Dashain Festival in Nepal: The Most Important Nepali Holiday

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Dashain is the biggest and most important festival in Nepal. My Nepali friends describe Dashain as the “Nepali Christmas”. During this time, people travel home and celebrate with their families.

Dashain festival is a 15-day long festival and it usually falls around the middle of October. The exact date of the festival changes every year, depending on the lunar calendar (Bikram Sambat) followed in Nepal.

Dashain is usually closely followed by another major festival: Tihar, the Festival of Lights.

Dashain Festival: History and Origins

The origin of Dashain festival comes from a Hindu mythology. According to the mythology, a demon (Mahisasur) created a troubled environment where the gods live. In response to that, Goddess Durga battled the demon for 10 days.

In the end, Goddess Durga killed Mahisasur. Thus, Dashain festival celebrates Goddess Durga and the victory of good over evil.

Dashain Festival in Nepal: Significant Days

Day 1: Ghatasthapana

The first day of the Dashain festival is known for the planting of Jamara and starting the worship of Goddess Durga.

Jamara

Jamara is considered sacred, yellow grass grown from barley or maize. It is prepared by putting some sand and mud in a vase/container. Then in the vase, put some seeds of maize or barley and water it a little bit every day.

The colour of the jamara is supposed to be yellow for Dashain. It will only be yellow colour if you grow the seeds in a dark place/ without sunlight. (If you grow it in sunlight, it will be green).

Worshipping Goddess Durga

The worshipping of Goddess Durga can be performed at home or at temples dedicated to Durga in the cities. Usually, at home, families will prepare a Durga Sthapana/Dashain Ghar which includes a statue or photo of Durga, the Jamara and incense.

People perform daily worship from the first day until the 10th day of Dashain. Later, on the 10th day of Dashain, people give the Jamara to others as a blessing.

From this day onward, people also clean their houses to be ready to welcome relatives who are coming to visit.

Day 7: Fulpati (or Phulpati)

The next significant day during the Dashain festival is Day 7.  ‘Ful’ means ‘flower’ and ‘pati’ means ‘plants/leaves’. 

On this day, 9 different plants and flowers are bundled together and is placed alongside the Jamara in families’ homes. Each 9 plant/flower represents a different deity.

This day also is known for bringing flowers from the Manakamana Temple (in Gorkha) to Kathmandu. The flowers from Gorkha are received by the Nepalese Army and taken to the Kathmandu Durbar Square.

The Nepalese Army also holds a parade in Tudhikhel (Kathmandu). In this tradition, the army has a ceremony firing weapons in honour of Fulpati.

Day 8: Maha Ashtami

On Day 8, people worship the Goddess Durga and sacrifice animals as an offering to the Goddess. The sacrifice of animals include buffalos, goats, hens and ducks.

Although there has been a change in recent years, people advocating to stop the sacrifices of animals or to at least sacrifice the animals in a way that the animals do not suffer.

Kaal Ratri

Kaal Ratri means ‘black night’ and it is the evening between Day 8 and 9. On this night, animal sacrifices continue and families perfom special prayers at home.

This evening is known for families eating meat and other delicacies. The meat prepared on this day, usually lasts up until the end of Dashain festival.

Day 9: Maha Nawami

On Day 9, the sacrifice of animals continue for families and also at the Kathmandu Durbar Square. Buffalos are sacrificed at the Kathmandu Durbar Square to mark this day.

On this day, people also perform worship ceremonies for their vehicles, such as car, motorbike and bus. The worshipping is performed to bring safety for people travelling in their vehicles.

After performing the ceremony for the vehicle, people will not be travelling with their vehicles for the rest of the day. Due to that, many buses are not operating on this day. If you have to get around Kathmandu, it will be easier by taxi.

On the day of Maha Nawami, they open the Taleju Temple in the Kathmandu Durbar Square for people so they can go there to worhsip Goddess Durga. It is the only day in the year that the Taleju Temple is open for the public. The queue is usually very long and people have to wait for at least an hour to get in to the temple.

Day 10: Bijaya Dashami

Day 10 is the most important day of the Dashain festival in Nepal and on this day, people celebrate the victory over evil. (it leads back to the origins of Dashain which celebrates the victory of Goddess Durga over the demon, Mahisasur. Durga killed Mahisasur on day 10, thus, the significance of the day).

It is a day when family members visit each other and get together. Family members give tika and ’jamara’ on each others’ forehead. Usually, the elder family members give tika, jamara and blessings to the younger family members. 

Day 15: Purnima (Full Moon Day)/ Kojagrat Vrata

On the final, 15th day of the festival, the jamara sown on the first day is flown into a river – which signifies the end of the holiday. People living in cities (where there is no river) put the jamara outside their gates on the road.

Until this day, people keep visiting their relatives to get tika and jamara. Usually, the last tika ceremony can be performed in early morning but after that most familes put their remaining jamara outside their gate.

From this night onwards, people start to worship Goddess Laxmi (the goddess of wealth) until the Tihar Festival. It is significant as people worship Laxmi during the Tihar festival, which is dedicated to Laxmi.

Popular Food to Eat During the Dashain Festival

Dashain festival is known for family get togethers and eating different types of meat and also soup (jhol soup in Nepal). Apart from meat items, families also eat yogurt, sweets and sel roti.

Celebrating Dashain Festival in Nepal

Although Dashain is celebrated within families, if you are travelling in Nepal during Dashain you can still experience some of the traditions. 

Fly Kites

Flying kites is a popular activity especially for children. You can buy your own kite in Kathmandu and fly kites on the rooftop of your hotel/accommodation.

Usually around Dashain, the weather starts to get a little bit windy and it creates good weather conditions to fly kites.

Play on the Swings (Linge Ping)

During Dashain, big swings are set up in open spaces in cities and in the countryside. People (both adults and children) can go and play on the swings.

There is a belief that during Dashain, your feet should leave the ground at least once, thus, the tradition of playing the swing.

Playing Cards

Families and friends usually get together to play cards during Dashain. Even if you do not have Nepali friends, you can buy a deck of cards and play cards with people at your hostel/hotel.

Join a Nepali Feast

This is most likely possible if you have Nepali friends and they invite you to their home to join for lunch/dinner. You could even get a tika on your forehead and blessings from the oldest person in your friend’s family.

Visit the Taleju Temple in Kathmandu Durbar Square

The Taleju Temple is only open once a year during the 9th Day (Maha Nawami) of Dashain. Many people come here on that day to perform prayers and worship ceremonies.

FAQ: Dashain Festival in Nepal

What is the biggest festival in Nepal?

The biggest and most important festival in Nepal is the Dashain Festival. It is a festival celebrated over 15 days, with the festival dates usually falling around October.

The festival celebrates the victory of good over evil and Goddess Durga is worshipped during the festival.

Why is Dashain important in Nepal?

Dashain originates from a Hindu mythology in which Goddess Durga had to fight a demon, Mahisasur. Goddess Durga fought Mahisasur for 10 days, and she won on day 10.

Thus, the Dashain festival celebrates the victory of good over evil, and that is the reason why Goddess Durga is worshipped during the festival.

What are the 15 days of Dashain?

Dashain is 15-days long, however, there are some days that are the most significant out of the 15 days. These days are:

• Day 1: Ghatasthapana
• Day 7: Fulpati (or Phulpati)
• Day 8: Maha Ashtami
• Day 9: Maha Nawami
• Day 10: Bijaya Dashami
• Day 15: Purnima (Full Moon Day)/ Kojagrat Vrata

What are the traditions during Dashain?

The main traditions during Dashain include travelling home to be with family, visiting family members, giving tika and blessings, playing on the swing, flying kites, playing cards, perform worship ceremonies at temples and at home, and having big family meals.

Which God is worshipped during Dashain?

Goddess Durga is workshipped during Dashain. According to a Hindu mythology, Goddess Durga had to battle a demon, Mahisasur as he tried to create a bad environment for the Gods.

Goddess Durga won the battle against Mahisasur on day 10. Thus, the significance of day 10 during the Dashain festival.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Dashain is the biggest festival in Nepal celebrated with your close family and friends. It runs for 15 days, usually in October.

It celebrates the victory of good over evil and Goddess Durga is worshipped during the festival.

Dashain is usually celebrated by family members visiting each other, having big meals, flying kites, playing on the swing, playing cards, giving tika and blessings, and performing worshipping ceremonies at temples for Goddess Durga.