Kathmandu, October 26:

After weeks of feasting and five days of festivities and visiting of relatives to receive tika and

blessings, Bada Dashain — the longest festival of the country — ended today after observing

Kojagrat Purnima. Regular life that was ‘affected’ during the festival also came back to gear.

Markets have been reopened, the number of vehicles plying in the Valley has risen and

people’s movement have increased in the capital. People who had left the Kathmandu Valley for their hometowns have been returning.

Dr Surya Dhungel, member secretary of the Nepal Panchanga Nirnayak Samiti, said the Kojagrat started at around 1pm yesterday and ended at around 11am this morning. All the rituals of Dashain, including jamara, are also ended today.

People worshiped goddess Laxmi, goddess of prosperity and wealth. Dhungel said that Laxmi roams round the earth today night to see people, who stay awake to worship her and blesses them.

Another a month-long festival of lighting a lamp called Akash Deep — a lamp lighted on a wooden pole — every night and offering puja to Lord Bishnu and Indra has begun today. The Akash Deep is traditionally meant to make Lord Indra — king of heaven — happy and make him bestow blessings on the people, who light the lamp.

Buddhists also offered prayers to the Swayambu Chaitya throughout the night today, believing that the Swayambu Jyoti emerged on this day.

There is also a tradition of displaying today the Asti Dhatu, remaining of Shakya Muni Buddha,

at Aksheswar Maha Bihar, Patan, which is one of the three places across the country, where it is preserved.