Visas are currently limited to five months in any given year. We are trying to see if our NGO status can afford us to get extensions beyond that. However, if you want to volunteer for a time beyond five months, you can adjust your start time to begin with August, and you could add five months of the following year.

You might also want to look into the schedule of festivals that occur with great frequency. Some of the Hindu festivals are very large and exciting, and you might want to be there for them. There are also certain auspicious months for Nepalese marriages, and that can be a memorable experience as well.

Additionally, there are festivals that the Buddhists and Muslims celebrate that are very poignant and touching. And then there are festivals that involve the widespread sacrificing of livestock, goats and water buffalo—the hardest hit. These can be difficult for those of us who are strict vegetarians or others with a strong compassion for life. There are some common festivals celebrated by all, but for the most part a festival is meant to mark an important religious event in the particular sect's history.

Often during a festival all normal activity is brought to a halt and your assignment may be as well, but usually it is for a few days only and can be seen as a welcome change in your life as a volunteer.

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