Dashain, the Biggest Festival of Nepal

What is Dashain Festival?

The Nepalese celebrate Dashain, the most important holiday of the year, in the month of Kartik (late September and early October). Dashain is the longest and most auspicious festival on the Nepalese calendar, and it is observed by Nepalese of all castes and creeds across the country. The fifteen-day festival takes place during the brilliant lunar fortnight, culminating on the full moon’s day. Innumerable pujas, abundant offerings, and hundreds of animal sacrifices for the traditional holy bathing, which drenches the goddess in blood for days, are performed throughout Nepal’s kingdom.

When is Dashain 2021?

Dashain festival in 2021 starts on 7th October 2021 and ends on 20th October 2021. Vijaya Dashami, most important day of the festival, is on 15 October 2021.

Why Dashain is Celebrated?

Dashain honours the gods’ great victory over the evil demons. The Ramayan is one of the victorious legends recorded, in which Lord Ram slaughtered Ravana, the fiendish ruler of demons, after a long battle. Lord Ram is reported to have won the battle only when the goddess Durga was invoked. The major festival honours the triumph of good over evil, which is portrayed by goddess Durga destroying the horrible demon Mahisasur, who terrorised the world as a vicious water buffalo. The first nine days represent goddess Durga’s nine-day long fight with the demon Mahisasur.

How Dashain is Celebrated?

Every home is cleansed and brightly lit in preparation for Dashain, decorated as a greeting to the mother goddess to visit and bless the residence with good fortune. Every household has a reunion of distant and close relatives during this time. The market is bustling with people looking for new clothes, bags, gifts, luxury, and large quantities of temple offerings for the gods, as well as food for the family feast. Thousands of sheep, goats, ducks, chickens, and water buffalo have been slaughtered. For ten to fifteen days, all types of businesses are closed. People, specially kids, run out to play linge ping (swing) and fly kites during this holiday.

Tantric rites are performed throughout the first nine days of Dashain, which are known as Nawa Ratri. The divine spirit and might of the female, portrayed as goddess Durga in her many manifestations, is the embodiment of the life force in Nepal. All goddesses who arose from Goddess Durga are known as devis, each with their own set of characteristics and abilities. The goddess is usually depicted as a sacred Kalash, sculpted water jug, or multiple-handed goddess wielding deadly weapons in most mother goddess temples. People pay their respects to the deity for nine days. If she is properly honoured and delighted, good fortune will follow, but if she is irritated by neglect, misfortune will follow.

Ghatasthapana

Ghatasthapana, which simply translates “pot establishment,” is the first day of Dashain. On this day, the kalash (holy water vessel) representing goddess Durga is presented in the prayer room, often including her image etched on the side. The kalash is filled with holy water and coated in cowdung, which is then seeded with seeds. The kalash is placed in the centre of a small rectangular sand block. The sand bed that surrounds it is similarly planted with grains. The ghatasthapana ceremony is done at a predetermined auspicious time by astrologers. The priest says a welcome and asks goddess Durga to purify the vessel with her presence at that precise moment.

Dashain Ghar is the name of the chamber where the kalash is set up. Every day, a priest or a commoner worships the kalash twice: once in the morning and once in the evening. Every day, holy water is sprinkled on the kalash and the sand, and it is kept out of direct sunlight. The seed will have blossomed to a five- or six-inch-long green grass by the tenth day. ‘Jamara’ is the name of the sacred golden grass. During the last five days of tika, it is awarded by the elders atop the heads of those younger to them. The jamara is seen as a sign of Goddess Durga’s blessing as well as the blessing of the elders.

Fulpati

Regular practices are maintained as the days pass until the seventh day. ‘Fulpati’ is the name given to the seventh day. Brahmans in a decorated piece of cloth beneath a gold tipped and embroidered parasol carry the royal kalash filled with holy water, banana stalks, jamara, and sugar cane bound with red cloth in fulpati. The fulpati parade is often attended by government authorities. The Dashain feasting begins at this point.

Maha Asthami

The eighth day, known as Maha Asthami, sees an increase in devotion and sacrifice to Durga and Kali. Many traditional Hindus will be fasting on this day. Throughout the day, sacrifices are performed in practically every home. The eighth day’s night is known as ‘Kal Ratri,’ or the black night. At the mother goddess temples, hundreds of goats, sheep, and buffaloes are sacrificed. The sacrifice will last till morning. During the puja, big feasts are organised in the houses of ordinary people, where a large amount of meat is devoured.

Nawami

The ninth day is known as Nawami, and temples dedicated to the mother goddess are packed from sunup to sundown. To worship Durga, the goddess of triumph and that may, and to seek her blessing, animals, especially black buffaloes, are sacrificed. Military bands perform battle songs, guns fire, and officers in full uniform stand there with magnificently decorated medals. When the event is over, the courtyard is covered with blood up to the ankles. Vishwa Karma, the God of Creativity, is also worshipped on this day. All factories, automobiles, machinery instruments, and whatever that allows us to earn a livelihood are revered. To obtain the blessing, we also offer sacrifices to any metal weapons and machinery, such as automobiles, aeroplanes, and trucks.

Dashami

Dashami is the tenth day, when we receive tika and jamara from our elders and ask for their blessing. We pay a visit to our seniors and receive tika from them, while our younger relatives come to our home to receive blessings from us. Dashain is particularly significant since it is on this day that family members from far away and distant relatives gather to pay their respects and receive tika from the family leader. This function will last four days. Dashain concludes on the fifteenth day of the full moon, after four days of hurrying around and greeting your relatives. People stay at home and rest on the last day. The full moon day is also known as ‘Kojagrata,’ which literally means ‘who is awake.’ Laxmi, the Hindu goddess of wealth, is revered. On this day, the goddess Laxmi is invited to come and greet everyone.

Everyone returns to normal life after Dashain. People are eager to labour and attain integrity, power, and money after receiving goddess Durga’s blessing. As a result, Dashain is not only the longest but also the most awaited of all Nepalese holidays. Just while you wait for Dashain to arrive, it is always better to stay prepared for the well-decorated house (with beautiful handicrafts), beautiful dresses, gifts to take when you visit relatives, and all the necessary puja essentials, so that when the main day arrives, you can fully enjoy this major festival with your family and friends.