Nepal is home to nearly 142 unique groups of people. Each group has its own way of life, beliefs, and special events, with each celebrating their own holidays. The most widely celebrated festival across Nepal is "The Dashain Festival." Dashain is pronounced as: Dasai.
The dates vary every year. In 2025, the Dashain festival starts on Monday, September 22nd, and ends on Thursday, October 2nd. As per the Nepali Calendar 2082, the Dashain festival runs from the 6th to the 16th of Ashwin or Ashoj 2082 BS.
If you ask any random Nepali to explain the Dashain Festival, you’ll get many replies, but the one common reply would be “Re-united.” During the festival, families are reunited, gathered around the house, and celebrated with many Nepalese cuisines. The festival radiates a sort of happiness and glee all over the country. Each and every one of the Nepalese celebrates Dashain with as much excitement every year.
Dashain Fest: How do People Celebrate Dashain for Ten days?
The festival of Dashain is celebrated for ten days. Every day has its own importance and rituals. The first day is known as Ghatasthapana (Monday, 2082 Ashwin 6 / 2025 September 22), meaning the cleaning of the prayer room and the decoration of the statue of the Goddess Durga by the family members. Apart from that, the barley seed is sowed in a clay pot, germinating into small grass called "Jamara." It is used on the 10th day of the Dashain festival.
Phulpati:
The 7th day of Dashain is called Phulpati (Monday, 2082 Ashoj 13 / 2025 September 29), when most people go to their hometown, and the roads are usually hectic. Fulpati, an assortment of flowers, leaves, and fruits of different plants considered auspicious, is anointed at Hanuman Dhoka, Kathmandu. On this occasion, people offer Phulpati to Goddess Durga as per tradition throughout the country.
Phulpati, literally "flower plant," represents the worship of Goddess Durga with auspicious flowers, leaves, and fruits. On this day, nine types of flowers and plants are offered to Durga, believed to bring health and prosperity. A Phulpati is ritually transferred from Nuwakot to Hanumandhoka Durbar in Kathmandu. The tradition also involves bringing Phulpati into homes, with various auspicious items like jamara (maize and barley saplings), belpatra, banana stalks, and sugarcane sticks being brought into the home.
All government and private offices are closed from Phulpati to Dwadashi, encouraging people to return to their ancestral homes and seek blessings from Durga and their elders. IIf you are traveling during this time, make sure you take a permit and government papers beforehand, as the government authority may be closed. As a historical tradition, Brahmins from Gorkha bring a Royal Kalash (holy water), banana stalks, and a jamara to Kathmandu.
Maha Ashtami:
Maha Ashtami falls on Tuesday, 2082 Ashoj 14 / 2025 September 30, followed by Nawami on Wednesday, 2025 October 1. This day is devoted to Goddess Kali, the most fearful incarnation of Durga. The sacrifice of 54 buffalo and 54 goats is performed on this day in the yard of Kathmandu Durbar Square. The blood is offered to the gods, and the meat is taken home to be cooked for the feast. The blood of the sacrificed animals is considered pure and is believed to please the goddess, ensuring her protection for the year ahead. People chant mantras from Durga Saptashati, Shrimad Devi Bhagwat, and Devi Stotra scriptures. Each household offers the "Jamara" sown on Ghatasthapana to different shrines and temples. Similarly, security forces perform special pujas of armories as well.
Khadga Puja is often performed on the eighth day of Dashain (Maha Asthami), a day dedicated to the goddess Kali and animal sacrifices. Khadga Puja specifically focuses on the worship of swords (khadga), but it also extends to other tools, machinery, and vehicles, depending on one's profession. Khadga Puja" is a significant ritual where Newar communities worship their weapons, particularly swords and other tools. Khadga Puja is also a way to pray for protection against accidents and harm, ensuring a safe and successful year.
Maha Navami (Nwami): The Ninth day of Dashami
Maha Navami, the ninth day of Dashain after Maha Ashtami, will be celebrated on 15th ashoj 2082, Wednesday, October 01, 2025, which is a significant day of worship, sacrifices, and cultural celebrations in Nepal, marking the culmination of the Navaratri period. Sacrifices, including animals like goats, ducks, and buffalos, are made at temples and shrines, while the security forces also perform kot puja (worship of armories).
Goddess Durga Bhawani is worshipped with special rituals and offerings, including animal sacrifices at temples and shrines. Those who don't practice animal sacrifice may offer fruits and vegetables. The Nepal armed forces perform animal sacrifices and fire a 21-gun salute on this day of Dashain. Tools, vehicles, and machinery are worshipped in a ceremony called Ayudha Puja, symbolizing the importance of one's profession and a prayer for safety and protection. The Taleju Temple in Kathmandu's Hanumandhoka Durbar Square, Manakamana Temple in Gorkha are open to devotees, and the goddess is worshipped with great devotion. Nepal Armed Forces perform official ritual sacrifices at Hanuman Dhoka, Kot courtyard, and the presidential palace yard. People gather to worship, share meals, and enjoy the festive atmosphere. The 'jamara' (barley grass) that has been germinated is offered to the goddess at various shrines. Durga Saptasati and Devi Stotra scriptures are recited at home and in temples.
Bijaya Dashami: The Tenth Day
The last day of Dashain is called Vijaya Dashami or Bijaya Dashami. On this holy day, elders wear tika and distribute "Jamara" to juniors. After wearing the tika, they also give money. These tika are prepared from rice, curd, and red-colored powder. Afterward, families dine together and spend time either playing cards or simply chattering.
Bijaya Dashami, the most awaited day of Dashain, feels like the heart of every Nepali home. It’s that one day when everyone makes it a point to return to their roots—no matter how far they’ve gone. Villages start to fill up days before, and there's this special kind of excitement in the air. You wait for your brothers, sisters, cousins, and even that one uncle who always arrives late but never misses tika.
Vijaya Dashami "BIjaya Dashami": Dussera in Nepal
The morning starts slow, with elders preparing the tika—mixing rice, yogurt, and vermilion—and placing jamara carefully grown during the festival. One by one, family members line up, bowing their heads as the elders bless them with tika, jamara, and heartfelt words—sometimes quiet, sometimes playful. There’s laughter, memories, and that deep, unspoken warmth only a family reunion can bring. Dakshina, the small money given along with blessings, isn’t really about the amount—it’s the love and tradition behind it that counts.
Food, of course, brings everyone back together after the rituals. Plates are full, stories are louder, and hearts are full too. And just because the tika starts on Dashami doesn’t mean it ends there. For the next five days, you keep visiting relatives, receiving tika, and offering it to those younger than you. It’s a beautiful cycle—one that reminds you of your roots, your people, and the joy of being together. Dashain isn’t just a festival. It’s a feeling we carry, year after year.
This is also known as the Festival of Kites. Kids and Adults alike fly kites to depict the end of the monsoon season. The kites are regarded as an important way to remind the rain god not to make it rain anymore. Also, during Dashain, people set up high wooden swings in open spaces and grounds. The swing is also known as Linge Ping, as it’s in the shape of Shiva Linga. It is believed that one must leave the ground once a year by swinging on the swing.
Purnima - the final day of Dashain
Kojagrat Purnima, also known as Kojagri Purnima or Kojagrat Full Moon, is the fifteenth and final day of the Dashain festival, a major Hindu festival in Nepal and India. It marks the end of the 15-day Dashain celebrations, with Hindus worshipping Mahalaxmi, the goddess of wealth and prosperity, on this day. The festival is observed with the final exchange of Tika, Jamara, and Prasad from elders to younger family members.
Dussehra is celebrated in Nepal as Dashain. (It is True)
Why is Dashain such a grand festival for Nepalese people?
On Dashain, one can see clear skies, kids running in new clothes, and family members under the same roof. Sounds beautiful, right?
Faraway friends and families save money, buy gifts, and visit their villages to meet their loved ones. The Dashain festival brings everyone together and forms a sense of harmony. Furthermore, schools and colleges are closed because this is a widely celebrated festival. Having children in the house who are celebrating Dashain is an indescribable feeling.
In short, the Dashain Festival means buying new clothes, curtains, and furniture, cleaning the house, and feasting delicious meals. Everyone enjoys Dashain, as this festival is enjoyed by all, irrespective of age.
When is the Dashain Festival in 2025?
Dashain 2025 starts with Ghatasthapana on Monday, September 22nd. The seventh day, Phulpati, will be on the 29th of September. Maha Ashtami is on the 30th of September, Maha Navami is on the 1st of October, and Vijaya Dashami is on the 2nd of October (Dashain Tika date, according to the Nepali Calendar, is the 16th Ashoj), respectively.
This festival is celebrated for the next five days after Vijaya Dashami, Kojagrat Purnima. In those days, the relatives and families visit each other's houses, put on tika, feasted, and had a wonderful time.
Best Time to Apply Tika for Dashain 2025: Bijaya Dashami Tika
For those celebrating Dashain in 2025, the most auspicious time to apply tika in Nepal is at 09:38 AM (Nepali Time), 11:21 AM (Australian Time). This time is considered ideal according to Hindu traditions, as it brings prosperity and positive energy. The tika ceremony symbolizes the blessings of elders, and timing plays a crucial role in enhancing these spiritual benefits. Depending on your location, the best moment may vary, but this precise hour is optimal for families in Nepal to celebrate this revered festival with joy and harmony.
Dashain Nepal: Dashain Tika time
Does the festival time affect your travel plans in Nepal?
Don't worry; Nepal's festivals won't mess up your trip. In fact, they can make it even more amazing! You'll appreciate Nepali culture more deeply while exploring the country's stunning beauty. Without a doubt, the best time to trek is between October and November. Do you know why? The monsoon will have been gone by then, and the skies will be clearer than ever, along with Nepal's biggest festival, Dashain.
Even the trails would be perfectly dry for hassle-free trekking and mesmerizing mountain views. Whether you want a short hike or choose any one of our trekking packages, the time during Dashain would be perfect. You can also do popular trekking like Annapurna Base Camp Trek, Everest Base Camp Trek and so on during Dashain. So book your next trekking adventure and get mesmerized by the mountains.
You’ll also get to see the true cultural harmony between people. You can get the Best of Nepal during this time of year. You can see temples and devotees lining up for worship in full swing. The weather and vibes are festive, and mantras are being chanted all around. The festivities surrounding these temples are not explainable as devotees pay their respect and pray. So, don't hesitate to join a festival time in your travel plans!
Dashain Tika 2024
Dashain 2024 Nepal date and time: When was the date of Dashain 2024? When was Ghatasthapana 2024?
In 2024, the Dashain Festival began with Ghatasthapana on Thursday, October 3rd. The seventh day, Phulpati, was on the 10th of October. Maha Ashtami and Maha Navami were on the 11th of October, and Vijaya Dashami was on the 12th of October. For those celebrating Dashain 2024, the most auspicious time was to apply tika in Nepal was 11:36 AM.
Dashain 2023: When was the date of Dashain 2023?
Dashain 2023 in Nepal was celebrated from October 15th to 24th. It began with Ghatasthapana on October 15th, marking the start of the festival. The main days followed: Maha Asthami on October 17th, Maha Navami on October 18th, and Vijaya Dashami, the most significant day, on October 19th. The festival concluded with Kojagrat Purnima on October 24th.
To Sum up
Celebrate this amazing Dashain Festival 2025 with the Nepal Hiking Team. We would love to have you with us on this joyful occasion. You will be able to experience Kathmandu's boulevards and see the city through the eyes of Nepalese people based on the vibrant cultural influences.
