Devotees thronged Shakti Peeths and goddess temples across Kathmandu Valley and other parts of Nepal on Maha Ashtami, the eighth day of the Bada Dashain festival, with crowds beginning to converge on the shrines from early morning. From the Maitidevi Temple in Kathmandu to major goddess shrines such as Guhyeshwari, Bhadrakali and Naxal Bhagawati, temple premises remained packed through the day as worshippers offered prayers to goddess Durga Bhawani seeking happiness, peace, prosperity and the well-being of their families.
Crowds gather from early morning
The rush was visible from the very start of the day. According to RatoPati, devotees began arriving at the Maitidevi Temple in Kathmandu from early in the morning on the occasion of Maha Ashtami, and the stream of visitors continued as the day progressed. The temple, one of the well-known goddess shrines in the capital, saw worshippers patiently waiting for their turn to offer prayers to the goddess.
Similar scenes were witnessed at other major Shakti Peeths and goddess temples across the Valley. Khabarhub reported that devotees flocked to the goddess temples of the Kathmandu Valley throughout the day. The shrines that drew heavy crowds of worshippers on Maha Ashtami include:
- Guhyeshwari
- Kalikasthan
- Naxal Bhagawati
- Bhadrakali
- Shobha Bhagawati
- Bijeshwari
- Indrayani
- Raktakali
Together, these temples form some of the most frequented stops for devotees during the Dashain period, and their premises were filled with people offering flowers, lighting lamps and folding their hands in prayer before the goddess. The gatherings reflected the deep devotional pull that Maha Ashtami holds for believers, who made their way to the shrines despite the crowds to mark the day as tradition dictates.
Prayers for happiness, peace and prosperity
The devotees who filled the temples came with a shared purpose. Worshippers offered prayers to the goddess seeking happiness, peace and prosperity, along with the well-being of their families. The act of visiting a Shakti Peeth on this day is regarded by devotees as an expression of faith and gratitude, with families and individuals alike presenting their wishes before Durga Bhawani.
The atmosphere at the temples was one of devotion and festivity combined. The eighth day of Bada Dashain is among the most significant moments of the festival for goddess worship, and the large turnout at temples across the Valley underlined how strongly households continue to observe the occasion. For many worshippers, the visit to the temple on Maha Ashtami is a fixture of the festival calendar, one that they observe year after year as part of the celebrations that define Bada Dashain in Nepal.
A longstanding tradition of Durga worship
Special worship of Durga Bhawani on Maha Ashtami is a longstanding religious tradition, and the crowds at the temples demonstrated that the practice remains firmly rooted in the lives of devotees. The day falls within the period of Navratri, when the goddess is venerated with particular devotion, and Maha Ashtami stands out as a key day for such worship. Nagarik News likewise reported on devotees thronging Shakti Peeths during the Navratri period, noting the strong flow of worshippers at the shrines.
The devotion was not confined to the capital alone. Devotees across other parts of Nepal also visited goddess temples on the day, marking Maha Ashtami in their own localities and adding to the nationwide character of the observance. The pattern of crowds in the Kathmandu Valley was thus mirrored in shrines beyond it, as communities throughout the country turned out to honour the goddess on the eighth day of the festival.
The scenes of Maha Ashtami offered a picture of faith in motion: long queues at temple gates, worshippers young and old making their offerings, and the continuous chanting of prayers to Durga Bhawani. As one of the most important days of Bada Dashain for goddess worship, the occasion once again drew tens of thousands of devotees to the Shakti Peeths, reaffirming a tradition that has been passed down through generations and remains a defining feature of how the festival is celebrated in Nepal.
