KATHMANDU: Navaratri, the nine-night festival of Bada Dashain, Nepal’s biggest Hindu festival, begins today with Ghatasthapana, marking the start of Dashain rituals across the country.
Observed on Ashwin Shukla Pratipada, the first day of the bright lunar fortnight in the month of Asoj, Ghatasthapana marks the beginning of the festival’s religious observances.
On this day, devotees perform Vedic rituals by worshipping the diyo (oil lamp), kalash (sacred water vessel) and Lord Ganesh. They also sow maize and barley seeds in a mixture of soil and cow dung to grow jamara (sacred shoots), which are later used in Dashain rituals.
Devotees worship Goddess Durga Bhawani, seeking her blessings for strength, protection and prosperity. Worship of Mahakali, Mahalaxmi and Mahasaraswati also begins during Navaratri, a period dedicated to prayer, devotion and spiritual discipline.
At the historic Dashain Ghar in Hanumandhoka, Kathmandu, the traditional sowing of jamara begins today in accordance with age-old customs.
Throughout Navaratri, thousands of devotees are expected to visit temples dedicated to Goddess Durga, including Naxal Bhagawati, Shobha Bhagawati, Maitidevi and Guhyeshwari. Many devotees visit these shrines in the early morning and recite sacred verses and hymns to the goddess at temples and in their homes.
On the tenth day, Vijaya Dashami, elders place tika and jamara on the foreheads of younger family members, offering blessings for good health, happiness, peace and prosperity. This year, the auspicious time for receiving Dashain tika is 10:26 am on October 21.
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