17/10/2023
Namaste friends from Nepal !!!
"DASHAIN" is the occasion for the family reunion; a reason for someone to return home, if he or she has been away from home for a while. Government offices and schools remain closed throughout the country and people of all classes and caste celebrate the festival with equal zeal and interest. Everyone in the family gets new clothes and chickens, goats or buffaloes are killed for the feast, no matter one needs to take out loans for. Villagers also make swings with bamboo and ropes. Everyone will be in joyous mood.The festival lasts for 15 days but the most important days are the 1st, 7th, 8th, 9th and the 10th day. The first day of the festival, which falls on the first day of the bright lunar fortnight of the month Ashwin is called Ghatasthapana-which means the " installing of a holy water vessel" in the prayer room. The holy water vessel, known as "Kalash" is installed on the bed of sand and soil. The sand bed is also seeded with grains like wheat, barley, paddy etc. The senior most male of the family performs ritual and chants prayers to Goddess Durga and waters the seeds for 9 days. The seeds germinate to yellow sprouts of about 6 inches by the 10th day. The sacred yellow grass-which is called "jamara" and the blessed red color paste-known as 'tika' are bestowed by the senior members of the families to the juniors on the 10th day of the festival.
