First day of Dashain: Ghatasthapna

KATHMANDU: Dashain,the biggest and most awaited festival of Nepalese Hindus is now at door and has brought every reason to celebrate. 10-day-long festival is celebrated with the exchange of best wishes, delicious feasts and receiving blessings from elders of the family in the form of tika and jamara on the last day “dashami”.

The first day of Dashain is called Ghatasthapana, which literally means pot establishing. On this day, the kalash (holy water vessel) symbolising goddess Durga is placed in the prayer room. The kalash is filled with holy water and covered with cowdung in which seeds are sown. Traditionally nine different grains were sown, but now people usually sow maize and barley grains. The kalash is worshipped everyday, once in the morning and then in the evening. The kalash and the sand are sprinkled with holy water everyday and it is shielded from direct sunlight. By the tenth day, the seeds will have grown to five or six inches long.These sacred grass is called jamara, which symbolises good harvest. It is bestowed by the elders on the heads of those younger to them during tika that extends till Purnima. The jamara is taken as a prasad of Goddess Durga as well as the elders blessing.