The biggest and most extravagantly celebrated festival of Nepali people is here, with Ghatasthapana marking the commencement of the festival today. Traditionally, Dashain has been the time of meeting one’s relatives and close ones.
In an agricultural society, Dashain was also important as a harvest festival, symbolized by the rice grains of the tika and green shoots of jamara. But with changing times, the meaning and modes of celebration have also changed. [break]
The festival used to be celebrated for a full fifteen days, beginning on Ghatasthapana, which falls on new moon day, and lasting up to the full moon day. Allocating fifteen days for a festival was possible when most people were involved in leisurely agricultural practices.
However, now with a lot of people in time-bound professions, few apart from school children and teachers have so much time in their hands. For those working abroad, it is even harder to get such a long leave sanctioned. As a result, Dashain has now become condensed, with most people celebrating for a maximum of five days, and the agricultural side of it has lost its relevance.
Still, even in the short time, most people fulfill the essence of Dashain: that of rejuvenating and strengthening social ties. One of the results of a condensed Dashain is also the soaring prices of bus and airplane tickets during the most important days of Dashain. This has necessitated people to either plan months in advance, or to give up the idea of travelling altogether.
The other issue that Dashain regularly brings up is that of animal sacrifice. Since the primary deities of Dashain are warlike goddesses, sacrifices of animals like goats, buffaloes, and birds like chicken and ducks is deemed to please them. Some scholars have interpreted it as a symbolic surrender of animal qualities in us, while skeptics claim that it is just an excuse to consume meat. While the debate rages on, the price of all kinds of meat soars in Dashain, again necessitating careful planning of when to consume meat, especially for those of limited means.
Though Dashain is celebrated across Nepal, different communities celebrate it in different ways. While most pray to the Goddess Durga, some focus on the God Ram. The Newar celebration of this festival, known as Mohani, is filled with many distinctive characteristics. The khadga yatra, or processions of scimitars in many places of the valley, is one, and so is the sacrifice of 54 goats and buffaloes at the Taleju temple.
Meanwhile, many Kirants, who previously celebrated Dashain with white tikas on their forehead, have disowned the festival, claiming that it is not indigenous to Kiranti people. This brings up the question of whether it is fair to halt services at public and private institutions for a festival not celebrated by all, or even a majority of, Nepali citizens.
Recent reforms have recognized many other festivals and allowed people to take days off on the festivals of their particular communities. Whether or not they observe Dashain, the long holiday means that most still celebrate it with food and company, even those who have discontinued the ritual. Traditions die hard. There is no evidence this one is dying anytime soon. Dashain is still celebrated like no other festival in Nepal. We wish our readers a happy and joyous Dashain!
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