Dashain – The Biggest Festival of Nepal

Credit – Stunning Nepal

Bada Dashain เคฌเคกเคพเคฆเคถเฅˆเค also known as Bijaya Dashami is Nepalโ€™s most intensely celebrated festival. It is celebrated by the Hindus and Kirats i.e. all caste and creed of Nepal. It is one of the most auspicious longest festivals each day celebrated to worship Nava Durga namely Brahmayani, Maheshwari, Indrayani, Barahi, Kumari, Bhadrakali, Tripurasundari, Mahalaxmi, and Mahakali. During this period, almost all Nepalese from around the globe returns to their hometown to celebrate this festival together with their friends and family. Every institution including the government offices, schools remains closed during this festival period. This festival falls in September and October period starting from the first day after the no-moon day Shukla Paksha (bright lunar fortnight) to Purnima (full moon). Here we have highlighted the most important days of Dashain and how it is celebrated.

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1.         Ghatasthapana (First Day)

Ghatasthapana เค˜เคŸเคธเฅเคฅเคพเคชเคจเคพ is the 1st Day of the biggest festival of the Nepalese year โ€“ Dashain. It is also known as Kalashthapana /Sharadiya Navaratri เคถเคพเคฐเคฆเฅ€เคฏ เคจเคตเคฐเคพเคคเฅเคฐเคฟ. Nepalese Ghata means โ€œPot/Vesselโ€ and Sthapana means โ€œto establishโ€ which means to establish a pot. In Bikram Sambat Calendar โ€“ the first day after the no-moon days (bright lunar fortnight) is celebrated as the Ghatasthapana.

Nepal is a multi-ethnic country with 4 different Castes and 36 Barnas. Every caste and religions celebrate Dashain in their own traditional way. On this holy day, almost all household cleanse their most sacred place โ€“ the puja room, and the whole house is cleaned to establish Ghata near the goddess Navadurga. The Ghata is clay or copper made pot – Kalash filled with holy water collected from nearby Navadurga temples – taps and river banks, holy grass (เคฆเฅ‚เคฌเฅ‹), flowers to cover the top, rice mixed with turmeric (Akshyata), beetle nuts, gems, or gold coin.

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Along with the holy water, sand is also collected to grow barley seeds into โ€œJamaraโ€ during the 10 days till Dashain. The sand is spread around the Kalash in the puja room and the seeds are spread at a certain favorable time of the day. The sand bed and pot is kept wet by holy water every morning till Dashami. Priests in temples and elders at home chants Chandi path prayers during this procedure to request goddess Durga to bless the Ghata with resting herself for the 10 days till Dashain. Ghata is offered flowers, food items, and colorful powders with a burning oil lamp burning every day during these 9 days of Devi Durga till Vijaya Dashami. On the tenth day, the grains grow about 3 inches or 5 inches which are then cut and given as Prasad to family members, friends, and neighbors as Jamara. It is put on the heads by the elders when blessings are given during the Vijaya Dashami.

Kalash

iMartNepal provides festivity goods, god and goddess statues (Murti), and other ingredients used during festivals like Dashain and Tihar. Whether you want to place sacred god/goddess statues in your puja room, or religious materials Puja Thali, Tika, or native attires like Dhaka Topi or Daura Suruwal to wear them during the celebration, we supply them all. Ping us in our Chatbox or Facebook to share your requirements with us โ€“ Contact us now.

Chandi Path (เคšเคฃเฅเคกเฅ€ เคชเคพเค )

โ€œเคฎเคฎ เคฎเคนเคพเคฎเคพเคฏเคพเคญเค—เคตเคคเฅ€ ( เคตเคพ เคฎเคพเคฏเคพเคงเคฟเคชเคคเคฟ เคญเค—เคตเคค ) เคชเฅเคฐเฅ€เคคเคฏเฅ‡ ( เค†เคฏเฅเคฐเฅเคฌเคฒเคตเคฟเคคเฅเคคเคพเคฐเฅ‹เคฏเคธเคฎเคพเคฆเคฐเคพเคฆเคฟเคชเฅเคฐเคพเคชเฅเคคเคฏเฅ‡ เคตเคพ ) เคจเคตเคฐเคพเคคเฅเคฐเคตเฅเคฐเคคเคฎเคนเค‚ เค•เคฐเคฟเคทเฅเคฏเฅ‡เฅคโ€

2.         Fulpati (Seventh Day)

Bada Dashain celebrates Devi Durga โ€“ the ten mother goddess and her victory over the evil buffalo demon Mahishasura. The epic battle against Mahishasura ended with his death on Vijaya Dashami. The seventh day of Bada Dashain โ€“ Phulpati or Saptami is celebrated with auspicious flowers decorating homes as Dashain Ghar in every household in Nepal. In Kathmandu valley, a Ghata prepared with the Jamara, banana stalks, and sugar cane tied with red cloth is brought from Gurkha by the Brahmins to offer the Royals monarch. Hundreds of people with all the high-officials attend a special parade ceremony at the Tundikhel grounds to witness The Nepal Army, Nepal Police Force, and civil service, and all related officials march with a procession and cultural pageantry from Hanuman Dhoka.

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Credit – Kantipur Television

3.         Maha Ashtami (Eighth Day)

Maha Ashtami is also known as Durgasthami and is celebrated on Ashwayuja Shukla Asthami. On the 8th day of Bada Dashain โ€“ Maha Asthami, Durga Bhawani, Bhadrakali, and Maha Gauri  – different incarnations of Navadurga is highly worshipped by sacrificing sacred animals. Ayudha and Astra mean weapons are also worshipped on this day. The night of Asthami is called โ€œKal Ratriโ€ hundreds of goats, sheep, and buffaloes are sacrificed in Kaliโ€™s temples and households. In Kathmandu valley, the night is celebrated with feasts called โ€œKuchi Bhweโ€ means mana of beaten rice and a variety of compulsory dishes.

Asthami Mantra

เคถเฅเคตเฅ‡เคคเฅ‡ เคตเฅƒเคทเฅ‡ เคธเคฎเคพเคฐเฅเคขเคพ เคถเฅเคตเฅ‡เคคเคพเคฎเฅเคฌเคฐเคงเคฐเคพ เคถเฅเคšเคฟเคƒ เฅค

เคฎเคนเคพเค—เฅŒเคฐเฅ€ เคถเฅเคญเค‚ เคฆเค˜เคพเคจเฅเคฎเคนเคพเคฆเฅ‡เคตเคชเฅเคฐเคฎเฅ‹เคฆเคฆเคพ เฅฅ

Credit – Peoples of Nepal

4.         Maha Navami (Ninth Day)

The last of Nava Durga during Dashain is Maha Navami. It is the 9th day of Bada Dashami that ends Navratri. The day is specially celebrated as the day when Durga finally defeated the evil buffalo demon Mahisasura. To mark this victory, she is named Mahisasurmardini.  In Kathmandu valley, people visit local Durga temples and then to the elders of the family to offer prayers for blessings and enjoy festive treats. Local craftsmen, traders, mechanics offer animal sacrifices to their tools, machines, vehicles, and equipment. There is a huge belief that worshipping them prevents accidents over the year. The office military sacrifices animals on the โ€œKotโ€ courtyard of all three Durbar Squares โ€“ Kathmandu, Patan, and Bhaktapur. This is the only day when the door of the notorious Taleju Temple is opened for the public to worship the Goddess inside.

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Credit – nileshstha

5.         Vijaya Dashami (Tenth Day)

The infamous day Vijaya Dashami is the 10th day of Bada Dashain. Almost all Nepalese celebrate this day with great zeal and enthusiasm with their friends and family. People visit their elders for blessings and put Tika (rice grains mixed with crimson powder) and Jamara. An auspicious time set by great country priests for Tika in this day while this process goes on to 5 more days till the Purnima as family visits all their elder relatives.

Dashain is celebrated for the victory of truth over the evil, good over the bad. It reminds us that evil may be strong for time; the truth and good always prevails. It is also called Dashahra where Dasha means bad fortune and Hara means take away which simply means – โ€œTake away ill fortuneโ€.

Dashain Mantra

เคธเคฐเฅเคต เคฎเค‚เค—เคฒ เคฎเคพเค‚เค—เคฒเฅเคฏเฅ‡ เคถเคฟเคตเฅ‡ เคธเคฐเฅเคตเคพเคฐเฅเคฅ เคธเคพเคงเคฟเค•เฅ‡ เฅค  เคถเคฐเคจเฅเคฏเฅ‡ เคคเฅเคฐเคฏเคฎเฅเคฌเคฟเค•เฅ‡ เค—เฅŒเคฐเฅ€ เคจเคพเคฐเคพเคฏเคฃเฅ€ เคจเคฎเฅ‹เคธเฅเคคเฅเคคเฅ‡ เฅคเฅค

เคถเคฐเคฃเคพเค—เคค เคฆเฅ€เคจเคพเคฐเฅเคคเคชเคฐเคฟเคคเฅเคฐเคพเคฃ เคชเคฐเคพเคฏเคฃเฅ‡เฅค เคธเคฐเฅเคตเคธเฅเคฏเคพเคคเคฟเคนเคฐเฅ‡ เคฆเฅ‡เคตเคฟ เคจเคพเคฐเคพเคฏเคฃ เคจเคฎเฅ‹เคธเฅเคคเฅเคคเฅ‡เฅคเฅค

เคธเคฐเฅเคตเคธเฅเคตเคฐเฅ‚เคชเฅ‡ เคธเคฐเฅเคตเฅ‡เคถเฅ‡ เคธเคฐเฅเคตเฅ‡เคถเค•เฅเคคเคฟเคธเคฎเคจเฅเคตเคฟเคคเฅ‡ เฅค เคญเคฏเฅ‡เคญเฅเคฏเคธเฅเคคเฅเคฐเคพเคนเคฟ เคจเฅ‹ เคฆเฅ‡เคตเคฟ เคฆเฅเคฐเฅเค—เฅ‡ เคฆเฅ‡เคตเคฟ เคจเคฎเฅ‹เคฝเคธเฅเคคเฅ เคคเฅ‡ เฅคเฅค

เคฐเฅ‹เค—เคจเคถเฅ‡เคทเคพเคจเคชเคนเค‚เคธเคฟ เคคเฅเคทเฅเคŸเคพเฅค เคฐเฅเคทเฅเคŸเคพ เคคเฅ เค•เคพเคฎเคพเคจเฅ เคธเค•เคฒเคพเคจเคญเฅ€เคทเฅเคŸเคพเคจเฅเฅคเฅค

เคคเฅเคตเคพเคฎเคพเคถเฅเคฐเคฟเคคเคพเคจเคพเค‚ เคจ เคตเคฟเคชเคจเฅเคจเคฐเคพเคฃเคพเค‚เฅค เคคเฅเคตเคฎเคพเคถเฅเคฐเคฟเคคเคพ เคนเฅƒเคฏเคถเฅเคฐเคฏเคคเคพเค‚ เคชเฅเคฐเคฏเคพเคจเฅเคคเคฟเฅคเฅค

เคธเคฐเฅเคตเคพเคฌเคพเคงเคพ เคชเฅเคฐเคถเคฎเคจเค‚ เคคเฅเคฐเฅˆเคฒเฅ‹เค•เฅเคฏเคธเฅเคฏเคพเค–เคฟเคฒเฅ‡เคถเฅเคตเคฐเคฟเฅค เคเคตเคฎเฅ‡เคต เคคเฅเคตเคฏเคพ เค•เคพเคฐเฅเคฏเคฎเคธเฅเคฎเคฆเฅเคฆเฅˆเคฐเคฟเคตเคฟเคจเคพเคถเคจเคฎเฅเฅคเฅค

เคธเคฐเฅเคตเคพเคฌเคพเคงเคพ เคตเคฟเคฐเฅเคจเคฟเคฐเฅเคฎเฅเค•เฅเคคเฅ‹ เคงเคจเคงเคพเคจเฅเคฏเคธเฅเคคเคพเคจเฅเคตเคฟเคค:เฅค เคฎเคจเฅเคทเฅเคฏเฅ‹ เคฎเคคเฅเคชเฅเคฐเคธเคพเคฆเฅ‡เคจ เคญเคตเคฟเคทเฅเคฏเคคเคฟ เคจ เคธเค‚เคถเคฏ:เฅคเฅค

เคœเคฏเคจเฅเคคเฅ€ เคฎเค™เฅเค—เคฒเคพ เค•เคพเคฒเฅ€ เคญเคฆเฅเคฐเค•เคพเคฒเฅ€ เค•เคชเคพเคฒเคฟเคจเฅ€ เฅค เคฆเฅเคฐเฅเค—เคพ เคถเคฟเคตเคพ เค•เฅเคทเคฎเคพ เคงเคพเคคเฅเคฐเฅ€ เคธเฅเคตเคพเคนเคพ เคธเฅเคตเคงเคพ เคจเคฎเฅ‹เคฝเคธเฅเคคเฅ เคคเฅ‡ เฅคเฅค

เคฆเฅ‡เคนเคฟ เคธเฅŒเคญเคพเค—เฅเคฏเคฎเคพเคฐเฅ‹เค—เฅเคฏเค‚ เคฆเฅ‡เคนเคฟ เคฆเฅ‡เคตเคฟ เคชเคฐเค‚ เคธเฅเค–เคฎเฅ เฅค

เคฐเฅ‚เคชเค‚ เคฆเฅ‡เคนเคฟ เคœเคฏเค‚ เคฆเฅ‡เคนเคฟ เคฏเคถเฅ‹ เคฆเฅ‡เคนเคฟ เคฆเฅเคตเคฟเคทเฅ‹ เคœเคนเคฟ เฅฅ

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iMartNepal provides festivity goods, god and goddess statues (Murti), and other ingredients used during festivals like Dashain and Tihar. Whether you want to place sacred god/goddess statues in your puja room, or religious materials Puja Thali, Tika, or native attires like Dhaka Topi or Daura Suruwal to wear them during the celebration, we supply them all. Ping us in our Chatbox or Facebook to share your requirements with us โ€“ Contact us now.

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