Festival guide
Dashain — Nepal's Biggest Festival
Dashain (Bada Dashain) is the longest and most important festival in Nepal — fifteen days celebrating the goddess Durga's triumph over the buffalo-demon Mahishasura. Cities empty as people travel home; kites fill the sky; bamboo swings (ping) go up in villages. It builds to Vijaya Dashami, when elders press a paste of red tika and yellow jamara onto the foreheads of younger relatives and bless them for the year ahead. For visitors it is the warmest possible window into Nepali family life — and a time when shops, offices and transport run on a skeleton schedule.
- Date:
- Late September to late October (varies) (Ashwin Shukla — Ghatasthapana to Kojagrat Purnima (BS calendar))
- Location:
- Nationwide; family homes, Durga temples, and the Kathmandu Valley
History and meaning
Dashain commemorates the goddess Durga's victory over the demon Mahishasura, and Lord Ram's victory over Ravana — good triumphing over evil. The first nine days (Navaratri) honour the nine forms of Durga; the tenth, Vijaya Dashami, is the day of blessings. It is both a religious festival and the great annual homecoming, when the dispersed Nepali family physically reassembles under one roof.
The fifteen days
Ghatasthapana (Day 1): barley seeds are sown in a dark room to grow the yellow jamara. Fulpati (Day 7): a royal procession brings offerings from Gorkha to Kathmandu. Maha Ashtami and Nawami (Days 8–9): animal sacrifices to Durga at temples like Dakshinkali and the Kot courtyard. Vijaya Dashami (Day 10): elders give tika and jamara and cash (dakshina) to juniors. The festival closes at Kojagrat Purnima, the full moon, when Lakshmi is worshipped.
Tika, jamara and blessings
The signature image of Dashain is the tika: a thick paste of rice, yogurt and red vermilion pressed onto the forehead by an elder, topped with sprigs of jamara behind the ear. The elder murmurs a blessing for long life and prosperity and often gives money. As a guest in a Nepali home you may be offered tika too — receiving it graciously (bow the head slightly) is a real honour. You are not obliged to wear it all day.
What travelers should expect
Dashain is wonderful to witness but practically disruptive. Government offices and many businesses close for roughly five days around Vijaya Dashami; buses and flights sell out a week or more ahead as the country travels home; Kathmandu grows quiet and clean as residents leave. Plan transport early, expect some restaurants and shops shut, and accept invitations — Dashain hospitality is extraordinary.
Animal sacrifice — a sensitive note
Maha Ashtami and Nawami involve animal sacrifice (goats, buffalo, ducks) to Durga at certain temples. It is a sincere religious practice, not a spectacle, and can be distressing for some visitors. If you would rather not see it, avoid sacrifice sites like Kot and Dakshinkali on those two days; the tika, kite-flying and family side of Dashain is everywhere else.
What to say
The Dashain greeting is 'Subha Dashain!' ('Happy Dashain!'). Receiving tika, a simple 'dhanyabaad' with a small bow is right. To ask about plans: 'Dashain kaha manaune?' ('Where will you celebrate Dashain?') — a natural, warm conversation opener during the season.
Phrases for this festival
The Nepali words to carry into the crowd, the temple, and the photo permission moment.
Photo: Unsplash
दशैंको शुभकामना
Happy Dashain — Dashain ko shubhakamna
Dashai̱ko shubhakāmnā
Photo: Unsplash
शुभ दशैं
Happy Dashain
Shubha Dashai̱
धन्यवाद — मैले तपाईंको आशीर्वाद पाएँ
Thank you — I received your blessing
Dhanyabād — maile tapā̱īko āshīrvād pāe̱
Photo: Unsplash
यो कुन चाड हो?
What festival is this?
Yo kun chāḍ ho?
Photo: Unsplash
तपाईंको परिवारले यो चाड कसरी मनाउनुहुन्छ?
How do you celebrate this festival at home?
Tapā̱īko parivārle yo chāḍ kasarī manāunuhunchha?
के म फोटो खिच्न सक्छु?
May I take a photo?
Ke ma photo khichna sakchhu?
Frequently asked questions
When is Dashain in 2026?
Dashain runs October 11–25, 2026 — Ghatasthapana (day 1) is Sunday, October 11 and Kojagrat Purnima (the close) is October 25. Vijaya Dashami, the main tika day, falls on October 20–21 (the official Nepal panchang gives the tika sait on October 21). It is about three weeks later than a typical year because BS 2083 has an Adhik Maas (extra lunar month). Dates follow the lunar Panchang — confirm with Hamro Patro closer to the time.
Will Dashain disrupt my trip to Nepal?
Possibly. Offices and many shops close for about five days around Vijaya Dashami, and long-distance buses and domestic flights book out as Nepalis travel home. Trekking still runs, but arrange transport and lodging well ahead.
Can tourists take part in Dashain?
Yes — if you're hosted by a Nepali family you may be offered tika and jamara, which is an honour to receive. Otherwise, kite-flying, bamboo swings and the festive markets are open to everyone.
Do I have to watch the animal sacrifices?
No. Sacrifices happen at specific temples on Maha Ashtami and Nawami (days 8–9). Simply avoid those sites on those days if you'd prefer not to see them; the rest of Dashain is unaffected.
Related festivals and culture
Tihar — The Festival of Lights
Nepal's five-day festival of lights honours crows, dogs, cows and the goddess Lakshmi, fills doorways with oil lamps and marigold, and ends with Bhai Tika — sisters blessing brothers with a seven-colour tika.
Read the guideIndra Jatra — Kathmandu's Eight-Day Mask Dance
Kathmandu's biggest old-city festival — the rain god Indra is worshipped, the Living Goddess Kumari rides a chariot through Durbar Square, and masked dancers fill the lanes for eight nights of pageantry.
Read the guideVisiting Nepali Temples: Rules, Respect, and Phrases
How to visit Hindu and Buddhist temples in Nepal — shoes, clothing, photography, the clockwise rule, and the Nepali phrases that show respect.
Read the culture guideWhat Does Namaste Really Mean? A Tourist's Guide
Namaste means more than hello in Nepal. Learn the literal meaning, the gesture, when to use it, and the small differences from the Indian version.
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