About Nepalese Biggest festival Dashain and Tihar

1. Dashain- Nepalese biggest festival

2.  Dashain ( Daśãi, Nepal or Baḍādaśãi बडादशैँ), also Bijayā
Daśamī ) is the biggest festival of Nepal.
 Durga Puja (Nepali : दुर्ाा पुजा or Dashain is also celebrated in
some parts of India where it is called Dashera.
 It is celebrated by the Hindus, Buddhists and Kirats of Nepal
and the ethnic Nepali/Gorkha people of Darjeeling hills,
Sikkim, Assam and other North-Eastern states of India and
among the Lhotshampa of Bhutan[5] and the Burmese
Gurkhas of Myanmar.
Introduction 2

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 The festival lasts for 15 days. From Day 1:
Ghatasthapana to Day 15: Kojagrat Purnima (Full moon
day).
 Day 1,7,8,9,10,15 are the most important days of the
festival as these days have its own significant meaning.
Introduction

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5. 5Day 1 : Ghatasthapana
 Ghaṭasthāpanā falls on the first day of the festival.
 Ghaṭasthāpanā (घटस्थापना "sowing Jamara") marks
the beginning of Dashain.

6. 6Day 7 : Phulpati
 Phulpati is a major celebration occurring on the
seventh day of Dashain.
 Traditionally, on this day, the royal Kalash, banana
stalks, Jamara and sugar cane tied with red cloth is
brought by Brahmins from Gorkha, a three-day walk,
about 169 kilometres (105 mi) away from the
Kathmandu Valley.
 Hundreds of government officials gather together in
the tundikhel grounds in conventional formal dress to
witness the event.

7. 7Day 8 : Maha Asthami
 An eighth day is called as 'Maha Asthami'.
 This is the day when the most fierce of Goddess
Durga’s manifestations, the bloodthirsty Kali, is
appeased through the sacrifice of buffaloes, goats,
hens and ducks in temples throughout the nation.
 Blood, symbolic for its fertility, is offered to the
Goddesses.
 The night of this day is called Kal Ratri (Black Night).

8. 8Day 9 : Maha Navami
 On this occasion, the state offers the sacrifices of buffaloes under the gunfire salutes.
 This day is also known as the demon-hunting day because members of the defeated demon army try to save
themselves by hiding in the bodies of animals and fowls.

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 The tenth day of the festival is the 'Dashami'. On this day, a
mixture of rice, yogurt and vermilion is prepared by the
women. This preparation is known as "tika".
 Often dashain tika time is different every year.
 Elders put this tika and jamara which is sown in the
Ghatasthapana on the forehead of younger relatives to bless
them with abundance in the upcoming years.
 The red also symbolizes the blood that ties the family together.
 Elders give "Dakshina", or a small amount of money, to
younger relatives at this time along with the blessings.
 This continues to be observed for five days till the full moon
during which period families and relatives visit each other to
exchange gifts and greetings.
Day 10 : Vijaya Dashami

10. tihar- Festival of lights
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11. Introduction
 Tihar is the second biggest Nepalese festival after Dashain.
 It is considered to be of great importance as it shows a contribution to not just the humans and the gods,
but also to the animals like crows, cows, and dogs that maintain an intimate relationship with humans.
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13. Day 1 : Kaag Tihar (Crow)
 Kaag Tihar is the first day of Tihar festival of Nepalese Hindu people.
 In this particular day crow is worshipped. Religious belief in Nepal regard crow as messenger of lord
Yamaraja, the god of death.
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14. Day 2 : Kukur Tihar (Dog)
 The second day is called Kukur Tihar.
 People offer garlands, tika and delicious food to dogs and acknowledge
the cherished relationship between humans and dogs.
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15. Day 3 : Gai Tihar and Laxmi Puja (Cow)
 The morning of the third day is Gai Tihar (Proud of having the cow).
 In Hinduism, cow signifies prosperity and wealth. In ancient times people
benefited a lot from the cow. Its milk, dung, even urine was used for
purposes like purification.
 In the evening Laxmi, the goddess of wealth is thanked for all the benefits
that were bestowed on the families by lighting oil lamps (Diyo) or candles
on doorways and windows to welcome prosperity and well being.
 At night the girls enjoy dancing and visiting all the houses in the
neighborhood with musical instruments singing and dancing known as
Bhailo all night long collecting money as a tip from houses and share the
bounty amongst themselves.
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16. Day 4 : Govardhan Puja (Ox)
 Mainly ox is worshipped in this day by giving different
foods. It is observed as Goru Tihar or Goru Puja
(worship of the oxen).
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17. Day 5 : Vai Tika (Brother)
 The fifth and last day of Tihar is called Bhai Tika .
 It is observed by sisters applying tilaka" or "tika" to the
foreheads of their brothers to ensure long life and thank them
for the protection they provide.
 It is believed that Yamraj, the God of Death, visited his sister,
Goddess Yamuna, on this day during which she applied the
auspicious tika on his forehead, garlanded him and fed him
special dishes. Together, they ate sweets, talked and enjoyed
themselves to their hearts' content. Upon parting, Yamraj gave
the Yamuna a special gift as a token of his affection and, in
return, Yamuna gave him a lovely gift which she had made with
her own hands. That day Yamraj announced that anyone who
receives tilak from his sister will never die on that day.
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Happy Dashain and Tihar

19. Reference
1. Dashain. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dashain , Acsessed 19 Oct 2018
2. Tihar. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tihar_(festival) , Acsessed 19 Oct 2018
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