Dashain is Nepal's longest festival, a fifteen-day celebration of victory, sacrifice, and family bonds.
In short: Spanning fifteen days, Dashain is the most significant festival in the Nepali calendar. It commemorates the triumph of the goddess Durga over demonic forces and the victory of Lord Ram over Ravan. Beyond its religious roots, the festival serves as a massive homecoming, reuniting families through ancient rituals and shared feasts.
Dashain, also known as Bada'dashain or Vijaya Dashami, is a complex tapestry of devotion and cultural tradition. While its core celebrates the victory of Durga over the demon Mahishasura, it also honors the legend of Ram defeating Ravan. The festival begins with Ghatasthapana, where a sacred vessel representing Durga is installed, and barley seeds are sown to grow into yellow grass called jamara. Over the following days, worshippers recite the Saptashati and honor the nine manifestations of the goddess.
The festival reaches its zenith on the eighth and ninth days, Maha Asthami and Maha Navami. These days are marked by widespread animal sacrifices—including buffaloes, goats, and ducks—intended to appease Durga and her fierce form, Kali. This practice, while central to the tradition, has drawn vocal opposition from animal welfare organizations. Proponents view the blood as a symbol of fertility and the sacrifice as a representation of shedding base animal qualities, whereas critics argue it is merely an excuse for meat consumption.
On the tenth day, Bijaya Dashami, elders apply a mixture of rice, yogurt, and vermilion—known as tika—to the foreheads of younger relatives, symbolizing the blood that unites the family. The festival concludes on the full moon, Kojagrat Purnima, when the goddess of wealth, Lakshmi, is worshipped. Throughout the fifteen days, customs like kite-flying, building bamboo swings, and playing cards reinforce the festival's role as a vital social anchor, even as some indigenous groups have questioned its state-imposed prominence.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Dashain
- Also: Wikidata — Dashain · CC0
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