Annually, the month of October brings me my much awaited and favorite time of year, Dashain. Dashain is a time for almost everything. It is a time to take break from work, reconnect with your family members, play cards, and most importantly, be grateful to everyone and everything you have been blessed with in the past year. As always, this year I had a great time doing all these things. I have collected a few pictures of Dashain celebrations from our team here in Kathmandu to help you learn a bit more about our festival. Hope you enjoy it!
The first day of Dashain is all about getting ready for the big ceremony on the tenth day. It’s called Gatasthapana and is marked with the planting of Jamara, a type of barley grown in a special way.
Kite flying is one of the favorite activities of kids. Colorful kites can be seen in the skies. They are usually flown from the roof of the houses. Photo Credit: Sirish Shrestha
Our team member, Sambridhi, enjoys the bamboo swing. Traditional bamboo swings are constructed all over the country. These swings are constructed by the community using bamboo sticks, ropes and wood usually a week before the start of the festival. The height of these swings range from anywhere between 10 feet to 20 feet.
Dashain is also a time for harvest. This is a 20 year old picture of our family harvesting rice in our field.
Cards are a great way to bond with everyone during this time. Card playing parties are always in your daily schedule, sometimes going on for all night long.
The stage is all set for the big ceremony on the tenth day of Dashain.
My cousin receiving Tika from my father.
Tika is a mixture of rice, yogurt and vermilion. Younger ones are the last to receive Tika. Elders also give “Dakshina” (a small amount of money) to younger relatives after Tika.
The red color of the Tika symbolizes the blood that ties the family together. That’s me and my sisters taking a selfie for the social media world.