The post Nepal’s Biggest Festival Season: Celebrating Dashain! appeared first on Nepali Sansar.
]]>Observed as a celebration of the victory of good over evil, the 15-day Dashain festival falls in the new moon and continues until the full moon in the Hindu month of Ashvin.
As per the Gregorian calendar, Dashain usually falls in the month of September or October and is the time when many Nepalese expatriates return to Nepal to observe the festival in their homeland. During Dashain, Nepal Government offices and many businesses remain closed for 7 days, making it easier for tourists to experience their joy in the country.
As the longest annual festival of Nepal, Dashain or Navaratri Parba or Bada Dashain marks the start of Nepal’s biggest festival season.
Marking the beginning of this Navaratri festival, devotees today worship Goddess Mahakali, Mahalaxmi and Mahasaraswati at the Dashain Ghar.
During Navaratri, thousands of devotees visit various shrines of Goddess Durga including Shobha Bhagawati, Naxal Bhagawati, Guheswori, Maitidevi, Bhadrakali, Sankata, among others across the country. Ghatasthapana, Fulpati, Maha Ashtami, Maha Nawami and Vijayadashami form the key events of nine-night Navaratri and for the entire festival.
The festival is also celebrated in remembrance of Lord Rama’s grand victory over demon-king Raavana. The fifteen days of celebration occurs during the bright lunar fortnight and ends on the Full Moon Day.
Celebrations in a Nutshell
On this auspicious day, people clean their homes and decorate them ornately as a gesture of invoking the divine mother to bless the family with fortune. Family members and relatives in different regions gather together for enjoying the reunion with their loved ones. Elders in the family mark the foreheads of the others with Tika, a combination of rice, red vermillion and yoghurt. Buying and wearing new clothes, flying kites, playing cards and playing on the swings and ferris wheels are some of the various customs indulged by kids and adults alike during this period.
Though Dashain is a very traditional Hindu festival, it is also observed by many Buddhists and people of other faiths. In comparative terms, Dashain festival is as significant to Nepalese as Christmas is to Westerners.
This period is also the peak tourist season, with clear skies and mild temperatures. By planning your trip to Nepal early, you can experience the great Nepalese culture and festivities with the local population.
Preparations on a Grand Scale
The 15 day-long Dashain is celebrated grandly across the country every year and a large number of Nepalese travel home during the festival time.
According to the transport department estimates, around 2-3 million people are expected to leave the Kathmandu Valley for the festival, annually. The Government has also planned big for the celebrations and announced Dashain receptions across the constituencies.
The festival welcomes high demand for animals such as goats and buffaloes that are slaughtered in huge numbers during the festival, as an offering to the goddess.
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]]>The post Nepal’s Biggest Festival Season 2018 appeared first on Nepali Sansar.
]]>Biggest Festival Season, as the name suggests, is the major celebration time for Nepal when it celebrates its biggest/longest festivals, usually the September-November period. The country receives huge traction globally during this period.
Nepal All Set for Its Major Festivals
Public & Transport
Arrangements by Government
High Rise Demand for Animals
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]]>The post Nepal’s Biggest Festival Season: Kojagrat Purnima Concludes Dashain, Welcomes Tihar appeared first on Nepali Sansar.
]]>Nepal’s longest festival Dashain concluded yesterday with the celebration of Kojagrat Purnima among the country’s Hindu community.
Vijaya Dashami is the tenth and most auspicious day of the festival and marks the celebration of goddess’ victory over the demon Mahisasura.
Following the 10th day, Nepalese continue the victory celebrations for the next five days and conclude the 15-long Dashain festival on the Kojagrat Purnima day.
This is also the final day for Nepalese receiving tika, jamara, prasad and blessings from their elders.
Jamara (barley sprouts), grown as part of the Dashain rituals, will be removed from the Dashain Ghar on this day and immersed in holy rivers.
Marking the Purnima night, the devotees remain awake throughout the night offering special prayers to Goddess Lakshmi for prosperity and wealth.
The Nepali Hindu community strongly believes that the Goddess Lakshmi roams around the earth on this special day and blesses those Ko-jagrat (meaning ‘who is awake’ in Nepali).
Concluding the 15-day long Dashain, the Kojagrat Purnima day also marks the beginning of preparations for the other two important festivals of the Nepal’s biggest festival season i.e. Tihar, the festival of lights, and Chhath.
Tihar falls two weeks after the concluding day of Dashain. This year, it is celebrated from October 19-21, 2017.
Chhath is another important festival of Nepal that is celebrated on October 25, 2017 in 2017.
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]]>The post Nepal’s Biggest Festival Season: Maha Astami, a Kalaratri Day Today appeared first on Nepali Sansar.
]]>Nepali Hindus are observing the eighth important day of the 15-day long Dashain festival called Maha Astami, today.
The Maha Astami festival marks the worshipping of one of the significant forms of Goddess Durga called Goddess Mahakali, and the night of this day is celebrated as Kalaratri.
Other key forms of the Goddess including Goddess Lakshmi and Goddess Saraswati are also worshipped on this occasion, considered as the day on which Goddess Durga attained power.
The fervor of worship that began from the first Dashain day and the sacrifice to Goddess Durga increases today.
Religious rituals are performed at Dashain Ghars and devotees visit various shrines of Goddess Durga to offer sacrifices of different animals such as goats, buffaloes and ducks.
Devotees also read the holy Durga Saptashati scriptures and also offer special worship to weapons, vehicles and machinery.
A special Kalaratri worship is performed at midnight at the Dashain Ghar of Hanumandhoka in Kathmandu.
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