Dashain or Bada'dashain, also referred as
Bijaya Dashami in
Sanskrit
Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had Trans-cultural diffusion ...
, is a major
Hindu
Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...
religious festival in
Nepal
Nepal (; ne, नेपाल ), formerly the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal ( ne,
सङ्घीय लोकतान्त्रिक गणतन्त्र नेपाल ), is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is ma ...
. It is also celebrated by Hindus of Nepal and elsewhere in the world,
including among the
Lhotshampa
The Lhotshampa or Lhotsampa ( ne, ल्होत्साम्पा; ) people are a heterogeneous Bhutanese people of Nepalese descent. "Lhotshampa", which means "southern borderlanders" in Dzongkha, began to be used by the Bhutanese state i ...
of
Bhutan
Bhutan (; dz, འབྲུག་ཡུལ་, Druk Yul ), officially the Kingdom of Bhutan,), is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is situated in the Eastern Himalayas, between China in the north and India in the south. A mountainou ...
and the
Burmese Gurkha
Burmese Gurkhas ( my, ဂေါ်ရခါးလူမျိုးများ; ne, गोरखाली) are a group of Nepali language speaking Burmese people of Khas/ Gurkha ethnic group living in Myanmar (formerly Burma). While the Gurkhas ...
s of
Myanmar
Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even in British English although only some British English speakers pronounce r at the end of syllables. As John Wells explai ...
. The festival is also referred as Nauratha, derived from the
Sanskrit
Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had Trans-cultural diffusion ...
word for the same festival
Navaratri
Navaratri is an annual Hindu festival observed in the honour of the goddess Durga. It spans over nine nights (and ten days), first in the month of Chaitra (March/April of the Gregorian calendar), and again in the month of Sharada. It is o ...
which translates to ''Nine Nights''. A version of this festival is celebrated as Navaratri,
Dussehra
Vijayadashami ( sa, विजयदशमी, Vijayadaśamī, translit-std=IAST), also known as Dussehra, Dasara or Dashain, is a major Hindu festival celebrated at the end of Navaratri every year. It is observed on the tenth day in the Hin ...
or Dashera by Hindus in India, although rites and rituals vary significantly.
It is the longest and the most auspicious festival in the
Bikram Sambat
Vikram Samvat (IAST: ''Vikrama Samvat''; abbreviated VS) or Bikram Sambat B.S. and also known as the Vikrami calendar, is a Hindu calendar historically used in the Indian subcontinent. Vikram Samvat is generally 57 years ahead of Gregorian Calend ...
and
Nepal Sambat
Nepal Sambat, also spelled as Nepala Sambata, (Nepal Bhasa: , Nepali: ) is the lunisolar calendar used by the Newari people of Nepal. The Calendar era began on 20 October 879 AD, with 1142 in Nepal Sambat corresponding to the year 2021–2022 A ...
annual calendars, celebrated by
Nepali Hindus
Hinduism is the main and largest religion of Nepal. In 2007, the country declared itself a secular country through democracy; still, some special privileges were given to Indic religions like "The Constitution of Nepal has established a call for ...
, along with their diaspora throughout the globe. In Nepal, it is also known as the biggest festival in the country and is the longest national/public holiday, 5 days to be exact. It is the most anticipated festival in
Nepal
Nepal (; ne, नेपाल ), formerly the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal ( ne,
सङ्घीय लोकतान्त्रिक गणतन्त्र नेपाल ), is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is ma ...
. People return from all parts of the world, as well as different parts of the country, to celebrate together.
All government offices, educational institutions, and other offices remain closed during the festival period. The festival falls in September or October, starting from the
shukla paksha
Paksha (also known as ''pakṣa''; sa, पक्ष, Nepal Bhasa: ''thwa'' and ''gа̄''; ) refers to a fortnight or a lunar phase in a month of the Hindu lunar calendar.
Literally meaning "side", a paksha is the period either side of the Ful ...
(bright lunar night) of the month of
Ashwin
Ashvin or Ashwin or Ashwan (; bn, আশ্বিন; hi, आश्विन; or, ଆଶ୍ୱିନ; Malay/ Indonesian: ''Aswin''; Thai: ''Asawin''), also known as Aswayuja, is the seventh month of the lunisolar Hindu calendar, the solar ...
and ending on
Purnima
Pūrṇimā () is the word for full moon in Sanskrit. The day of Purnima is the day (''Tithi'') in each month when the full moon occurs, and marks the division in each month between the two lunar fortnights (paksha), and the Moon is aligned exa ...
, the full
moon
The Moon is Earth's only natural satellite. It is the fifth largest satellite in the Solar System and the largest and most massive relative to its parent planet, with a diameter about one-quarter that of Earth (comparable to the width of ...
. Among the fifteen days on which it is celebrated, the most important days are the first, seventh, eighth, ninth, tenth, and fifteenth.
Dashain is the main festival of Hindus in Nepal.
Etymology
The word ''Vaḍādaśain̐'' () is a Nepali
sandhi
Sandhi ( sa, सन्धि ' , "joining") is a cover term for a wide variety of sound changes that occur at morpheme or word boundaries. Examples include fusion of sounds across word boundaries and the alteration of one sound depending on near ...
, where "baḍā" () means "important" and "daśa͠i" () means "tenth", implying the most-significant final day of the festival of
Durga Puja
Durga Puja ( bn, দুর্গা পূজা), also known as Durgotsava or Sharodotsava, is an annual Hindu festival originating in the Indian subcontinent which reveres and pays homage to the Hindu goddess Durga and is also celebrated ...
, celebrating the dawn after the end of
Nauratha (nine nights). The word ''Dashain'' is ultimately derived from the Sanskrit word
daśamī, denoting the 10th day of the
Kaula (month)
Kaulā (Nepal Bhasa: कौला) is the twelfth month in the Nepal Era calendar, the national lunar calendar of Nepal. The month coincides with Ashvin (अश्विन्) in the Hindu lunar calendar and October in the Gregorian calendar.
Kau ...
in this context.
Significance
For followers of
Shaktism
Shaktism ( sa, शाक्त, , ) is one of several major Hindu denominations, wherein the metaphysical reality is considered metaphorically a woman and Shakti ( Mahadevi) is regarded as the supreme godhead. It includes many goddesses, al ...
, it represents the victory of the goddess
Durga
Durga ( sa, दुर्गा, ) is a major Hindu goddess, worshipped as a principal aspect of the mother goddess Mahadevi. She is associated with protection, strength, motherhood, destruction, and wars.
Durga's legend centres around c ...
. In
Hindu scripture
Hindu texts are manuscripts and voluminous historical literature which are related to any of the diverse traditions within Hinduism. A few of these texts are shared across these traditions and they are broadly considered Hindu scriptures. These ...
, the demon
Mahishasura
Mahishasura is a bovine asura in Hinduism. He is depicted in literature to be a deceitful demon who pursued his evil ways by shape-shifting. Mahishasura was the son of Mahisi (Buffalo) and the great-grandson of Brahmarshi Kashyapa. He was ultima ...
had created terror in the
devaloka
In Indian religions, a devaloka or deva loka is a plane of existence where gods and devas exist. The deva lokas are usually described as places of eternal light and goodness, similar to the concept of Heaven. Teachers of different Hindu den ...
(the world where gods lives) but
Durga
Durga ( sa, दुर्गा, ) is a major Hindu goddess, worshipped as a principal aspect of the mother goddess Mahadevi. She is associated with protection, strength, motherhood, destruction, and wars.
Durga's legend centres around c ...
killed the devils also known as demons.
The first nine days of Dashain symbolize the battle which took place between the different manifestations of
Durga
Durga ( sa, दुर्गा, ) is a major Hindu goddess, worshipped as a principal aspect of the mother goddess Mahadevi. She is associated with protection, strength, motherhood, destruction, and wars.
Durga's legend centres around c ...
and
Mahishasura
Mahishasura is a bovine asura in Hinduism. He is depicted in literature to be a deceitful demon who pursued his evil ways by shape-shifting. Mahishasura was the son of Mahisi (Buffalo) and the great-grandson of Brahmarshi Kashyapa. He was ultima ...
. The tenth day is the day when Durga finally defeated him. For other Hindus, this festival symbolises the victory of
Ram
Ram, ram, or RAM may refer to:
Animals
* A male sheep
* Ram cichlid, a freshwater tropical fish
People
* Ram (given name)
* Ram (surname)
* Ram (director) (Ramsubramaniam), an Indian Tamil film director
* RAM (musician) (born 1974), Dutch
* ...
over
Ravan
Ravana (; , , ) is a rakshasa king of the island of Lanka, and the chief antagonist of the Hindu epic ''Ramayana'' and its adaptations.
In the ''Ramayana'', Ravana is described to be the eldest son of sage Vishrava and rakshasi Kaikesi. He ab ...
as recounted in the ''
Ramayana
The ''Rāmāyana'' (; sa, रामायणम्, ) is a Sanskrit epic composed over a period of nearly a millennium, with scholars' estimates for the earliest stage of the text ranging from the 8th to 4th centuries BCE, and later stages ...
''. It symbolises the victory of ''
good
In most contexts, the concept of good denotes the conduct that should be preferred when posed with a choice between possible actions. Good is generally considered to be the opposite of evil and is of interest in the study of ethics, morality, ph ...
'' over ''
evil''.
Day 1: Ghatasthapana
![Nepal's biggest festival Dashain](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a0/Nepal%27s_biggest_festival_Dashain.jpg)
Ghaṭasthāpanā (; "sowing ''Jamara''") marks the beginning of Dashain.
Literally, it means placing a
kalasha
A kalasha, also spelled kalash or kalasa, also called ghat or ghot ( sa, कलश , Telugu: కలశము Kannada: ಕಳಶ literally "pitcher, pot"), is a metal (brass, copper, silver or gold) pot with a large base and small mouth, large eno ...
or a pot, which symbolizes goddess Durga. Ghaṭasthāpanā falls on the first day of the festival. On this day the Kalash is filled with holy water and is then sewn with barley seeds. Then the Kalash is put in the center of a rectangular sand block. The remaining bed of sand is also seeded with grains. The priest then starts the
puja by asking Durga to bless the vessel with her presence. This ritual is performed at a certain auspicious time which is determined by the astrologers.
The goddess is believed to reside in the vessel during
Navaratri
Navaratri is an annual Hindu festival observed in the honour of the goddess Durga. It spans over nine nights (and ten days), first in the month of Chaitra (March/April of the Gregorian calendar), and again in the month of Sharada. It is o ...
.
The room where all this is done is known as the ''Dashain Ghar''. Traditionally, outsiders are not allowed to enter it. A family member worships the Kalash twice every day, once in the morning and then in the evening. The Kalash 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 until the seventh day.
Day 7: Phulpati
''Phulpati'' () is a major celebration occurring on the seventh day of Dashain. The word Phulpati is made up of two words: ''phūl'' meaning flower and ''pātī'' meaning leaf.
Traditionally, on this day, the royal Kalash, banana stalks, ''jamara'', and sugar cane tied with red cloth are brought by
Magars from
Gorkha
The Gurkhas or Gorkhas (), with endonym Gorkhali ), are soldiers native to the Indian Subcontinent, chiefly residing within Nepal and some parts of Northeast India.
The Gurkha units are composed of Nepalis and Indian Gorkhas and are recruit ...
, a three-day walk, about away from the Kathmandu Valley. Hundreds of government officials gather together in the
Tundikhel
Tudikhel or Tundikhel (Nepali: टुँडिखेल; Nepal Bhasa: 'Tinikhya', तिनिख्यः) is a large grass-covered ground in the center of Nepal's capital Kathmandu and one of its most important landmarks. The field is rectangul ...
grounds in conventional formal dress to witness the event. The
king
King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king.
*In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the tit ...
used to observe the ceremony in
Tundikhel
Tudikhel or Tundikhel (Nepali: टुँडिखेल; Nepal Bhasa: 'Tinikhya', तिनिख्यः) is a large grass-covered ground in the center of Nepal's capital Kathmandu and one of its most important landmarks. The field is rectangul ...
while the Phulpati parade was headed towards the
Hanuman Dhoka
Hanuman Dhoka ( ne, हनुमान ढोका) is a complex of structures with the Royal Palace of the Malla kings and also of the Shah dynasty in the Durbar Square of central Kathmandu, Nepal. It is spread over five acres. The Hanuman ...
royal palace. Then there is a majestic display of the
Nepalese Army
The Nepali Army ( ne, नेपाली सेना, translit=Nēpālī Sēnā), technically the Gorkhali Army ( ne, गोरखाली सेना, translit=Gōrakhālī Sēnā, label=none; see ''Gorkhas''), is the land service branch ...
along with a celebratory firing of weapons that continues for ten to fifteen minutes honoring Phulpati. The Phulpati is taken to the
Hanuman Dhoka
Hanuman Dhoka ( ne, हनुमान ढोका) is a complex of structures with the Royal Palace of the Malla kings and also of the Shah dynasty in the Durbar Square of central Kathmandu, Nepal. It is spread over five acres. The Hanuman ...
Royal Palace by the time the occasion ends in
Tundikhel
Tudikhel or Tundikhel (Nepali: टुँडिखेल; Nepal Bhasa: 'Tinikhya', तिनिख्यः) is a large grass-covered ground in the center of Nepal's capital Kathmandu and one of its most important landmarks. The field is rectangul ...
, where a parade is held.
Since 2008, when the royal family was overthrown, the two-century-old tradition is changed so that the holy offering of Phulpati goes to the residence of the president. The President has taken over the king's social and religious roles after the end of the monarchy.
In various other cities and towns across Nepal and in India (with a significant Nepali population), a Phulpati procession is carried out. Flowers, fruits and holy symbols are tied in a red cloth, which is then covered with an auspicious red shawl and carried on a decorated wooden log across the town. The townspeople offer flower and fruits as the procession passes through their houses. The process is also accompanied by traditional
Naumati instruments.
Day 8: Maha Asthami
The eighth day is called ''Maha Asthami''. This is the day when the most fierce of Goddess Durga's manifestations, the bloodthirsty
Kali
Kali (; sa, काली, ), also referred to as Mahakali, Bhadrakali, and Kalika ( sa, कालिका), is a Hinduism, Hindu goddess who is considered to be the goddess of ultimate power, time, destruction and change in Shaktism. In t ...
, is appeased through the
sacrifice
Sacrifice is the offering of material possessions or the lives of animals or humans to a deity as an act of propitiation or worship. Evidence of ritual animal sacrifice has been seen at least since ancient Hebrews and Greeks, and possibly exi ...
of buffaloes, goats, hens, and ducks in temples throughout the nation. Blood, symbolic of its fertility, is offered to the Goddesses. Appropriately enough, the night of this day is called
Kal Ratri (Black Night), after the form of Durga worshipped on this day. . It is also the norm for buffaloes to be sacrificed in the courtyards of all the land revenue offices in the country on this day. The old palace in Kathmandu Durbar Square is active throughout the night with worship and sacrifices in almost every courtyard.
On midnight of the very day of the Dashain, a total of 54 buffaloes and 54 goats are sacrificed in observance of the rites. After the offering of the blood, the meat is taken home and cooked as "
prasad
200px, Prasad thaal offered to Swaminarayan temple in Ahmedabad ">Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Ahmedabad">Swaminarayan temple in Ahmedabad
Prasada (, Sanskrit: प्रसाद, ), Prasadam or Prasad is a religious offering in Hinduism. Most o ...
", or food blessed by divinity. This food is offered in tiny leaf plates to the household gods, then distributed amongst the family. Eating this food is thought to be auspicious. While the puja is being carried out, great feasts are held in the homes of common people. On this day the
Newar People
Newar (; new, नेवार, endonym: Newa; new, नेवा, Pracalit script:) or Nepami, are the historical inhabitants of the Kathmandu Valley and its surrounding areas in Nepal and the creators of its historic heritage and civilisation ...
has an event called "Khadga Puja" where they do puja of their weapons. It is when they put on tika and get blessings from elders.
Day 9: Maha Navami
The ninth day of Dashain is called ''Maha Navami'', "the great ninth day". This is the last day of Navaratri. Ceremonies and rituals reach a peak on this day. On this day, official military ritual sacrifices are held in one of the Hanuman Dhoka royal palaces, the Kot courtyard. On this occasion, the state offers the sacrifices of buffaloes under the gunfire salutes. This day is also known as the demon-hunting day because members of the defeated demon army try to save themselves by hiding in the bodies of animals and fowls.
![Dashain (1856)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c7/Dashain_%281856%29.png)
On Maha Navami,
durga
Durga ( sa, दुर्गा, ) is a major Hindu goddess, worshipped as a principal aspect of the mother goddess Mahadevi. She is associated with protection, strength, motherhood, destruction, and wars.
Durga's legend centres around co ...
, the mother goddess Devi, is worshipped as it is believed that all the things which help us in making a living should be kept happy. Artisans, craftsmen, traders, and mechanics worship and offer animal and fowl blood to their tools, equipment, and vehicles. Moreover, since it is believed that worshipping the vehicles on this day avoids accidents for the year all vehicles from bikes, and cars to trucks are worshipped on this day.
The
Taleju Temple gates are opened to the general public on only this day of the year. Thousands of devotees go and pay respect to the goddess this day. The temple is filled with devotees all day long.
![Taleju Temple (17231063613) (cropped) (cropped)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/81/Taleju_Temple_%2817231063613%29_%28cropped%29_%28cropped%29.jpg)
Day 10: Bijaya Dashami
![Tika and jamara](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/65/Tika_and_jamara.jpg)
The tenth day of the festival is the '
Bijayadashami'. On this day, a mixture of
rice
Rice is the seed of the grass species ''Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice) or less commonly ''Oryza glaberrima
''Oryza glaberrima'', commonly known as African rice, is one of the two domesticated rice species. It was first domesticated and grown i ...
,
yogurt
Yogurt (; , from tr, yoğurt, also spelled yoghurt, yogourt or yoghourt) is a food produced by bacterial Fermentation (food), fermentation of milk. The bacteria used to make yogurt are known as ''yogurt cultures''. Fermentation of sugars in t ...
and
vermilion
Vermilion (sometimes vermillion) is a color, color family, and pigment most often made, since ancient history, antiquity until the 19th century, from the powdered mineral cinnabar (a form of mercury sulfide, which is toxic) and its correspondi ...
is prepared. This preparation is known as "tika". Often Dashain tika time is different every year. Elders put this ''tika'' and ''jamara'' which is sown in the Ghatasthapana on the forehead of younger relatives to bless them with abundance in the upcoming years. The red also symbolizes the blood that ties the family together.
Elders give "Dakshina", or a small amount of money, to younger relatives at this time along with the blessings. This continues to be observed for five days till the full moon during which period families and relatives visit each other to exchange gifts and greetings. This ritual of taking tika from all the elder relatives (even the distant relatives) helps in the renewal of the community ties greatly. This is one reason why the festival is celebrated with so much vigour and enthusiasm.
Day 11: Papakunsha Ekadashi
Ekadashi
Ekadashi () is the eleventh lunar day (''tithi'') of each of the two lunar phases which occur in an Vedic calendar month - the '' Shukla Pakṣa'' (the period of the brightening moon also known as the waxing phase) and the ''Kṛṣṇa Pakṣa ...
is the eleventh day of the lunar fortnight in Hindu calendar. Ekadashis are considered a very auspicious day and people usually fast on this day. The day after Bijaya Dashami is known as ''Papakunsha Ekadashi'' (). On this day, it is customary to wake up early in the morning and start fasting till evening, after washing and wearing clean clothes. It is also customary to listen to Papakunsha Ekadashi stories and to visit religious sites.
![Putting Tika From Elder](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e7/Putting_Tika_From_Elder.jpeg)
While in some parts of the Nepal, the tika is only received on the day of Bijaya Dashami, in other parts of the country, people start visiting their extended family and relatives on this day till Kojagrat Purnima. One is supposed to eat only
Sattvic diet
Sattvic diet is a diet based on foods that contain one of the three yogic qualities ( guna) known as sattva. In this system of dietary classification, foods that decrease the energy of the body are considered ''tamasic'', while those that increas ...
during Ekadashis, but people continue their Dashain feasts on this day too, so this Ekadashi is also known as ''Gidde Ekadashi'' (
lit. Vulture–like–Ekadashi). By donating gold, sesame, barley, grain, soil, umbrella, shoes, etc. on this day, it is believed that one will get heaven after death.
Day 15: Kojagrat Purnima
The festival's last day, which lies on the full moon day, is called ''Kojagrat Purnima'' () or
Sharad Purnima
Sharad Purnima (also known as Kumara Purnima, Kojagari Purnima, Navanna Purnima, Kojagrat Purnima or Kaumudi Purnima) is a religious festival celebrated on the full moon day of the Hindu lunar month of Ashvin (September to October), marking t ...
. The literal meaning of Kojagrat is 'who is awake'. On this day Goddess
Laxmi
Lakshmi (; , sometimes spelled Laxmi, ), also known as Shri (, ), is one of the principal goddesses in Hinduism. She is the goddess of wealth, fortune, power, beauty, fertility and prosperity, and associated with ''Maya'' ("Illusion"). Alo ...
who is believed to be the goddess of wealth is worshipped as it is believed that Goddess Laxmi descends on earth and showers whoever is awake all night with wealth and prosperity. People enjoy the night by playing cards and much more.
Animal sacrifices are often the norm during this time, as the festival commemorates the bloody battles between the "divine" and "demonic" powers. The proponents of animal killing interpret this sacrificial act as the symbolic sacrifice of our animal qualities, but those who are opposed to animal sacrifice stress that the sacrificial act is nothing but an excuse to fulfill the appetite for food/meat.
Related traditions
Music
The
Malshree dhoon is incorporated into mainstream Nepalese music as the music of Dashain. It is the tune that announces the Dashain has arrived. Malashree dhoon is one of the oldest surviving devotional music of
Newa
Newar (), or Newari and known officially in Nepal as Nepal Bhasa, is a Sino-Tibetan language spoken by the Newar people, the indigenous inhabitants of Nepal Mandala, which consists of the Kathmandu Valley and surrounding regions in Nepa ...
art form, with its origin in the 17th century. In due time and also the fact that Dashain happens to be celebrated not just by
Newars
Newar (; new, नेवार, endonym: Newa; new, नेवा, Pracalit script:) or Nepami, are the historical inhabitants of the Kathmandu Valley and its surrounding areas in Nepal and the creators of its historic heritage and civilisation ...
but by all Nepalese, this dhoon caught up and now is part of the national culture and played during Dashain.
Mantra
![Dashain Ritual](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/86/Dashain_Ritual.jpg)
While putting tika to the younger family members or relatives, the elder people usually recite special
Sanskrit
Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had Trans-cultural diffusion ...
mantras
A mantra (Pali: ''manta'') or mantram (मन्त्रम्) is a sacred utterance, a numinous sound, a syllable, word or phonemes, or group of words in Sanskrit, Pali and other languages believed by practitioners to have religious, ma ...
as a blessing. There are two main mantras that are recited while putting tika on the Bijaya Dashami day, one for men and one for females.
In the mantra for male members, the qualities of various Hindu mythical heroes (
Yudhishthira
''Yudhishthira'' (Sanskrit: युधिष्ठिर, IAST: ''Yudhiṣṭhira'') is the eldest among the five Pandava brothers. He is mentioned in the ancient epic Mahabharata. He was sired by King Pandu of the Kuru Dynasty and his first w ...
,
Balarama
Balarama (Sanskrit: बलराम, IAST: ''Balarāma'') is a Hindu god and the elder brother of Krishna. He is particularly significant in the Jagannath tradition, as one of the triad deities. He is also known as Haladhara, Halayudha, Balad ...
, etc.) as well as antiheroes (
Ashwatthama
In the Hinduism, Hindu epic the ''Mahabharata'', Ashwatthama ( sa, अश्वत्थामा, Aśvatthāmā) or Drauni was the son of guru Drona and Kripi (sister of Kripa, Kripacharya). He was the grandson of the sage Bharadwaja. Ashwa ...
and
Duryodhana
Duryodhana ( sa, दुर्योधन, ) also known as Suyodhana, is the primary antagonist in the Hindu epic ''Mahabharata.'' He was the eldest of the Kauravas, the hundred sons of the blind king Dhritarashtra and his queen Gandhari. Being ...
) are blessed to the person.
In the mantra for the female members, they are worshipped as various form of goddess
Durga
Durga ( sa, दुर्गा, ) is a major Hindu goddess, worshipped as a principal aspect of the mother goddess Mahadevi. She is associated with protection, strength, motherhood, destruction, and wars.
Durga's legend centres around c ...
.
Alongside these mantra, other blessings for good health and fortune are also given.
Games and carnivals
![Thrill-of-flying-kites 640](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fb/Thrill-of-flying-kites_640.jpg)
As Dashain approaches, kite flying becomes more and more common. Riding kites has been a very important part of celebrating Dashain in the country, as it is considered to be one way of reminding God not to send rain anymore.
During the festival people of all ages fly kites from their roofs. Colourful kites and voices shouting out 'changā chet' (this phrase is usually used when one cuts the other person's kite string) fill the days during the festival.
Playing cards is another way of celebrating Dashain.
While children are busy flying kites during Dashain, the older members of the family pass their time by getting together and playing cards with each other for money and fun.
Bamboo
Bamboos are a diverse group of evergreen perennial flowering plants making up the subfamily Bambusoideae of the grass family Poaceae. Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family. The origin of the word "bamboo" is uncertain, bu ...
swings are constructed in many parts of the country as a way of celebration. Dashain swings are called 'ping' in Nepali. They present the best of local culture, tradition, community spirit, and fun.
These swings are constructed by community members with traditional methods which use ropes made from tough grass, bamboo sticks and wood, etc. The swings are normally constructed a week before Ghatasthapana and dismantled only after the festival of
Tihar which comes after Dashain. The height of some swings exceeds twenty feet. People of all ages enjoy the swings. They are especially famous with children.
Fairs and celebrations are organized during the festival. Usually, small fairs are organized in the villages with Ferris wheels for children and other entertainment for adults. However, in the city commercial fairs and celebrations are usually organized.
Shopping
Buying and wearing new clothes is an important part of the festival. As many people living in the villages are below the poverty line, for them it is often the case that new clothes come only with Dashain.
Almost all the shops have festival offers and discounts. This makes shopping more attractive. Clothes have the highest sales during the festival.
Feasts
Thousands of animals including
buffalo,
duck
Duck is the common name for numerous species of waterfowl in the family Anatidae. Ducks are generally smaller and shorter-necked than swans and geese, which are members of the same family. Divided among several subfamilies, they are a form t ...
s, and
rams
In engineering, RAMS (reliability, availability, maintainability and safety)Kali
Kali (; sa, काली, ), also referred to as Mahakali, Bhadrakali, and Kalika ( sa, कालिका), is a Hinduism, Hindu goddess who is considered to be the goddess of ultimate power, time, destruction and change in Shaktism. In t ...
temples, are offered with thousands of sacrifices. Ashtami and Navami are the days when the sacrifices reach a peak. While thousands of animals are sacrificed to appease the goddesses, people also slaughter animals for feasts. Since many feasts and gatherings are organized throughout the fifteen days of the festival, the demand for meat goes up considerably. To meet the demand, the slaughtering of animals becomes considerably high and necessary.
Controversy in Nepal
The festival of Dashain is often criticized for its animal sacrifice. Many
online petition
An online petition (or Internet petition, or e-petition) is a form of petition which is signed online, usually through a form on a website. Visitors to the online petition sign the petition by adding their details such as name and email address. T ...
s have been registered on
Change.org
Change.org is a worldwide nonprofit petition website, based in California, US, operated by the San Francisco-based company of the same name, which has over 400 million users and offers the public the ability to promote the petitions they care abo ...
, calling for a government action against mass slaughter. Driven by the belief that offerings of fresh blood will appease goddess
Durga
Durga ( sa, दुर्गा, ) is a major Hindu goddess, worshipped as a principal aspect of the mother goddess Mahadevi. She is associated with protection, strength, motherhood, destruction, and wars.
Durga's legend centres around c ...
, scores of animals and birds are ritually slaughtered especially in the eighth and ninth day of the festival. Birds and animals that are traditionally eligible for sacrifice include goats, buffaloes, sheep, chickens, and ducks. Some animal activists have called for the use of pumpkins and coconuts, as opposed to birds and animals.
Numerous national luminaries and animal rights activists alike have expressed their concerns over the issue of animal cruelty in the festival. On 3 October 2016, renowned Nepali comedian
Hari Bansha Acharya
Hari Bansha Acharya ( ne, हरिवंश आचार्य) is a Nepalese actor, comedian, director, singer and writer. He is known for his method acting. He is one half of the comedy duo MaHa Jodi along with fellow comedian Madan Krishna ...
wrote a satirical piece on ''Nepal Saptahik'' – entitled "''Euta Khasiko Aatmakatha''" (Autobiography of a Goat) – in light of "horrendous" exploitation inflicted upon animals during the festival.
Dashain has also become controversial in Nepal's current political climate as several indigenous groups (''adivasi janajati'') argue that festival has been imposed on them by the state. In an effort to resist what they view as the cultural domination by the Hindu elites that dominate the Nepali state, several organizations (anti-Hindu) have organized a boycott of Dashain. So far those campaigns have had a limited effect across the country. Yet, Dashain and likewise other cultural celebrations are ingrained in Nepalese lifestyle.
See also
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Chhath
Chhath is an ancient Hindu festival historically native to the Indian subcontinent, more specifically, the Indian states of Bihar, Uttar Pradesh,West Bengal, Jharkhand, and the Nepalese provinces of Madhesh and Lumbini. Prayers during Chhath ...
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Durga Puja
Durga Puja ( bn, দুর্গা পূজা), also known as Durgotsava or Sharodotsava, is an annual Hindu festival originating in the Indian subcontinent which reveres and pays homage to the Hindu goddess Durga and is also celebrated ...
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Malshree dhun
Malshree or Malashree Dhun or Malshree Dhoon (Nepal Bhasa: मालश्री धून) is a Hindu Newa artform in which musicians perform devotional music, based on classical raga and taal system. The dhun is incorporated into mainstream ...
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Mohani
Mohani or Mohni (Nepal Bhasa: ) is one of the most important festivals among the Newars which involves a packed itinerary of religious services, pilgrimages, family gatherings and outdoor celebrations lasting several days. Special dinners kno ...
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Vijayadashami
Vijayadashami ( sa, विजयदशमी, Vijayadaśamī, translit-std=IAST), also known as Dussehra, Dasara or Dashain, is a major Hindu festival celebrated at the end of Navaratri every year. It is observed on the tenth day in the Hindu ...
References
Books
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External links
{{Nepal topics
Public holidays in Nepal
Festivals in Nepal
Nepalese culture
Hindu festivals
Culture of Sikkim
Public holidays in Bhutan
Hindu festivals in Nepal
September observances
October observances
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ur:دسہرہ