It might be a dirty start to an important season, but it was all done in good fun.

Farmers in Tokha village, on the outskirts of Kathmandu, celebrated Nepal's National Paddy Day on Tuesday with various activities such as preparing rice meals with muddy water - mud symbolising a prosperous season - and playing in rice paddy fields.

The day, which falls on the 15th day of the Nepali month of Asar, marks the start of rice-planting season with the arrival of the monsoon.

The day is filled with revelry, traditional music, dance and food, which primarily consists of beaten rice served with curd.

Sixty per cent of Nepal's agriculture industry relies on monsoon rain while 40 per cent is carried out through irrigation.

Agriculture is a major contributor to the country's gross domestic product.