Dashain is the longest and the most important festival of
Nepal. Generally Dashain falls in late September to mid October, right
after the monsoon season in Nepal. Dashain gets many different nick names as Dasara, Bada Dashain, i!aya Dashain, and D"rga #"!a, all of $hich mean the same thing, Dashain, a day of ictory over Demons. %he celebration marks the victory of good over evil $hen Goddess D"rga killed demon &aisash"r, $ho had terrori'ed the $orld in the g"ise of a br"tal $ater b"ffalo. (ccording to the legend, the first nine days signify the nine days of ferro"s battle bet$een goddess D"rga and the demon &ahisas"r. %he tenth day is the day $hen &ahisas"r $as slain and the last five days symboli'e the celebration of the victory $ith the blessing of the goddess. Dashain is celebrated $ith great re!oice, and goddess D"rga is $orshiped thro"gho"t the kingdom as the divine mother goddess. )"ge amo"nt of animal sacrifices take place d"ring the festival in temples and in home to please the Goddess D"rga. %he final day of the festival is kno$n as *%ika+, a day on $hich the elder ones give *%ika+ to the yo"nger ones and to other relatives $ho come for their blessings. ,n preparation for Dashain every home is cleansed and bea"tif"lly decorated, painted as an invitation to the mother goddess, so that she may visit and bless the ho"se $ith good fort"ne. D"ring this time the re"nion of distant and nearby relatives occ"rs in every ho"sehold. %he market is filled $ith shoppers seeking ne$ clothing, gifts, l"-"ries and enormo"s s"pplies of temple offering for the gods, as $ell as foodst"ffs for the family feasting. %he first day of Dashain is called Ghatasthapana, $hich literally means pot establishing. On this day the kalash, .holy $ater vessel/ symboli'ing goddess D"rga often $ith her image embossed on the side is placed in the prayer room. %he kalash is filled $ith holy $ater and covered $ith co$ d"ng on to $hich seeds are so$n. ( small rectang"lar sand block is made and the kalash is p"t in the centre. %he s"rro"nding bed of sand is also seeded $ith grains. %he Ghatasthapana rit"al is performed at a certain a"spicio"s moment determined by the astrologers. (t that partic"lar moment the priest intones a $elcome, re0"esting goddess D"rga to bless the vessel $ith her presence. ( priest or a ho"sehold man $orships the kalash everyday once in the morning and then in the evening. %he kalash and the sand are sprinkled $ith holy $ater everyday and it is shielded from direct s"nlight. By the tenth day, the seed $ill have gro$n to five or si- inches long yello$ grass. %he sacred yello$ grass is called +1amara+. (s days passes by reg"lar rit"als are observed till the seventh day. %he seventh day is called +2"lpati+. ,n f"lpati, the royal kalash filled $ith holy $ater, banana stalks, 1amara and s"gar cane tied $ith red cloth is carried by Brahmans on a decorated palan0"in "nder a gold tipped and embroidered "mbrella. 3ith this the Dashain feasting starts. %he eighth day is called the &aha (sthami. %he day of $orship and sacrifice to D"rga and 4ali increases. Sacrifices are held in almost every ho"se thro"gho"t the day. %he night of the eighth day is called +4al 5atri+, the dark night. )"ndreds of goats, sheep and b"ffaloes are sacrificed at the mother goddess temples. %he sacrifice contin"es till da$n. 3hile the p"!a is being carried o"t great feasts are held in the homes of common people $here large amo"nt of meat are cons"med. %he ninth day is called Na$ami. %emples of mother goddess are filled $ith people from da$n till d"sk. (nimals mostly black b"ffaloes are sla"ghtered to honor D"rga the goddess of victory and might and to seek her blessing. &ilitary bands play $ar t"nes, g"ns boom and officers $ith bea"tif"lly decorated medals in f"ll "niform stand there. On this very day the god ish$a 4arma, the God of creativity is also $orshiped. (ll factories, vehicles, any machinery instr"ments and anything from $hich $e make a living are $orshiped. 3e also give sacrifices to all moving machinery like cars, tr"cks etc. to get the blessing from goddess D"rga for protection for vehicles and their occ"pants against accidents d"ring the year. %he entire day is colorf"l. %he tenth day is the Dashami. On this day $e take %ika and 1amara from o"r elders and receive their blessing. 3e visit o"r elders in their home and get tika from them $hile o"r yo"nger ones come to o"r home to receive blessing from "s. %he importance of Dashain also lies in the fact that on this day family members from far off and distant relatives come for a visit as $ell as to receive tika from the head of the family. %his f"nction contin"es for fo"r days. (fter fo"r days of r"shing aro"nd and meeting yo"r relatives Dashain ends on the f"ll moon day, the fifteenth day. ,n the last day people stay at home and rest. %he f"ll moon day is also called +4o!agrata+ meaning +$ho is a$ake+. ,t is believed that goddess D"rga only visit the ho"se $here people are a$ake. So, all people remain a$ake that night. 6ike all festivals, Dashain brings family members together in a mood of celebration. 4ite flying competitions are held among families+ neighborhoods. (ll the schools and b"sinesses are closed, allo$ing people to p"t all their $orries aside and en!oy spare time $ith their loved ones. 7elebrated by almost all the comm"nities of Nepal, Dashain binds all the Nepalese together $ith a sacred thread of national "nity. ,n several parts of Nepal, Dashain is the only time of the year $hen people receive a set of ne$ clothing. 6ike$ise, in poorer families, the animal sacrifice $as eagerly anticipated since it might be the only animal protein the family $o"ld eat all year. %his may be tr"e in certain parts of Nepal $here food is in lo$ s"pply, b"t is less so in the cities. ,n general, the tradition of sacrifice is lessening $ith the easy availability of meat for daily cons"mption, and $ith the infl"ences of aishnav )ind"s .$ho are vegetarian/.(fter Dashain the nation settles back to normal. (fter receiving the blessing of goddess D"rga, people are ready to $ork and ac0"ire virt"e, po$er and $ealth. Dashain th"s is not only the longest festival b"t also the most anticipated one among all the festivals of Nepal.