Digha Pahleza J P Setu Road, Kathmandu 44600, in Kathmandu Valley, Nepal.
- The site is identified by Kathmandu Metropolitan City as one of Kathmandu Valley's three palace squares and part of its UNESCO World Heritage listing.
- Entry requirements depend on your nationality; UK travellers can check the FCDO travel advice at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice, Irish travellers the Department of Foreign Affairs at ireland.ie.
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Frequently asked questions about Basantapur Durbar Square
When did the Newar New Year take place at Basantapur Durbar Square?
The Newar New Year procession and cultural programme took place on 10 November 2026, marking Nepal Sambat 1147.
What is Basantapur Durbar Square?
It is one of Kathmandu Valley's three palace squares and is part of the valley's UNESCO World Heritage listing, according to Kathmandu Metropolitan City.
Where is Basantapur Durbar Square and how do you get there?
The square is in Kathmandu, Nepal, at Digha Pahleza J P Setu Road, Kathmandu 44600.
