- Nepal begins Bada Dashain with Ghatasthapana, marking Navaratri's start by planting Jamara and establishing a sacred Kalash to worship Goddess Durga.
- The auspicious time for Ghatasthapana is 11:47 a.m. Sunday, while Vijaya Dashami Tika is set for October 21 at 10:26 a.m.
- This festival celebrates the victory of good over evil, fostering family reunions through traditional rituals and the exchange of Tika and blessings.
Kathmandu, Nepal: Nepal’s biggest Hindu festival, Bada Dashain, begins Sunday with Ghatasthapana, the ritual marking the start of Navaratri. Families across the country will plant Jamara, worship Goddess Durga and begin nine days of prayers leading up to Vijaya Dashami, the main day of the festival.
The Nepal Panchanga Nirnayak Bikas Samiti has set 11:47 a.m. as the auspicious time for Ghatasthapana this year. The committee has also announced 10:26 a.m. on Wednesday, October 21, as the auspicious time for receiving Dashain Tika. The ritual immersion of Goddess Durga is scheduled for 8:49 a.m. that day.
According to the committee, people receiving Tika should face west during the ritual. However, those unable to observe the ceremony at the designated time may receive Tika and blessings at other times on Vijaya Dashami.
Ghatasthapana marks the beginning of Navaratri
Ghatasthapana is one of the most important rituals of Dashain. On this day, families establish a sacred Kalash, or water vessel, in their prayer rooms or designated Dashain worship areas. They also sow barley seeds in sand or soil to grow Jamara, the young yellow-green shoots that are later offered to Goddess Durga and worn during Tika.
The ritual marks the beginning of nine days of worship dedicated to the different forms of Goddess Durga. According to Hindu tradition, devotees seek the goddess’s blessings for peace, prosperity, good health and protection from evil.
The Nepal Panchanga Nirnayak Bikas Samiti has identified 11:47 a.m. as the auspicious time for Ghatasthapana. Committee Chairperson Associate Professor Dr. Purushottam Bhattarai has said the ritual should be performed according to the prescribed religious procedures.
Barley is traditionally used to grow Jamara, although some families also use wheat or maize, depending on local customs and family practices.
Nine days of worship dedicated to Goddess Durga
The nine days from Ghatasthapana to Maha Navami are known as Navaratri. During this period, devotees worship nine forms of Goddess Durga, each associated with different qualities and aspects of divine power.
The first day is dedicated to Shailaputri, the second to Brahmacharini, the third to Chandraghanta, the fourth to Kushmanda, the fifth to Skandamata, the sixth to Katyayani, the seventh to Kalaratri, the eighth to Mahagauri and the ninth to Siddhidatri.
Devotees recite religious texts, including the Durga Saptashati and Chandi, and perform daily prayers at home and in temples. Many people observe fasting, follow dietary restrictions or take part in other religious practices during Navaratri.
Temples and Shaktipeeths dedicated to the goddess attract worshippers throughout the period. In Kathmandu, temples such as Naxal Bhagwati, Shobha Bhagwati, Bhadrakali and Maitidevi hold special prayers and rituals.
For many devotees, Navaratri is also a period of self-discipline, reflection and renewal. The worship of the goddess represents faith in the power of good to overcome evil and in the importance of courage, compassion and righteousness.
Phulpati, Maha Ashtami and Maha Navami
Dashain celebrations gather momentum as the festival progresses. Phulpati, observed on the seventh day, is an important ritual involving the ceremonial introduction of sacred flowers, leaves and other auspicious items into the Dashain worship area. The ceremony has historically held particular significance at the former royal palace and continues to be observed through traditional state and community rituals.
Maha Ashtami, the eighth day, and Maha Navami, the ninth day, are dedicated to special worship of Goddess Durga. In many communities, devotees worship weapons and tools, seeking protection and success in their work.
Animal sacrifice is part of Dashain observances in some communities, while others offer fruits, flowers and other vegetarian offerings. Practices vary according to religious beliefs, family traditions and local customs.
These rituals reflect the festival’s long religious and cultural history, which has been preserved and passed down through generations.
Dashain brings families together
Dashain is more than a series of religious ceremonies. It is also a time for family reunions, visits to elders and the renewal of relationships.
Many Nepalis living and working away from home travel to their villages and hometowns to celebrate with their families. For those living abroad, the festival often means gathering with relatives and members of the Nepali community to continue familiar traditions.
On Vijaya Dashami, elders place Tika, a mixture commonly made from rice, yoghurt and vermilion, on the foreheads of younger family members and offer blessings. Jamara is placed alongside Tika, and elders traditionally wish younger relatives good health, long life, happiness and prosperity.
The exchange of blessings is among the festival’s most enduring customs. It reinforces respect for elders, family ties and the transmission of cultural values from one generation to the next.
Dashain is also associated with sharing food, helping those in need and maintaining relationships with relatives and neighbours. For many families, these practices are as important to the celebration as the formal religious rituals.
Vijaya Dashami falls on October 21
The festival culminates in Vijaya Dashami, the tenth day, which is widely understood as a celebration of the victory of good over evil.
In Hindu religious tradition, the day is associated with Goddess Durga’s victory over the demon Mahishasura. Dashain is also linked in popular tradition with the victory of Lord Ram over Ravana. These narratives give the festival its wider spiritual message of the triumph of righteousness over wrongdoing.
This year, Vijaya Dashami falls on Wednesday, October 21. The Nepal Panchanga Nirnayak Bikas Samiti has set 8:49 a.m. as the auspicious time for the ritual immersion of Goddess Durga and 10:26 a.m. as the auspicious time for receiving Tika.
Although the announced time is considered especially auspicious, the committee has said people may receive Tika throughout the day.
As families prepare for the festival, Dashain remains an important expression of Nepal’s religious traditions, family bonds and cultural identity. Its rituals bring together worship, remembrance, hospitality and the sharing of blessings, keeping traditions alive across generations and among Nepalis living both at home and abroad.
