Nepal is celebrating Bada Dashain, the country's biggest cultural festival, with the familiar rituals of worship, family reunions and the exchange of tika and blessings, although this year's festivities have arrived shadowed by grief and hardship. The celebrations began with Ghatasthapana and will run from Ashwin Shukla Pratipada to Kojagrat Purnima, following traditions observed for generations. In one of the most visible signs of the festival, millions of people have left the Kathmandu Valley for their villages and hometowns, turning the capital noticeably quieter even as roads out of the valley fill with homebound travellers. The joy of reunion, however, is tempered by floods and landslides that have devastated settlements in various parts of the country, and by shortages of cooking gas and other essentials that have strained household preparations.
Worship, Jamara and the Blessings of Elders
At the heart of Dashain lies the worship of Goddess Durga Bhawani, performed with devotion at Shakti Peeths across the country throughout the festival period, as described in Gorkhapatra Daily. The observances formally began with Ghatasthapana, the ritual that ushers in the festival and sets the tone for the days of worship that follow.
The key traditions that mark the festival include:
- Ghatasthapana, the opening ritual that formally begins Dashain and initiates the planting of jamara
- Worship of Durga Bhawani at Shakti Peeths, where devotees gather to offer prayers through the festival
- Jamara, the golden shoots planted at Ghatasthapana and nurtured until they are offered, along with tika, as symbols of prosperity and blessing
- Tika and blessings from elders, the most cherished social custom of Dashain, in which younger family members visit senior relatives to receive red tika, jamara and words of goodwill
The festival concludes on Kojagrat Purnima, bringing to a close a period in which religious observance and family bonds are renewed side by side.
Millions on the Move, Customs in Transition
The great homecoming from the Kathmandu Valley remains a defining feature of Dashain, as millions return to celebrate with parents, grandparents and extended families. For a country where work and migration keep so many relatives apart through the year, the reunion of families during the festival remains its emotional core.
At the same time, coverage of this year's festival notes that family customs around Dashain are changing. With more people living in urban centres and families growing smaller and more dispersed, the ways in which households celebrate are evolving, even as the essence of the festival (returning home, honouring elders and sharing blessings) remains firmly intact.
Disaster Fears and Shortages Cloud the Festivities
An editorial in Nagarik News, headlined "Fear of disaster during the festival," captures the anxiety hovering over this year's celebrations. Floods and landslides have devastated settlements, leaving many families to observe the festival amid loss and disruption, and the editorial underscores the fear that disaster could strike, or compound existing hardship, at a time when people are on the move and communities are gathered in celebration.
The hardship is not only natural. Shortages of cooking gas and other essentials have made festival preparations more difficult, with households that would normally prepare elaborate feasts struggling to secure basic supplies. The combination of disaster damage and supply difficulties has given this year's celebrations a more subdued undertone, with many urging that festivities be tempered with awareness of communities still suffering.
A Season of Economic Weight and Health Advisories
Dashain is also the country's most significant economic season, a point highlighted in Khabarhub and other coverage of the festival. The period drives brisk activity across markets as families shop for clothes, festive foods and gifts, while the mass movement of people sustains transport and trade across the country. For traders and businesses, the weeks surrounding Dashain are widely regarded as a peak season for commerce.
Alongside the festivity and the shopping, articles marking this year's Dashain have also flagged the need for health precautions during the holidays. With rounds of feasts, long journeys and crowded travel, celebrants are being reminded to look after their wellbeing even as they enjoy the festivities.
As tika and jamara are exchanged and families gather under one roof, Nepal's biggest festival retains its enduring power to bring people together. This year, that togetherness carries an added weight: a shared awareness of communities still reeling from disaster, and a hope that the blessings of Dashain extend to those who need them most.
