Mero Dhangadhi

Linge ping is a swing typically built only around Dashain season in Nepal

nepal:

Happy Dashain to all you lovely people!! If you are in Nepal, please go ride the huge swing on my behalf. Play taas, eat khasi ko masu, and get lots of dakshina! May this Dashain bring truckloads of happiness to you. 

thapaniraj:

Leaving Ground on Flickr.

Via Flickr:
They say you have to leave ground once in a year. So, during Nepali greatest festival Dashain people swing and leave the ground for a while.
In the back is the Shivapuri Forrest and blue sky and clouds.

subidoesphotography-blog:

Happy Vijaya Dashami! 

Dashain tika and jamara.

effyeahnepal-blog:

Celebrating Dashain Festival 2012 (बडा दशै २०६९ विशेष )

It happens only in Nepal ! 

Local children playing on swing; a vintage, traditional Dashain festival sport, with backdrop of terraced field in the foothills of Nepal. | Era: Contemporary | Photographer: Tim Hughes | Courtesy: LonelyPlanetImages.com

(Click for text src)

Nepali festivals: Dashain

nepal:

The Nepalese festival of Dashain is a few days away, so I thought I’d share some information on the festival and some traditions surrounding it. Keep in mind that I don’t live in Nepal and I’ve only fully celebrated Dashain as a little kid in Kathmandu. Also, different families have different traditions, so what I have listed below may not be something that all families do. 

Dashain in Nepal is celebrated to mark the occasion of the Hindu Goddess Durga defeating a demon (victory of good over evil). It is the biggest festival in Nepal, and lasts about 15 days in the fall. The festival begins with “Ghatasthapana” (gha-tas-tha-pa-na). An initial Puja is carried out to mark the beginning of the festival, and “jamara” (barley sprouts), used on the 10th day (main day) of the festival, is planted. On the 10th day, also called Tika day, people go to their elder relative’s houses to have Jamara and Tika put on, and receive blessings and Dakshina (you get money.. well most people do..it’s complicated). The Tika starts on the 10th day and goes on until the end of the festival. In between Tika day and Ghatasthapana (the 1st day), there is Fulpati. The only thing I know about Fulpati is that they have this huge parade/party in Tudikhel (open space for parades in the middle of Kathmandu) and they bring in horses and fire guns; it’s pretty awesome. I don’t exactly know why the Fulpati celebration is carried out, but I’m sure there’s some meaning to it. 

My family used to spend the days in between visiting various temples around the city and shopping for new clothes as it is traditional to wear new clothes on Tika day. I remember the stores in Kathmandu got ridiculously crowded around this time. Walking around the city, you can also hear traditional Dashain music known as “Mangal Dhun” playing in almost every single store. Other traditions include lots of gambling, drinking, eating goat and lamb meat (made with a special Dashain-only recipe), and for some families, animal sacrifices to Goddess Durga. My family, however, never took part in the animal sacrificing tradition. Flying kites (tradition known as: “changa chet” in Nepali) is also a major part of the festival. The main purpose of this is to have fun (obviously) and also to take down all the neighborhood kites. Whoever has taken down the most kites in the neighborhood gets to carry around the title of “badass” until the next Dashain. Huge bamboo swings are also put up all over the city and people take turns going on it. If you ever get a chance to swing on one of these things, I highly recommend you take it.         

 I’m sure there is so much more to the festival that I’ve missed. Please feel free to correct me if I’ve made any mistakes or add onto this if I’ve missed anything. 

Bijaya dashami ko hardik mangalmaya subhakamana!

nepal:

Happy Dashain to all of my wonderful followers!! Hope you have a wonderful time this dashain with family and if your family isn’t nearby then I hope you can at least have Skype-tika with them!

For this dashain I want to do something different on this blog. I would like you guys to send me pictures of you celebrating dashain. Submit to this blog or post it in your own blog and tag me in it, whichever you prefer. I’ll also be checking the most recent “dashain” tag on here so you can post it there too. Pictures of dashain food or tika with your family or tika tray or a selfie of you with tika on… whatever it may be, make sure it’s Dashain related and send them my way! I feel like a lot of people have a set image of what Nepalis look like but that’s most likely inaccurate since there is no one “Nepali look”. Nepali people come in all different shapes and sizes and shades, and we all celebrate dashain differently or at least have some little things that vary from family to family. I want to show that diversity on this blog.

Once again have a wonderful and prosperous Dashain!!