The first day of festival is "Ghatasthapana" that falls on the first day of the bright half of the lunar calendar in the month of Aswin.[break]
On the day, all Nepali worship an oil-fed lamp, auspicious jar and lord Ganesh in accordance with Vedic rituals and sow maize and barley seeds in a jar filled with soil and cow dung for germination of the auspicious Jamara (barley shoots).
Prayers are also offered to Durga Bhavani, the goddess of power.
Germination of the auspicious Jamara is also initiated at Hanumandhoka Dashain Ghar in accordance with Vedic rituals. There is also a tradition of sacrificing animals while initiating the germination of the Jamara.
Also on Friday, prayers are offered to goddess Mahakali, Mahalaxmi and Mahasaraswati at the Dashain Ghar, marking the beginning of the Navaratri.
The golden barley shoots and the auspicious Tika are given by parents to their children and by elders to their juniors on the tenth day of the Badadashain festival with blessings for peace, progress and prosperity.
During the Navaratri, thousands of devotees visit Naxal Bhagawati, Shobha Bhagawati, Maitidevi, Guheswori, Bhadrakali, Kalikasthan, Sankata, Mahankalsthan, Naradevi, Bijayeswori, Indrayani, Dakshinkali, Chamunda and other shrines of goddess Durga Bhavani in the early morning.
People also recite sacred verses and hymns dedicated to Durga Bhawani at temples and shrines as well as at their homes throughout the Dashain period.
The auspicious hour for initiating the Ghatasthapana ritual is at 9:41 AM today while it is 10.43 AM for tika on October 17, said Chairperson of the Nepal Calendar Determination Committee, Madhav Bhattarai.
People have started returning home for the festival from wherever they are to join their families in celebrating the festival. The trend of people coming into and going out of the capital city has increased in the run-up to the festival.
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