Former President Bidya Devi Bhandari offered Dashain tika and jamara to her family members and members of the general public on October 21, 2026, as Nepal observed the main tika-giving day of the Dashain festival. The former head of state applied tika and jamara to visitors who came to receive her blessings during the festival, according to reports published by Baahrakhari and Thaha Khabar. The occasion combined a private family observance with an open reception for well-wishers, in keeping with the way senior public figures have traditionally marked the country's biggest festival.
An Open-House Tika Ceremony
Bhandari offered tika and jamara to those who arrived at the ceremony, blessing them in line with the Dashain tradition in which elders bless the younger generation on the festival's principal day. Alongside members of her family, who also received tika from the former president, visitors from the general public were welcomed and given tika and jamara as part of the observance.
Key aspects of the ceremony included:
- Tika and jamara for the public: Visitors who came to meet the former president were offered tika and jamara, along with her festival blessings.
- Family participation: Family members also received tika as part of the household's Dashain celebration.
- Wide coverage: The event was reported by Baahrakhari and Thaha Khabar, which noted that the tika ceremony took place on October 21, 2026.
Open tika receptions during Dashain are a familiar feature of the festival in Nepal, when political leaders, senior officials and other prominent figures greet citizens and exchange festival wishes outside of formal settings.
The Meaning of Tika and Jamara
Dashain, the largest Hindu festival in Nepal, is celebrated over fifteen days in honour of the goddess Durga. The most significant day of the festival is Vijaya Dashami, when elders apply tika to the foreheads of younger relatives and offer jamara along with blessings for long life, good health and prosperity.
- Tika is a mixture typically prepared with rice, vermilion and other auspicious ingredients, applied to the forehead as a mark of blessing and respect.
- Jamara consists of young barley shoots germinated specially for the festival and worn on the head or ear after being placed by elders.
- Blessings and dakshina: Elders traditionally offer good wishes, and younger family members often receive dakshina, a token gift of money.
The exchange of tika and jamara symbolises the bonds between generations and remains one of the most cherished rituals of the festival. Families gather at the homes of their eldest members for the ceremony, and the practice continues over the days that follow, with relatives visiting one another until the festival concludes.
A Continued Public Role for the Former President
Bhandari served two consecutive terms as President of Nepal, holding the country's highest office from 2015 to 2023, and was the first woman to occupy the post. She remains one of the most prominent figures in Nepali public life, and festivals such as Dashain offer occasions for current and former officeholders to meet citizens directly.
For the visitors who attended, the ceremony provided an opportunity to receive blessings from the former president and to convey Dashain greetings to her and her family. Events of this kind underline the cultural weight Dashain carries across political and social lines, as public figures of all backgrounds take part in the same rituals observed in households across the country.
Dashain, Nepal's Most Widely Celebrated Festival
Dashain is observed by Hindus across Nepal and by Nepali communities around the world, with schools, government offices and businesses remaining closed for the holidays. Millions of people travel to their hometowns and villages ahead of the festival to celebrate with parents and elders, making it the busiest travel period of the Nepali year. The festival is also marked by temple visits, traditional wooden swings, special foods and the purchase of new clothes, with markets typically seeing their heaviest crowds in the weeks before the main tika day.
The tika ceremony hosted by Bhandari on October 21, 2026 thus formed part of a much wider national celebration, in which the blessings of elders, and in this case of a former head of state, are shared with family members and the public alike. Further details of the event were carried by Thaha Khabar.
