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With Navaratri underway, the Dashain festival has brought excitement across the country. Families, relatives, and communities are gathering to celebrate, making it a season of unity and festivity. Along with joy, however, comes the need to pay attention to health—especially when it comes to food.

Dashain is marked by feasts featuring meat dishes, but doctors warn that overconsumption and poor choices can affect health. Meat-based dishes are often low in water content and high in fat, creating imbalances in the body. Senior cardiologist Dr Prakash Raj Regmi recommends consuming green vegetables and salads alongside meat to maintain a balanced diet.

“Meat provides iron, protein, amino acids, and Vitamin B12,” says Dr Regmi. “But it also contains cholesterol and saturated fat. Fresh, fiber-rich foods like vegetables, pulses, and fruits should also be included. Instead of soft drinks, fresh fruit juice, yogurt, lassi, or buttermilk are healthier options.”

Safe meat consumption

Doctors stress the importance of buying meat from clean, well-maintained butcher shops. Meat should only be purchased from outlets with proper hygiene measures, including wire mesh or glass covers to prevent contamination from flies and insects. Tools such as chopping boards and knives should be kept clean.

Consumer rights activist Bishnu Timilsena cautions buyers to be alert, as some vendors mislabel female animals’ meat as male or even sell poor-quality meat for profit. “Consumers should always demand fresh meat of natural quality,” he says.

What not to eat

Oncologist Dr Arun Shahi advises avoiding stale or rotten food during the holidays. “Do not eat burnt or charred meat, and try to avoid red meat,” he warns. “Disciplined eating is essential during Dashain.”

Dr Regmi adds that goat skin contains high amounts of fat and cholesterol and suggests avoiding offal such as liver and kidneys. He further advises against oily, deep-fried meat dishes and alcohol consumption during the festival.

Improperly handled meat can carry parasites such as Taenia saginata (tapeworm), especially in buffalo intestines. While laws require animals to be inspected before slaughter, rights groups say enforcement is weak, allowing unfit meat to reach consumers.

Focus on fiber

High-fiber foods are essential for digestion, weight control, diabetes management, and preventing chronic illnesses. Vegetables like cauliflower, broccoli, and avocado are rich in fiber. Doctors recommend pairing meat dishes with fiber-rich foods to stay healthy and energetic.

“People with heart disease must be especially careful,” says Dr Regmi. “Excess salty and fatty foods can raise blood pressure, cause irregular heartbeat, and complicate heart function. Medication must not be skipped.”

Stay active, stay healthy

Beyond food, Dashain also brings opportunities for physical and mental wellness. Traditional activities such as visiting shrines, swinging on ping (swings), and flying kites promote both exercise and joy.

Dr Regmi suggests avoiding a sedentary lifestyle during the holiday. “Instead of sitting indoors playing cards, go outside, meet relatives, play swings, and exercise. Enjoy clean, homemade food and stay active for both fun and health,” he advises.

On the eighth day of Dashain, Maha Ashtami, a large number of devotees thronged the historic Gorkha Kalika Temple from early morning for worship and animal sacrifices.

As per tradition, government-sanctioned sacrifices will begin after 2 pm, following which the temple will be open for the public to offer sacrifices of goats, buffaloes, and sheep.

The Gorkha Kalika Temple is regarded as one of the most significant Shakti Peeths (power shrines) in the district. Devotees from Gorkha, as well as neighboring districts including Kathmandu, Tanahun, Chitwan, and Lamjung, visit the temple during this time.

It is widely believed that offering worship and sacrifices at the temple during Dashain fulfills devotees’ wishes and brings blessings.

Hello, greetings from Kathmandu

Today marks the seventh day of the 10-day-long Dashain festival. On this occasion of Bijaya Dashami, the President, Prime Minister, Speaker, politicians, and high-level government officials extended their best wishes to the public.

As this newsletter is being written, thousands of people are on their way home to celebrate the Dashain festival. However, some remain stranded due to landslides along major highways. In his message, President Ram Chandra Poudel called on all citizens to remain patient and extend their full support and cooperation in holding the upcoming elections on the announced date.

He emphasized the need to ensure the continuity of the people-elected parliament and government. Since the formation of the new interim government on Sept 12, President Poudel’s consistent message has been the timely execution of elections. He sees no other democratic way out of the current crisis than going to the polls as scheduled.

Prime Minister Sushila Karki, in her message, reiterated her commitment to holding the elections on March 5. She stated that the current government was formed on the foundation of GenZ protests and that it would conduct the elections to the House of Representatives on time. Karki faces mounting pressure to hold the elections on the stipulated date while also addressing the demands of protestors and political parties. In her address to the nation, she has made it clear that the government cannot fulfill demands that fall outside the bounds of the current constitution.

She carries the herculean task of creating an appropriate environment for elections amid provocative statements from both political leaders and GenZ protestors. So far, Karki has not held meetings with any political leaders. However, Kathmandu Mayor Balendra Shah and other forces are pressuring her to amend the constitution to pave the way for a directly elected president.

Pushpa Kamal Dahal, Coordinator of the Special Convention Organizing Committee of CPN (Maoist Center), expressed hope that cultural festivals like Dashain would inspire collective efforts toward building a prosperous Nepal with social justice, by overcoming the present complexities.

Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba, in his message, described the events during the GenZ demonstrations as unimaginable and tragic in Nepal’s history. This is Deuba’s first public statement since the protests, during which he was severely beaten by protestors.

Interestingly, CPN-UML Chair KP Sharma Oli has not issued any statement on Dashain so far. Meanwhile, on Sunday night, Nepal Police raided the Jawalakhel-based residence of Bhushan Rana, brother of Arzu Rana Deuba and brother-in-law of former Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba. Police have yet to release any official information about the raid. The move follows Home Minister Om Prakash Aryal's recent instruction to reopen long-sidelined corruption cases, including the high-profile fake Bhutanese refugee scandal.

CPN-UML General Secretary Shankar Pokharel has claimed that the country has become a "deep state laboratory" due to geopolitical conflicts—though he did not elaborate on the statement. However, it is clear that CPN-UML suspects the involvement of foreign powers in the recent protests in Nepal.

In a Facebook post, Pokharel wrote: “Our country fell under the grip of geopolitical conflict. We could not protect ourselves from their game of weakening national power.” Communist parties in Nepal often view external conspiracies behind domestic developments that don’t align with their interests. His statement came a day after a day-long party meeting, where Chairman KP Sharma Oli shared his views and insights regarding the ongoing protests.

The Rastriya Swatantra Party(RSP) has directed its lawmakers to submit their red diplomatic passport and parliamentary identity cards to the Parliament Secretariat. Following the GenZ protests, the party announced the mass resignation of its parliamentarians. The protests have also triggered internal disputes within the party.

Note: In light of the country’s critical situation, The Annapurna Express has launched a daily newsletter aimed at informing both our domestic and international readers about the latest developments in Nepal. If readers need any clarification about what is happening in Nepal, feel free to contact me at [email protected]

Kamal Dev Bhattarai, Editor

At present, the main entry and exit points of Kathmandu are crowded with people leaving the valley. Large gatherings of passengers can be seen at Gongabu Bus Park, Kalanki, Koteshwor, and Jadibuti as they wait for buses.

Since early morning, the pressure of vehicles heading out of Kathmandu toward different destinations has made various checkpoints around the city chaotic.