How do we celebrate Dashain.

Dashain has its own stories, importance and significance. It is regarded as victory of truth over the evil. Dashain is celebration of victory of good over bad. Dashain reminds us every year that the evil may be strong for a time; the truth and good will always prevail over it.

Every year we all Nepali, remember the message “Good always wins over the evil”, with the celebration of the great festival of Bada Dashain.

सर्व मंगल मांगल्ये शिवे सर्वार्थ साधिके ।  शरन्ये त्रयम्बिके गौरी नारायणी नमोस्तुते ।।
शरणागत दीनार्तपरित्राण परायणे। सर्वस्यातिहरे देवि नारायण नमोस्तुते।।
सर्वस्वरूपे सर्वेशे सर्वेशक्तिसमन्विते । भयेभ्यस्त्राहि नो देवि दुर्गे देवि नमोऽस्तु ते ।।
रोगनशेषानपहंसि तुष्टा। रुष्टा तु कामान् सकलानभीष्टान्।।
त्वामाश्रितानां न विपन्नराणां। त्वमाश्रिता हृयश्रयतां प्रयान्ति।।
सर्वाबाधा प्रशमनं त्रैलोक्यस्याखिलेश्वरि। एवमेव त्वया कार्यमस्मद्दैरिविनाशनम्।।
सर्वाबाधा विर्निर्मुक्तो धनधान्यसुतान्वित:। मनुष्यो मत्प्रसादेन भविष्यति न संशय:।।
जयन्ती मङ्गला काली भद्रकाली कपालिनी । दुर्गा शिवा क्षमा धात्री स्वाहा स्वधा नमोऽस्तु ते ।।
देहि सौभाग्यमारोग्यं देहि देवि परं सुखम् ।
रूपं देहि जयं देहि यशो देहि द्विषो जहि ॥

Dashain is just after the season of harvest. All the farmers are happy and most households are filled with rice and gains. The season is called Sarad Ritu, which is the most pleasant time in the year. The season itself is a celebration.  People have lots of rice in home this time of year. Therefore people in some places have culture of putting tika of rice on the forehead. Some mix it with abir and make it red. Some do it white only with curd.

The rice and curd is used because, people have those things this season. To make it colorful, they 

mixed it with abir. That became tika.

Nepali people, wherever they live, they try to reach home to see their family in Dashain. Take blessings from their elders and enjoy being with family forgetting all the trouble and worries. That is why it is also called D ashahara, it is simply mean “take away ill fortune” (dasha=ill, furtune, hara=take away). 

There is a tradition of getting new cloths and having big feast in this festival. Family gathering is the most loved part of this festival. Swings made up of bamboo and coconut rope is swinging all across the nation. There is a tradition to swing at least once in this festival. People say if you leave the ground swinging in Dashain,  the swing will take away ill feelings and replace it with new and rejuvenation inside oneself. Kit flying is another attraction for youth.

People all across the country worship Durga Bhawani and visit temples. It is called Nauratha visits. People wake up early in the morning and go to temples of Devi Durga. People perform musical programs and Ramlila in Madhesh and Terai region of Nepal. Nepal has its own music which symbolizes Dashain. The music is called Mal Shree Dhun. 

On the tenth day, people put Prasad of victory. In hilly reasons people put tika from the hands of elders on their foreheads. In some places people make a dummy of Raman and burn it in tenth day with performance of Ram Lila. Celebration differs according to geographic structure but all celebrate the same festival with same zeal and enthusiasm.

Dashain is the longest holiday in Nepal. Nepal Government closes about 7 days during this festival.

This festival is known for emphasis on family gatherings, as well as on a renewal of community ties. People return from all parts of the world, as well as different parts of the country, to celebrate this festival together.