SummaryNepal’s Rich Expressive Legacy ➤ Nepal has a rich artistic legacy shaped by its history, geography, and culture. Its rituals and traditions are typically rooted in mythology, folktales, and religious beliefs, mirroring the insight and values of its individuals.
Dashain: A Vibrant Festival of Celebration ➤ Dashain is a 10-day celebration in Nepal that celebrates the success of good over evil, light over darkness, and wisdom over unawareness. It implicates music, games, feasts, and religious traditions.
Key Activities during Dashain
Ten day’s Value of the festival ➤ Each ten-day is devoted to celebrating diverse forms of the goddess Durga, topping in Vijaya Dashami, where elders lay tika and jamara to grant blessings.
Dakshina Tradition ➤ Dakshina is the tradition of presenting gifts and money during Dashain. It is supposed to carry good luck and wealth for daughters-in-law, sons-in-law, nieces, and nephews.
Controversy ➤ Animal sacrifice during Dashain is controversial but significantly rooted in Nepalese culture as a form to honor the gods and wish for blessings.
Dashain’s Endless Importance ➤ Dashain is a precious festival in Nepal that symbolizes the country’s cultural inheritance and the bond between people and their rituals. |
Nepal as a Miscellaneous Country for Cultural aspect
➤ Nepal is a miscellaneous and fascinating country with a beautiful culture shaped by its history and topography. The artistic legacy of Nepal is multi-dimensional and surrounds a broad scope of conventions and rules that have developed over the centuries.
➤ The country’s racial, tribal, and social classes contributed to this rich origin, represented through art, music, prom, literature, and declarations.
➤ Nepal’s mythology and folktales are also an indispensable component of its artistic legacy, delivering wisdom into the opinions and significance of its individuals.
➤ Religion recreates a meaningful function in Nepali civilization, with Hinduism and Buddhism as the primary religions.
➤ Festivals and celebrations are required in Nepali civilization, with per ethnical level containing excellent practices and patronages.
➤ Nepali cuisine is also an indispensable characteristic of the country’s culture, with a combination of knockouts and beverages that mirror the diversity of its people. From momos to dal bhat, Nepal is incredible.
Dashain: Everything you need to know
➤ Dashain is one of the famous and most significant festivals in Nepal that is typically known as Bada Dashain(वडादशैँ) or Vijaya Dashami(विजयादशमी) in Sanskrit.
➤ It is an influential Hindu religious festival memorialized in Nepal and miscellaneous Indian states like Sikkim, West Bengal, Assam, and South India.
➤ The festival is also commemorated by Hindus worldwide, having the Lhotshampa of Bhutan and the Burmese Gurkhas of Myanmar.
➤ The name “Nauratha” emanates from the Sanskrit phrase “Navaratri (नवरात्रि),” which indicates “Nine Nights,” and is employed to direct to this festival.
➤ An excellent performance of this celebration is commemorated as Navaratri, but it is not the same as Dashain.
➤ Dashain is the longest and most optimistic festival in the Bikram Sambat and Nepal Sambat annual calendars, celebrated by Nepali Hindus and their diaspora worldwide.
Most-Noted activities performed on Dashain
Music:
➤ The Malshree dhoon is one of the beautiful and soft devotional music of the Newa art form, initiated in the 17th century.
➤ It is now integrated into mainstream Nepalese music as the melody that declares the appearance of Dashain, a festival honored by all Nepalese.
Games and Carnivals:
➤ Kite flying and playing cards are more famous ways of celebrating Dashain in Nepal.
➤ Bamboo swings called ‘ping’ are assembled by community members and appreciated by people of all ages.
➤ Fairs and festivities are also scheduled during the celebration.
Shopping:
➤ During the festival, buying new dresses is meaningful. Many citizens below the poverty line can afford new dresses during Dashain.
➤ Shops offer festival discounts and make shopping more affordable and attractive. Clothes have the most heightened deals during this time.
Feasts:
➤ During Dashain, thousands of animals are slain in an essential ceremony to appease the divinities.
➤ The request for meat advances considerably during the festival due to the many feasts and conferences systematized throughout the fifteen days.
Brief Explanation about the Every Day of Dashain:
1st Day, Ghatasthapana (Pratipada)
➤ Dashain starts on the ghatasthapana with the layout of a pot sufficed with sacred water, barley seeds, and other more optimistic entities, exemplifying goddess Durga.
➤ The pot is cultivated with barley seeds to mature into barley grass over the final day of Dashain.
2nd Day, Dwitiya
➤ People groom and cleanse their homes and light oil lamps to request praising energy on this day.
➤ They even gather the goddess Durga and portray practices to honor her.
3rd Day, Tritiya
➤ The day is incredibly devoted to the goddess Chandraghanta, a form of Durga. People idolize and worship her for strength and bravery.
4th Day, Chaturthi
➤ Enthusiasts celebrate Kushmanda Jayanti, devoted to the goddess Kushmanda, a form of Durga, imploring for wealth, prosperity, and good health.
5th Day, Panchami
➤ Skandamata, the mother of Skanda (Kartikeya), is honored for bravery and security on this day.
6th Day, Shashthi
➤ The day is typically dedicated to the goddess Katyayani, an influential form of Durga. People pursue her prayers for joy, delight, and satisfy their appetites.
7th Day, Saptami
➤ Navratri’s seventh day is primarily devoted to idolizing goddess Kalaratri, symbolizing Durga’s powerful and destructive aspect.
➤ Believers pursue their blessings for conservation from evil strengths.
8th Day, Ashtami
➤ Maha Ashtami is one of Dashain’s most potent days, dedicated to the goddess Mahagauri.
➤ Animal sacrifices are performed, and people worship Kalaratri and read the Ramayana during nighttime.
9th Day, Navami
➤ Navami is the second last day of Dashain. It is amazingly devoted to honoring the goddess Siddhidatri for spiritual and material prayers.
➤ In some precincts, books, vehicles, and tools are praised today.
Last Day, Vijaya Dashami
➤ On this day, Seniors apply tika and jamara to the foreheads of younger families, indicating and symbolizing blessings from goddess Durga.
➤ It is acknowledged to obtain security and good luck.
Blessing Matras with meaning while putting Tika on the forehead:
Mantras for males:
| In Sanskrit | In Roman | English Meaning |
| आयु द्रोण सुते, श्रीयं दशरथे शत्रुक्षयं राघवे, ऐश्वर्य नहुषे गतिश्च पवने, मानं च दुर्योधने सौर्यं सान्तनवे, वलं हलधरे सत्यंच कुन्तीसुत, विज्ञानं विदुरे भवन्तु भवतां कीर्तीश्च नारायणे | | Āyu Droṇasute śreyaṃ Daśarathe śatrukṣayeṃ RāghaveAiśvaryaṃ Nahuṣe gatiścha Pavane mānaṃ cha DuryodhaneDānaṃ Sūryasute balaṃ Haladhare satyaṃ cha KuntīsuteVijñānaṃ Vidure bhavantu bhavatāṃ kīrtiścha Nārāyaṇe | May he live like Ashwatthama, the son of sage Dronacharya, be active like King Dasharatha, kill enemies like Rama, have opulence like Nahusha, speed like the wind, have dignity and respect like Duryodhana, be charitable like the son of Surya Karna, have the strength like Bhimsena, like Yudhishtha. Let there be truth and knowledge like that of Vidura and works like that of Narayan. |
Mantras for females:
| In Sanskrit | In Roman | English Meaning |
| जयन्ती मंगलाकाली भद्रकाली कपालिनी दुर्गा क्षमा शिवधात्री स्वाहा स्वधा नमोस्तुते | | Jayanti Maṅgalā Kālī Bhadrakālī Kapālinī Durgā Kṣamā Śivā Dhātrī Svāhā Svadhā Namokastute | For women, it is customary to wish them to become goddesses and bless them. I salute the goddess who has the power to conquer the world, who can shed light in every darkness, who is more vital than time to diagnose every suffering, who puts a garland of human skulls. |
Dashain (दशैँ) and Dakshina (दक्षिणा):
➤ Dashain is the festival of win and success. However, Hindus receive tika on the last day, i.e., Vijaya Dashami with yellow jamara, and blessings from dignitaries.
➤ On this day, Dakshina (Some gifts or money with blessings) is also given to daughters-in-law, sons-in-law, nieces, and nephews.
➤ Dakshina civilization is expanding due to the increase in Dasavati traditions. It has become a mark of wealth and level.
➤ Dakshina, the tradition of presenting offerings to religious exponents or gurus, is acknowledged to have been initiated in the Vedic period. It commenced with the Yajnayajnadi, where debtors gave the Gurus cows, horses, gold, and money.
➤ Dakshina is cited in Vedic scriptures and Puranas as a practice to deliver delight for work accomplished. It signifies increasing karma. Wealthy people may give more Dakshina, while others can provide Patram Pushpam.
➤ Shakti (Goddess Durga) is honored and worshiped on Dasai, and Dakshina is delivered as Prasad. The King Maharaja utilized to give Dakshina after recounting Chandi. The Dakshina provided during the Tika of Dashain is the Bhuysi Dakshina delivered to daughters, wives, and people experiencing poverty.
➤ In Dakshina, cash is mainly utilized to convey more. Earlier, instead of Dakshina, many people presented yellow Jamra and blessings. Now, giving money has become a fashion.
Major Controversy about the Dashain Festival:
➤ The festival of Dashain in Nepal mainly affects animal sacrifice, which animal rights activists have belittled. Many online requisitions have been documented calling for government action against mass slaughter.
➤ The festival has also become controversial due to fights that have been inflicted on indigenous parties by the condition. Dashain and other cultural carnivals remain essential to the Nepalese lifestyle despite these debates.