Dashain
dashain badadashain also referred vijaya dashami sanskrit major hindu religious festival nepal indian state sikkim west bengal assam south india sri lanka also celebrated religion nepal elsewhere world including among lhotshampa bhutan burmese gurkha myanmar festival also referred nauratha derived sanskrit word festival navaratri translates nine night longest auspicious festival bikram sambat nepal sambat annual calendar celebrated nepali hindu along diaspora throughout globe nepal also known biggest festival country longest nationalpublic holiday lasting day anticipated festival nepal people return part world well different part country celebrate together government office educational institution office remain closed festival period festival fall september october starting shukla paksha bright lunar night month ashvin ending purnima full moon among fifteen day celebrated celebrated day first seventh eighth ninth tenth eleventh fifteenth dashain main festival hindu nepal word vaḍādaśain̐ वडादशैँ nepali sandhi baḍā बडा mean important daśa͠i दशैं mean tenth implying mostsignificant final day festival durga puja celebrating dawn end nauratha nine night word dashain ultimately derived sanskrit word daśamī denoting th day kaula month context follower shaktism represents victory goddess durga demon mahishasura terrorised devas usurped abode svarga first nine day dashain symbolize battle took place different manifestation durga mahishasura tenth day day durga finally defeated hindu festival symbolises victory rama ravana recounted ramayana generally symbolises victory good evil day ghatasthapana marked jhijhiya folk dance across mithila region madhesh province welcome ceremony dashain ghaṭasthāpanā घटस्थापना sowing jamara mark beginning dashain literally mean placing kalasha pot symbolizes goddess durga ghaṭasthāpanā fall first day festival day kalash filled holy water sewn barley seed kalash put center rectangular sand block remaining bed sand also seeded grain priest start puja asking durga bless vessel presence ritual performed certain auspicious time determined astrologer goddess believed reside vessel navaratri room done known dashain ghar traditionally outsider allowed enter family member worship kalash twice every day morning evening kalash kept away direct sunlight holy water offered every day tenth day festival seed grown five six inch long yellow grass sacred grass known jamara ritual continue seventh day phulpati फूलपाती major celebration occurring seventh day dashain word phulpati made two word phūl meaning flower pātī meaning leaf traditionally day royal kalash banana stalk jamara sugar cane tied red cloth brought magars gorkha threeday walk kilometre mi away kathmandu valley hundred government official gather together tundikhel ground conventional formal dress witness event king used observe ceremony tundikhel phulpati parade headed towards hanuman dhoka royal palace majestic display nepalese army along celebratory firing weapon continues ten fifteen minute honoring phulpati phulpati taken hanuman dhoka royal palace time occasion end tundikhel parade held since royal family overthrown twocenturyold tradition changed holy offering phulpati go residence president president taken king social religious role end monarchy various city town across nepal india significant nepali population phulpati procession carried flower fruit holy symbol tied red cloth covered auspicious red shawl carried decorated wooden log across town townspeople offer flower fruit procession pass house process also accompanied traditional naumati instrument eighth day called maha asthami day fierce goddess durga manifestation kali appeased sacrifice buffalo goat hen duck temple throughout nation blood symbolic fertility offered goddess appropriately enough night day called kal ratri black night form durga worshipped day also norm buffalo sacrificed courtyard land revenue office country day old palace kathmandu durbar square well presidential palace active throughout night worship sacrifice almost every courtyard midnight day dashain total buffalo goat sacrificed observance rite offering blood meat taken home cooked prasad food blessed divinity food offered tiny leaf plate household god distributed amongst family eating food thought auspicious puja carried great feast held home common people day newar people event called khadga puja puja weapon put tika get blessing elder ninth day dashain called maha navami great ninth day last day navaratri ceremony ritual reach peak day day official ritual sacrifice nepal armed force held one hanuman dhoka royal palace kot courtyard occasion state offer sacrifice buffalo feu de joie gun salute fired background presence army staff day also known demonhunting day member defeated demon army try save hiding body animal fowl maha navami durga mother goddess devi worshipped believed thing help u making living kept happy artisan craftsman trader mechanic worship offer animal fowl blood tool equipment vehicle moreover since believed worshipping vehicle day avoids accident year vehicle bike car truck worshipped day taleju temple gate opened general public day year thousand devotee go pay respect goddess day temple filled devotee day long tenth day festival bijaya dashami day mixture rice yogurt vermilion prepared preparation known tika often dashain tika time different year elder put tika jamara sown ghatasthapana forehead younger relative bless abundance coming year red also symbolizes blood tie family community together elder give dakshina small amount money younger relative time along blessing visit continues observed five day till full moon period family relative visit exchange gift greeting ritual taking tika elder relative even distant relative help renewal community tie greatly one reason festival celebrated much vigour enthusiasm ekadashi eleventh day lunar fortnight hindu calendar ekadashis considered auspicious day people usually fast day day bijaya dashami known papakunsha ekadashi पापकुंश एकादशी day customary wake early morning start fasting till evening washing wearing clean clothes also customary listen papakunsha ekadashi story visit religious siteswhile part nepal tika received day bijaya dashami part country people start visiting extended family relative day till kojagrat purnima one supposed eat sattvic diet ekadashis people continue dashain feast day ekadashi also known gidde ekadashi lit vulture–like–ekadashi donating gold sesame barley grain soil umbrella shoe etc day believed one get heaven death festival last day lie full moon day called kojagrat purnima कोजाग्रत पूर्णिमा sharad purnima literal meaning kojagrat awake day goddess lakshmi believed goddess wealth worshipped believed goddess laxmi descends earth shower whoever awake night wealth prosperity people enjoy night playing card much animal sacrifice often norm time festival commemorates bloody battle divine demonic power proponent animal killing interpret sacrificial act symbolic sacrifice animal quality opposed animal sacrifice stress sacrificial act nothing excuse fulfill appetite foodmeat malshree dhoon incorporated mainstream nepalese music music dashain tune announces dashain arrived malashree dhoon one oldest surviving devotional music newa art form origin th century due time also fact dashain happens celebrated newars nepalese dhoon caught part national culture played dashain putting tika younger family member relative elder people usually recite special sanskrit mantra blessing two main mantra recited putting tika bijaya dashami day one men one female mantra male member quality various hindu mythical hero yudhishthira balarama etc well antihero ashwatthama duryodhana blessed person mantra female member worshipped various form goddess durga alongside mantra blessing good health fortune also given dashain approach kite flying becomes common riding kite important part celebrating dashain country considered one way reminding god send rain anymore festival people age fly kite roof colourful kite voice shouting changā chet phrase usually used one cut person kite string fill day festival playing card another way celebrating dashain child busy flying kite dashain older member family pas time getting together playing card money fun bamboo swing constructed many part country way celebration dashain swing called ping nepali present best local culture tradition community spirit fun swing constructed community member traditional method use rope made tough grass bamboo stick wood etc swing normally constructed week ghatasthapana dismantled festival tihar come dashain height swing exceeds twenty foot people age enjoy swing especially famous child fair celebration organized festival usually small fair organized village ferris wheel child entertainment adult however city commercial fair celebration usually organized buying wearing new clothes important part festival many people living village poverty line often case new clothes come dashain almost shop festival offer discount make shopping attractive clothes highest sale festival thousand animal including buffalo duck ram slaughtered dashain every year considered important ritual since believed goddess appeased sacrifice almost temple especially durga kali temple offered thousand sacrifice ashtami navami day sacrifice reach peak thousand animal sacrificed appease goddess people also slaughter animal feast since many feast gathering organized throughout fifteen day festival demand meat go considerably meet demand slaughtering animal becomes considerably high necessary dashain declared national holiday bhutan celebrated hindu community bhutan one major festival lhotshampa origin bhutanese people king bhutan offer dashain tika representative hindu community devi panchayan mandir thimphu every year tika royal blessing sent dzongkhags across country king also offer prayer goddess durga hindu temple use white tika dashain celebrated nepali language speaking community darjeeling sikkim assam dashain tihar festival given importance gorkhaland movement dashain festival used political agenda used cast based distinction however gradually celebrated collective festival used white yellow red tika past harmonized use red tika community hand nepalese people nepal working india return en masse festival causing congestion border area myanmar nepali language speaking burmese population celebrate dashain spirit nepal northeast india animal sacrifice done much nepal presumably due size nepali population countrythey offer tika exking burma tradition almost tradition dashain followed nepal done well although common fly kite tradition festival dashain often criticized animal sacrifice many online petition registered changeorg calling government action mass slaughter driven belief offering fresh blood appease goddess durga score animal bird ritually slaughtered especially eighth ninth day festival bird animal traditionally eligible sacrifice include goat buffalo sheep chicken duck thousand animal traded sacrifice meat animal activist called use pumpkin coconut opposed bird animal numerous national luminary animal right activist alike expressed concern issue animal cruelty festival october renowned nepali comedian hari bansha acharya wrote satirical piece nepal saptahik – entitled euta khasiko aatmakatha autobiography goat – light horrendous exploitation inflicted upon animal festival dashain also become controversial nepal current political climate several indigenous group adivasi janajati argue festival imposed state effort resist view cultural domination hindu elite dominate nepali state several organization organized boycott dashain far campaign limited effect across country yet dashain likewise cultural celebration ingrained nepalese lifestyle tihar james g lochtefeld illustrated encyclopedia hinduism nz rosen publishing group isbn medium related dashain wikimedia common