Dashain is the greatest national festival of Nepal. It is celebrated throughout the country for about 15days. It is the longest and most notable festival celebrated in Nepal runs from the “bright moon” until the full moon in the Hindu month of Ashwin. Sometimes, it may fall on either September or October, based on the Gregorian calendar due to the differences between a lunar versus a solar based time-keeping system. During this time, if tourists come to Nepal, they got a wonderful opportunity to be closed with our Greatest National Festival Dashain.
Dashain is celebrated to rejoice the victory of good over evil. According to Hindu Religious Mythology, Dashain is celebrated as a rejoice of Goddess Durga’s victory over evil Mahisashur, Ram over the evil demon-king Ravan. So it is the festival of victory of bright over dark.
Tihar is another five-day long greatest festival after Dashain Celebration.
Tihar is a festival of lights, color, and brotherhood dedicated to Goddess Laxmi to unfold joy and harmony throughout the nation. So it is called as festival of “Lights or Deepawali”. It falls on the new moon of the Hindu Month Kartika but on the western calendar may be either in October or November. During this time, Lights are lit and stacked around each house to praise Goddess Laxmi. People make rangoli, garland, and sel-roti special foods for celebration. On this festival, animals like dog, crow, bull, cow are given high importance and worships.
On the first day, the crow is worship as a symbol of message carrier of our day to day life with our belongings. On the second day, the dog is worship as a symbol of the god of death messengers with garlands, and red or white dots on their foreheads. On the third day, a cow is a worship as a symbol of prosperity, and happiness. At night Hindu goddess of Wealth Laxmi is worship by lighting up oil lamps in doorways and each window of the home. Young girls go to each home, sing, and dance saying “bhailo” as a chant. But now both girls and boys, young to old participate in this program and rejoice together. On the fourth day, oxen are worship along with Goverdhan Mountain. On the fifth day, sisters put seven-colored tika on their brother’s foreheads blessing long happy and prosperous life.
Chhath Puja is a four-day long festival celebrated in October or November by the natives of Mithila religion. But now it is popular all over Nepal. It is celebrated by the worship of the God Sun for nourishing our life on earth. The worshipers fast for the longevity and prosperity of their family members during rising and setting up of the sun. Holy bathing is so popular during this time. People eat Thekuwa and Anarsa as sweet dishes and share love with each other
