Dashain
🪁national

Dashain

दशैं

October 17, 2026–October 31, 2026AD15 days

Nepal's biggest festival celebrating victory of good over evil

About the festival

Dashain is the longest and most auspicious festival in Nepal, lasting 15 days. It celebrates the victory of goddess Durga over the demon Mahishasura. Families reunite, elders bless the young with tika and jamara, and the sky fills with colorful kites.

Traditions

  • Tika & Jamara — Elders place tika (rice, yogurt, vermillion) on foreheads and bless with jamara (barley grass)
  • Kite Flying — Sky fills with colorful kites, symbolizing sending messages to departed ancestors
  • Ping (Swings) — Bamboo swings are set up in villages, bringing joy to all ages

Foods

  • Mutton Curry — Traditional goat meat curry
  • Sel Roti — Ring-shaped rice bread
  • Aloo Tama — Potato and bamboo shoot curry

Significance

  • Symbolizes the triumph of good over evil, family bonds, and new beginnings

What to wear

  • New traditional clothes - Daura Suruwal for men, Sari/Kurta for women

Tips for diaspora

  • Visit local Nepali communities for tika programs. Create a small puja corner at home with tika ingredients. Video call family for blessings.