Dashain Festival Tour in Nepal

Every year from late September to early October, the people of Nepal get ready to enjoy Dashain, the greatest festival of the year. This is the biggest and longest festival on the Nepali calendar and it is celebrated by virtually every person in Nepal, regardless of their social caste. The entire festival lasts approximately fifteen days and is a riot of color, festivity, and religious rites. 

Dashain is the greatest festival in Nepal.

Dashin is a very important festival in Nepal. It is known as Bada Dashain, Vijaya Dashami, or Durga Pooja. It falls according to the lunar calendar from September to October. Dashain is celebrated for 15 days. Goddess Durga, the goddess of power and the Universal Mother Goddess who kills demons worshiped during this festival. 

The first day of this festival is known as Ghatasthapana. From the seventh day, the main celebration starts. Ghatasthapana marks the beginning of Dashain. It literally means installing a pot that symbolizes Goddess Shakti. It falls on Aswin Shukla Pratipada, the first day of the bright half of the lunar calendar in the month of Aswin. On this day the Kalash is filled with holy water which is then covered with cow dung and sewn with barley seeds. Then, the Kalash is put in the center of a rectangular sand block. The remaining bed of sand is also sown with grains. The priest or main person from home then starts the puja by calling goddess Durga to bless the vessel with her presence. This ritual is performed at a certain auspicious time which is determined by the astrologers. Goddess Shakti is believed to reside in the Kalash vessel during the Navratri period. A male family member worships the Kalasha twice every day, once in the morning and then in the evening. It is kept away from direct sunlight, and holy water is offered to it every day so that by the tenth day of the festival the seed will have grown to five or six inches long yellow grass. This sacred grass is known as ‘Jamara’. These rituals continue till the seventh day.

The seventh, eighth, and nine days are called Phulpati, Maha Ashtami, and Maha Navami respectively.

The tenth day is known as Vijaya Dasami, the day of victory over the Evils.
It is believed that the Goddess Durga, whose steed is a ferocious lion, was able to kill a Mahisasur (buffalo). Her victory is symbolized as defeat over evil. Junior members of the family receive Tika and Jamara and blessings from the elders of the family. All the family members gather together and exchange their happiness and good wishes.

Those who are far away from home also try to come home to celebrate this festival along with their family members. People wear new clothes and eat delicious food. This festival gives joy, happiness, and delight. Especially children enjoy the most. They play on swings and have a lot of fun. All the schools, colleges, institutions, organizations, and government offices remain closed during this festival.
Read more: Popular Family Treks in Nepal

Now in Nepal many people from outside the world like to come and join with locals on the occasion of this festival.