Sithinakha or Kumar Sasthi

Born from the radiant eye of Lord Shiva, Kumar or Sithi is the eternal child of divine love and light. Sithinakha is known as Kumar's birthday and falls on the bright fortnight of Astha's Also known as Kartikeya, Kumar has six heads that represent all the six senses. It can be seen above the entrance of many traditional Nepali homes as a red circle on the ground with a lotus of six petals inside.

Sithi is the 6'" day while nakha refers to celebration. Historical chronicles tell us how the citizens of Bhaktapur were responsible for cleaning and maintaining town walls, wells and moats and anyone who failed to complete the task by Sithinakha day was duly punished. Newars, still to this today. conclude their dewali (worship of ancestral deity) and clean the local wells.

The festival also marks the beginning of rice-shoot planting time.