The days are sunny and
warm, with billowy cloudscapes and kite-flying breezes, the monsoon is
over and Dasain is in the air. Dasain is the major festival in Nepal, as
well as in Bengal, where it is called Durga Puja, and throughout
northern India India where it is known as Navaratri, or Dussera, the
ten nights of the Great Goddess. It celebrates the victory of the
Great Goddess, Durga over the buffalo-demon, Mahisha.
Concurrently, the
victory of Lord Rama over the powerful demon, Ravana, is commemorated.
In a nutshell, this is
a celebration of the victory of good over evil, a theme as lasting as
any in the convolutions of human consciousness. Our daily dose of
news attests to that.
In the villages, in
preparation for the festival, and in anticipation of the Goddess'
visit, and that of numerous relatives, people ceremonially cleanse
their houses, giving them a fresh coat of red mud, cow dung and water.
The first
day of the Dasain festival, is called Ghatasthapana - 'the
Establishment of the Sacred Vessel'. It falls on the new moon day
(Oct. 8). Early in the morning, various grains are sown in a
small vessel filled with riverbed sand. This pot, representing
Goddess Durga, is watered daily, and the resultant sprouts are used in
rituals, and worn in the hair or behind the ear as prasad, during the
culminating days of the festival.
Here's 'our little brahmin' from Kavre Palanchok, about a day away from Kathmandu by bus and foot, establishing the vessel for us, this morning -
Here's 'our little brahmin' from Kavre Palanchok, about a day away from Kathmandu by bus and foot, establishing the vessel for us, this morning -
After about a week - this
year its on Thursday (Oct. 15) - when the sprouts are grown, that
day is called Phulpati, the sprouts are harvested for the first time,
and used in the daily rituals.
Phulpati marks the
official start of the holiday. All offices and most places of
work are closed, and people devote themselves to celebrating the great
victory of good over evil.
The next nine days,
called Navaratri (the 9 nights of the Goddess), are dedicated to the
worship of the nine forms of the Great Goddess Durga. Early
morning baths in the river or a stone spout begin the day, while the
evenings are dedicated to visiting different Devi temples on each day,
and offering worship. Some of the pilgrims carry specially made
lanterns. Some offer to lie all night completely still, with
burning oil lamps attached to them with cow dung paste. Caste
bands play music and masked dancers portraying the nine Goddesses dance
on the temple stairs.
Bhadrakali Temple
Taleju Temple
From midnight of the eighth day, called Kalaratri (The Black Night) the sacrifices begin. Over the next three days thousands of buffalos, goats, ducks, and chickens are sacrificed to the Goddess, to ensure prosperity and happiness in the coming year. Don't worry or moralize, all the meat is consumed, and distributed to relatives as prasad. It is generally believed that the animals sacrificed at Dasain are re-born as humans, thus gaining the opportunity for ultimate liberation. Some worshippers of Vishnu and those opposed to sacrifice, may just break a gourd, a coconut, or an egg in a gesture of sacrifice. Buddhists pray for the victims.
On the ninth day
sacrifices are made to Durga for the protection of all vehicles and
their occupants, from the luxury limo down to the humble bicycle.
On that
day the God
Vishvakarma, the heavenly handyman and producer of all mechanical
things, is also propitiated.
All tools and
implements of labor are worshipped with flowers, lights, incense and
sacrifice. Students' books, writers desks and pens, doctors'
scalpels, all get the treatment. The Marxists even worship their
hammers and sickles. Here we see office workers worshipping their
computers...
The tenth day, Vijaya
Dasami (Oct 17), the day of the Goddess' victory over the buffalo-demon
Mahisha,
and
of Lord Rama's over
Ravana, is the day of receiving Tika from elder relatives and
superiors, visiting them in strict order of seniority or rank,
starting with one's parents.
For the next five days,
until full moon day, everybody goes all over the place, visiting
relatives, receiving and giving tika, exchanging joyous greetings, and
feasting.
On the final full moon
day (Oct.23), the Buddhists, who have been quietly tolerating all this
bloodshed and praying for the suffering beings, take out a day-long
procession, visiting the different chaityas and shrines, scattering
grains, coins, and foodstuffs to bring peace to the souls of the dead,
similarly to the way the did this on Mata-Ya at the end of the holy
month of Gunla.
This full moon is known
as Kojagrata, meaning 'one who is awake', when the Goddess of Wealth,
Lakshmi is worshipped again, and gambling games are played at home.
Life returns to normal,
offices open, people go back to work, travellers return home.
It's time to tighten one's belt, start repaying the loans, and
recovering from the expenses incurred in unstintingly observing the
festival and worshipping the Goddess. The holy scriptures promise
that those who observe the festival of Dasain, acquire, virtue, power,
wealth, and many offspring. They assuredly escape the
miseries of evil and sin.
Here's
wishing this nation and everybody, peace, prosperity and fulfillment on
the joyous occasion of Vijaya Dasami !
Jai
Ma Durga!
love and pranams
billy.
billy.