Dashain Festival: Must Know About Wonderful Celebration of Culture and Tradition

Welcome to a journey into the pleasing traditions, beautiful culture, and joyous celebrations of the Dashain Festival. This article will take you on a tour of Nepal's most important and biggest festival, talking about its history, customs, and the happy atmosphere it brings to the whole country. Let's learn why Dashain is so special and important for both locals and curious tourists.

Goddess Durga

What is the Dashain Festival?

The Dashain Festival is also known as Vijaya Dashami, the biggest Hindu celebration that happens with lots of excitement in Nepal and among Nepalese people living in different parts of the world. This festival usually goes on for 14-15 days and takes place in September, October or November according to the Hindu calendar called Tithi, This tithi is calculated based on the rotation of The Sun and Moon. It's all about the goddess Mata Durga winning over the evil King Mahishasura. which is a very important story for this festival.

Worships of Goddess Durga

The festival starts with the planting of barley seeds. This is like a way of telling everyone that the goddess Durga is coming to Earth. People take care of these seeds, and when they grow into little Grass called "Jamara", they wear it on the tenth day as a blessing from the goddess.

Festival of Meat

On the Eighth day of Dashain, People cut Goats worshiping Goddess Durga, If they do not have Goats, they buy 15-30 kg of meat to celebrate this festival, We can say that this festival is a festival of tasty foods and colorful and new dresses.

Tika and Jamara Tradition

On the tenth day of Dashain, there's something called "Tika". This is the most exciting part of the festival. Tika is a mix of yogurt, rice, and a special red color on the foreheads of young ones in the family. It's like a blessing for them to be happy and healthy. They also put the Jamara behind the ears of the young ones. This is a way of saying that the goddess is looking after them. Every elder people blesses young people with tika and Jamara on the foreheads, In Nepal, respected persons like the King and President also give blessings with tika and Jamara to the people every year.

Good Winning Over Bad

Dashain also remembers an old story about Lord Ram beating the bad demon king Ravan. People draw pretty designs on the ground using colorful powders to show this story. It's like making art out of an important tale. This art helps everyone remember that good things are stronger than bad things.

Food and Happy Times

Every festival needs yummy food, and Dashain is no different. Families come together to eat lots of tasty traditional dishes. There's something called sell roti, which is a sweet round bread, masu which is meat curry, and aalu tama which is bamboo shoots and potatoes cooked together. The smell of these foods makes everyone happy

Bringing People Closer

Dashain is like a special time when families and friends who might be far away come together again. People travel from different places to celebrate. This brings everyone closer and helps everyone feel like they belong together. They share their feeling and spends time with elders.

Why is Dashain Important?

Dashain is not just about religion, it's also about Nepal's culture. It helps old traditions and stories stay alive. Even though Dashain is most important in Nepal, it's also celebrated in other parts of the world. Nepali people who live in places like Europe, America, Australia, Japan and Korea celebrate Dashain too. It's a way for them to remember their roots and enjoy their Nepali culture. The main important thing about Dashain is this brings everyone closer and helps everyone feel like they belong together, this is a very important festival in this digital world.

As we finish our trip through the wonderful Dashain Festival,  we invite you to experience it yourself. Whether you're in Nepal during Dashain or celebrating with Nepali friends in your place, you all love the Happiness, Togetherness, colorful culture and Yummy Foods of this festival.

Thank You.