Chilla (month)

Pavement vendor selling colored powders for Holi

Chillā (Nepal Bhasa: चिल्ला) is the fifth month in the Nepal Era calendar, the national lunar calendar of Nepal.^[1] The month coincides with Phalguna (फागुन) in the Hindu lunar calendar and March in the Gregorian calendar.

Chillā begins with the new moon and the full moon falls on the 15th of the lunar month. The month is divided into the bright and dark fortnights which are known as Chillā Thwa (चिल्ला थ्व) and Chillā Gā (चिल्ला गा) respectively.

The major event that occurs during this month is Holi, the festival of colors, which begins on the 8th day of the bright fortnight and climaxes on the full moon day. The Chir, a pole surmounted by an umbrella-like structure decorated with strips of colorful cloth, is erected at Kathmandu Durbar Square to announce the festival.

The sacred bathing ceremony of the deity Nālā Karunāmaya, the Bodhisattva of Compassion, is held on the 1st day of the dark fortnight at Nālā. The chariot procession of Nālā Karunamaya is held on the 3rd day.^[2]

The festival of Pahan Charhe, one of the most important religious celebrations in Kathmandu, starts on the 14th day of the dark fortnight. Ghode Jātrā, the horse racing festival, is held the next day at the open ground of Tundikhel.^[3]

Days in the month

Thwa (थ्व) or Shukla Paksha (bright half)	Gā (गा) or Krishna Paksha (dark half)
1. Pāru	1. Pāru
2. Dwitiyā	2. Dwitiyā
3. Tritiyā	3. Tritiyā
4. Chauthi	4. Chauthi
5. Panchami	5. Panchami
6. Khasti	6. Khasti
7. Saptami	7. Saptami
8. Ashtami	8. Ashtami
9. Navami	9. Navami
10. Dashami	10. Dashami
11. Ekādashi	11. Ekādashi
12. Dwādashi	12. Dwādashi
13. Trayodashi	13. Trayodashi
14. Chaturdashi	14. Charhe (चह्रे)
15. Punhi (पुन्हि)	15. Āmāi (आमाइ)

Months of the year

Devanagari script	Roman script	Corresponding Gregorian month	Name of Full Moon
1. कछला	Kachhalā	November	Saki Milā Punhi, Kārtik Purnimā
2. थिंला	Thinlā	December	Yomari Punhi, Dhānya Purnimā
3. पोहेला	Pohelā	January	Milā Punhi, Paush Purnimā
4. सिल्ला	Sillā	February	Si Punhi, Māghi Purnimā
5. चिल्ला	Chillā	March	Holi Punhi, Phāgu Purnimā
6. चौला	Chaulā	April	Lhuti Punhi, Bālāju Purnimā
7. बछला	Bachhalā	May	Swānyā Punhi, Baisākh Purnimā
8. तछला	Tachhalā	June	Jyā Punhi, Gaidu Purnimā
9. दिल्ला	Dillā	July	Dillā Punhi, Guru Purnimā
10. गुंला	Gunlā	August	Gun Punhi, Janāi Purnimā (Raksha Bandhan)
11. ञला	Yanlā	September	Yenyā Punhi, Bhādra Purnimā
12. कौला	Kaulā	October	Katin Punhi, Kojāgrat Purnimā

References

1. "Nepal Sambat gets national status". The Rising Nepal. 24 October 2008. Retrieved 12 May 2014.
2. Vajracharya, Munindraratna (1998). "Karunamaya Jatra in Newar Buddhist Culture". Aioiyama. Retrieved 12 May 2014.
3. Levy, Robert Isaac (1990). "A Catalogue of Annual Events and Their Distribution throughout the Lunar Year". Mesocosm: Hinduism and the Organization of a Traditional Newar City in Nepal. University of California Press. p. 647. ISBN 9780520069114.