Traditional Dashain swings known as linge ping are gradually disappearing from villages across Nepal, as Ghatasthapana on Sunday marks the start of this year’s Bada Dashain. While people working in cities and abroad are returning home to receive tika from their elders, villagers say the familiar festive bustle has changed and that the absence of the customary swings has diminished the joy of the celebration.
A familiar part of Dashain is missing
In villages, the seasonal swings have long been associated with Dashain festivities. Their absence is now being noticed as the festival begins. Residents say linge ping are no longer being erected as they once were, leaving a visible gap in the customary celebrations.
The change is not only about a missing structure. Villagers describe the swings as part of the atmosphere and enjoyment that made Dashain feel special. With fewer of them being set up, the festival may still bring families together, but residents say it no longer feels the same as it did when the swings were part of village life.
Dashain remains a time when people return to their homes to receive tika from elders. Many people who work abroad or in cities are making that journey for the festival. Yet the contrast between the return of family members and the disappearance of a familiar village tradition is central to the concerns voiced by residents.
Changing festive bustle
Ghatasthapana marks the beginning of Bada Dashain, and the lead-up to the festival is usually accompanied by activity in markets and villages. This year, the bustle around the festival is described as noticeably different. The changing appearance of village celebrations has made the absence of linge ping more apparent to those who remember them as part of Dashain.
The changes are being felt alongside the movement of people between cities, overseas workplaces and their home villages. People returning for tika help maintain the family gathering at the heart of the occasion, but villagers say that this alone does not reproduce the broader festive atmosphere associated with the traditional swings. Their comments point to a difference between observing the central family customs and experiencing the festival as a lively community celebration.
The concerns are about a gradual shift rather than a single change announced for this year. Traditional swings are disappearing from villages, and residents link that loss to a decline in Dashain’s familiar joy. The festival continues, but some of the customs that once shaped its local character are becoming less visible.
Residents reflect on the loss
For villagers, the absence of linge ping is a tangible sign that Dashain celebrations are changing. Their remarks express a sense of loss: the customary swings are no longer being erected, and the festive feeling they associate with them has weakened. The issue is therefore not simply whether people are returning home, but whether the traditions that gave the season its village character remain part of the celebration.
As families gather for tika this Dashain, residents’ concerns underline the gap between the continuation of the festival and the fading of some of its customs. Bada Dashain is beginning with the usual significance of Ghatasthapana and the return of people to their elders, but in many villages, the familiar linge ping are missing. Villagers say that without them, the joy of Dashain has been lost.
