Today, on the main day of the Dashain, devotees received red tika, symbolizing auspiciousness, and jamara, representing prosperity, from their elders.
The tika and jamara, offered as blessings after nine days of worship, were applied this morning at the auspicious time of 11:53 am, as determined by the Nepal Panchang Nirnayak Bikas Samiti. However, Professor Shambhu Prasad Dhakal, the committee chair, noted that since Vijayadashami itself is inherently auspicious, ordinary people do not need to follow a auspicious time to receive tika today.
Following Vedic rituals, the tika is applied from the kalash (sacred pot) installed during Ghatasthapana, marking the ceremonial culmination of the festival. On this day of Ashwin Shukla Dashami, families joyfully apply tika and jamara from elders as blessings of Durga Bhawani.
Those unable to participate today can receive tika from elders during Kojagrat Purnima.
Traditionally, tika is applied facing east and received from the west. The person applying the tika faces west, while the receiver faces east. Southward orientation is reserved for ancestral rites, and some follow lunar-based timing to determine direction. The Nepal Panchang Nirnayak Bikas Samiti confirmed that this east–west orientation remains the established practice.
