As always before, an overwhelming majority of Nepalis are celebrating Dashain, their greatest festival. According to Hindu tradition, the festival celebrates the victory of Lord Ram over demon king Ravan, and similarly, of the slaying of demon Mahisasur, otherwise enjoying a boon of invincibility, at the hands of Goddess Kali. Hence the festival has come to symbolise the triumph of good over evil, truth over falsehood, and light over darkness. On Navaratri, the nine nights preceding Vijaya Dashami, Goddess Bhagawati, the goddess of power and the protector of the earth, is worshipped. On Vijaya Dashami, devotees receive jamara and tika as Bhagawati’s prasad. Nepalis also visit their elder relatives to receive tika and jamara from them, as well as blessings. On Kojagrat purnima, the day the Dashain festival comes to a ceremonial end, emperor Ashoka, realising the futility of war, is said to have renounced arms.

On the occasion of Vijaya Dashami, leaders representing all political denominations, have the tradition of releasing their messages to the Nepalis. All of them extol the virtues of truth, goodness, and light, even though some of them may have embraced more of the opposite qualities in notable degrees. There exists a political confrontation between the two constitutional forces and a state of armed conflict between the government and the Maoists. Dashain holidays should thus provide Nepalis time and opportunity to reflect upon how they can come nearest to strengthening the virtues symbolised by the Dashain festival. Certainly, the universally recognised virtues should come to the fore while making up their minds.

This Dashain, more people than in the recent years appear to have been able to go to their villages to celebrate the occasion amidst their families, thanks to the unilateral ceasefire, even though the sense of freedom from fear may not have been complete. Apart from the general poverty, Nepalis have badly suffered from the conflict — over 12,000 have been killed over the past 10 years, many more maimed, and hundreds of thousands displaced. Therefore,

it would be fitting even for well-off Nepalis to mark the occasion as modestly as possible. The main thing is to capture the central message of the occasion.