Dashain is the 15-day national festival of Nepal. It is the longest and the most auspicious festival in the Nepalese annual calendar, celebrated by Nepalese of all caste and creed throughout the globe. Dashain is also shared by people from Bhutan. Dashain is about forgiveness and renewing family and community ties.
ARE NEPAL AND BHUTAN FAR FROM FROM EACH OTHER? They are separated by the Indian state of Sikkim. If you were a bird and could fly in a straight line from Nepal to Bhutan, you would fly about 30 miles, or about the same distance from Greensboro to Winston-Salem. (Click on the map to make it bigger.)
ARE NEPAL AND BHUTAN FAR FROM NORTH CAROLINA? Yes, they are very far. Seen from this distance, most Nepalese and Bhutanese who live here in Greensboro, High Point and Winston-Salem have a lot in common. (Click on the map to make it bigger.)
ARE NEPAL AND BHUTAN FAR FROM FROM EACH OTHER? They are separated by the Indian state of Sikkim. If you were a bird and could fly in a straight line from Nepal to Bhutan, you would fly about 30 miles, or about the same distance from Greensboro to Winston-Salem. (Click on the map to make it bigger.)
GREENSBORO TO WINSTON-SALEM: 30 MILES
NEPAL TO BHUTAN: 30 MILES
WHAT DO THEY HAVE IN COMMON?
Same food.
Same language.
Same mountains.
Also, a great love of Bollywood and soccer.
MORE ABOUT DASHAIN
The festival falls around September–October, before the rice harvest. Throughout the kingdom the goddess Durga in all her manifestations are worshiped with innumerable pujas, abundant offerings and thousands of animal sacrifices for the ritual of holy bathing, thus drenching the goddess for days in blood. This festival is also known for emphasis on family gatherings, as well as on a renewal of community ties. People of all ages, young to old, take this festival as good and holy day to bless and wish good to their relatives and friends. People return from all parts of the world, as well as different parts of the country, to celebrate together. All the government offices or schools and other offices remain closed during the festival period.
Significance
Dasain essentially commemorates the victories of the god and goddesses over the demons. One reason it is celebrated is because lord Ram was successfully able to execute the Ravana, the king of demons during his time. It is believed that lord Ram was able to win the battle only because goddess Durga blessed him. However the main celebration symbolizes the victory of the good over the evil. Goddess Durga massacred Mahishasura, the demon who had created havoc and terror in the dev-lok (the world of gods). The first nine days of Dasain symbolizes the battle, which took place between goddess Durga and the demon Mahishasura. The tenth day is the day when Durga finally defeated Mahishasura. Goddess Durga is worshipped throughout the kingdom as divine mother goddess.
Throughout the festival people pay homage to the various forms of Durga. If she is properly worshiped and pleased then it is considered that good luck is bound to happen. However, if the goddess is angered through negligence then misfortunes are said to happen. The festival reminds everyone of the universal principles of truth, justice and virtue that must ultimately prevail over deception, injustice and wickedness.
Ghatasthapana
Ghatasthapana marks the beginning of Dasain. It literally means installing a pot, which symbolizes Goddess Shakti. It falls on Aswin Shukla Pratipada, the first day of the bright half of the lunar calendar in the month of Ashvin. On this day the kalasha is filled with holy water and covered with cowdung on to which barley seeds are shown. Subsequently, the kalasha 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 calling goddess Durga to bless the vessel with her presence. This ritual is performed at a certain auspicious time that is determined by the astrologers. Goddess Shakti is believed to reside in the Kalash vessel during the Navratri period.
The room where all this is done is known as the ‘Dasain Ghar’. Generally, outsiders and women are not allowed to enter the Dasain Ghar. A male family member worships the Kalasha twice every day, once in the morning and then in the evening. It is kept under 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 till the seventh day.
Fulpati
After Ghatasthapana, Fulpati is celebrated as one of the major days of dashain. The seventh day is known as ‘Fulpati’. On this day the jamara to be used by the royal family is brought from Gorkha palace, their ancestral house. The Fulpati (jamara and the other items that is necessary for tika) is brought after a three day walk from Gorkha district which is about hundred and sixty nine kilometers away from the valley of Kathmandu. A parade is held in the Tundikhel ground in Kathmandu.
The Brahmans bring the royal Kalasha, banana stalks, jamara and the sugar cane tied with red cloth from Gorkha which is led by the military platoon of the royal priest. Hundreds of government officials gather in the Tundikhel grounds in conventional formal dress to witness the event. The king observes the ceremony in Tundikhel while the fulpati parade is headed towards the old royal palace. Then there is a majestic display of the Nepalese Army along with a firing that continues for ten to fifteen minutes in the honor of fulpati. The Fulpati is taken to the Hanuman Dhoka Royal palace by the time the occasion ends in Tundikhel.
However, from the year since the monarchy system was removed from the country the tradition or the two-century old tradition is broken down and the holy offering of fulpati goes to the residence of Prime Minister. The Prime Minister has taken over the king's social and religious roles after the fall of the royal government, as he is believed to be ruling the nation and not the king.
Maha Asthami
The eighth day is called the 'Maha Asthami'. This is the day when the most demonic of Goddess Durga’s manifestations, the bloodthirsty Kali, is appeased through the sacrifice of hundreds of thousands of buffaloes, goats, pigeons and ducks in temples throughout the nation. Blood, symbolic for its fertility, is offered to the Goddesses. Appropriately enough, the night of this day is called Kal Ratri (Black Night). 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 Basantapur Hanuman Dhoka, is active throughout the night with worships and sacrifices in almost every courtyard. On the mid-night of the very day the Dasain Ghar, 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", or food blessed by divinity. This food is offered, in tiny leaf plates, to the household Gods, and 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.
Maha Navami
The ninth day is called Maha-navami which means the great ninth day. This day is the last day of Navarati. Ceremonies and rituals reach the peak on this day. On this day official military ritual killings are held in the ‘Kot’ courtyard of the Hanuman Dhoka royal palace. 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 hiding in the bodies of animals and fowls.
On this day the Vishwakarma, the god of creativeness is also worshipped. Artisans, craftsmen, traders, and mechanics worship and offer animal and fowl blood to their tools, equipment, and vehicles. This is done to keep the means of work happy. It is believed that worshipping the vehicles on this day avoids accidents for the year.
The Taleju Temple gates are open for the 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.
Vijaya Dashami
The tenth day of the festival is the 'Dashami'. On this day, a mixture of rice, the women will prepare yogurt and vermillion. This preparation is known as "tika". Elders put this on the forehead of younger relatives to bless them abundance in the upcoming years. The red also symbolizes the blood that ties the family together. Elders will give "Dakshina", or a small amount of money, to younger relatives at this time. 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. On the fifteenth day of the festival – the last day – the people of Nepal settle down to rest. The very next day the shops are open once again and life in Nepal returns to normal.
In several parts of Nepal, Dashain is the only time of the year when people receive a set of new clothing. Likewise, in poorer families, the animal sacrifice is eagerly anticipated since it might be the only animal protein the family would eat all year. This may be true in certain parts of Nepal where food is in low supply, but is less so in the cities. In general, the tradition of sacrifice is lessening with the easy availability of meat for daily consumption, and with the influences of Vaishnav Hindus (who are vegetarian).
