Submit your Article

Chaite Dashain is celebrated every year on Chaitra Shukla Ashtami, the eighth day of the bright fortnight in the month of Chaitra. The Navratri that falls in this month is commonly known as Chaite Dashain. The festival is observed on Ashtami because that day is traditionally dedicated to the sacrifice of animals to Lord Bhagwati, drawing large crowds of devotees to her temples.

Chaite Dashain is, in essence, a smaller form of Bada Dashain, which is celebrated in the month of Asoj/Kartik. According to legend, Bada Dashain was originally celebrated in Chaitra, but due to the dry weather and drought typical of that month, it was shifted to Asoj/Kartik. Chaite Dashain has since continued to be observed in Chaitra in its place.

Since Chaite Dashain is primarily a festival of non-Newars, the Newars of Dolakha do not celebrate it in a significant way. People from outside Dolakha town, however, celebrate it with great enthusiasm, and so it is largely outside devotees, rather than locals, who come to worship Lord Bhimeshwar during this period. Although it shares the name ‘Dashain’, there is no custom in Dolakha of marking the occasion with feasts or special meals as there is during Bada Dashain. As a child, I was always puzzled: it’s called Dashain, so why don’t parents buy meat or prepare a feast? At the Bhimeshwar shrine, however, a large crowd of non-Dolakhali devotees would gather to worship and offer animal sacrifices. This brought a lively and entertaining fair to Dolakha town. Beyond Dolakha, I also witnessed a grand Chaite Dashain fair in Baglung Bazaar in the west, in 2031 BS.

In 2021 BS, the Cottage Industry Office in Dolakha had set up product stalls around the pond in the lower tole. Around that time (2020/21 BS) Dolakha would see a large influx of devotees coming to worship Bhimeshwar and sacrifice buffaloes, goats, ducks, roosters, and sheep at the fair. Pilgrims came especially from Bhojpur, Okhaldhunga, Khotang, Sindhuli, Ramechhap, and Sindhupalchowk districts, filling the homes of Dolakha town. Those who had no guests arriving for Bhakal puja felt somewhat left out, and so some residents would wait at the town's entrance and invite travelers in. Since our father had worked in Khotang and Okhaldhunga, our home always received guests during Chaite Dashain without fail. Brahmin and Chhetri devotees who sacrificed buffaloes would not eat the meat themselves, and since there were no means to transport it home, they would leave it all with their hosts.

Some devotees stayed with old acquaintances, while others requested lodging from local families. The houses in the upper tole, closest to the Bhimeshwar temple and the main market, were especially full of pilgrims. There was much to enjoy. Through the night, the Bahun/Chhetri community sang Juhari songs in the market area, while Tamang people sang Juhari in their own language. The whole city of Dolakha reverberated with singing until dawn. Juhari is a form of competitive singing between groups of boys and girls. One of its more intriguing rules: if a boy wins the Juhari contest against a girl, he may take her home as his bride.

Though Chaite Dashain is not celebrated at a community-wide level in Dolakha, the Guthiyars do observe it in a simple, traditional way through the Guthi system. As in Bada Dashain, Phulpati is carried from Rajkuleshwar to the Bhimeshwar Temple on the day of Maha Ashtami. Sacrifices are offered and Durga Puja is performed. There is a tradition of sacrificing buffaloes at both the Bhimeshwar Temple and Tripurasundari. The rituals begin at the Ganesh temple, where the Guthiyars perform the invocation puja according to traditional custom. Afterward, the group proceeds to Rajkuleshwar and then to the Bhimeshwar temple with all the puja materials, before returning to Rajkuleshwar. As with Bada Dashain, Chaite Dashain puja is performed in rotation by four Guthiyars of Dolakha each year.

The day of Navami is Ram Navami, the birth anniversary of Lord Rama, on which animal slaughter is forbidden. In keeping with this tradition, worship continues at the Bhimeshwar temple on that day, but without sacrifice. According to scripture, Lord Ramachandra of the Treta Yuga was born on the ninth day of the bright fortnight, and so Navami is observed in his honor. In Dolakha, devotees fast on this day and light lamps at the Bhimeshwar temple in the evening.

United States President Donald Trump will travel to Beijing for a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in mid-May, delaying a planned trip by several weeks as the war against Iran drags on, Reuters reported. 

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed on Wednesday that Trump’s trip will now take place on May 14 and 15, instead of its originally planned dates, from March 31 to April 2.

She added that Trump and First Lady Melania Trump expect to host Xi during a visit to Washington, DC, later in the year, according to Reuters. 

A total of 63 members of Nepal’s House of Representatives have chosen to take their oath of office and secrecy in languages other than Nepali.

According to the Federal Parliament Secretariat, 47 MPs have registered to take the oath in their mother tongue, other than Nepali language. And 17 are to take oath in Maithili language.

The oath taking  ceremony is scheduled for 2 pm today, with senior member Arjun Narsingh KC administering the oath.

Lawmakers have been asked to arrive two hours early with required documents, including their election certificate and citizenship copy.

Languages such as Maithili, Bhojpuri, Tamang, Newari, and others have been used in past oath ceremonies, highlighting broader representation in Parliament.

The price of gold has dropped by Rs 2, 900 per tola in the domestic market on Thursday. 

According to the Federation of Nepal Gold and Silver Dealers’ Association, the yellow metal is being traded at Rs 285, 600 per tola today.   It was traded at Rs 288, 500 per tola on Wednesday.  

Similarly, the silver is being traded at Rs 4, 820 per tola.