Key Takeaways:

• Bada Dashain begins today with Ghatasthapana and Navaratri
• Jamara is being sown for use during Bijaya Dashami Tika
• Nine forms of Goddess Durga will be worshipped over nine days
• Dashain Tika auspicious hour set for 10:26 am on October 21

KATHMANDU, OCTOBER 11 Bada Dashain, Nepal's largest Hindu festival, began on Friday with Ghatasthapana, marking the start of Navaratri, the nine-day worship of Goddess Durga. The Nepal Calendar Determination Committee has fixed 11:47 am as the auspicious time for Ghatasthapana this year. On the occasion, devotees sow maize and barley seeds in a vessel filled with soil and cow dung to grow jamara, the sacred shoots offered during Dashain Tika ceremonies. Prayers are also offered to Goddess Durga, with the first day of Navaratri dedicated to Shailaputri, the first of the nine forms of the goddess worshipped throughout the festival. The nine-day Navaratri period is observed through the worship of different manifestations of Durga and culminates in Bijaya Dashami, the main day of Dashain. According to the committee, the auspicious time for receiving Dashain Tika this year has been set for 10:26 am on October 21 (Kartik 4). While an auspicious hour has been designated, devotees traditionally receive Tika and blessings from elders throughout Bijaya Dashami. Dashain is celebrated across Nepal as a festival symbolising the victory of good over evil and is marked by family gatherings, worship, blessings and cultural traditions. As Dashain festivities begin across the country, devotees are expected to observe Navaratri rituals over the coming days before celebrating Bijaya Dashami on Oct. 21.