Submit your Article

At least 3, 908 police personnel are to be mobilized in Karnali in view of the security vulnerabilities during Dashain, Tihar and Chhath festivals, the Provincial Police Office has stated.

The Office has prepared the 'Integrated Festival Security Action Plan 2082' and plans to deploy security personnel along with drones, said the provincial police office spokesperson and senior superintendent of police Kedar Khanal.

According to him, the security plan will be implemented from September 22 to October 27.

Security officials said that there is a risk of additional criminal incidents during the festive season, as prisoners fleeing from different prisons during the Gen-Z protests may return to their homes and the looted arms and ammunition might be misused.

SSP Khanal informed that a planned police deployment, monitoring, and control are necessary to prevent any untoward incidents, and security plans have been made and implemented for that purpose. 

He said that 53 mobile patrols, 112 motorcycle patrols, 92 quick response teams (rapid response teams) have been deployed along with 178 on-foot patrols. Additionally, 20 long and short-distance patrols have also been deployed.

To further strengthen security arrangements, police pickets have been kept at 130 locations, while regular, special, and emergency checks are being conducted at 92 locations. SSP Khanal added that a joint check involving traffic has been conducted at 75 locations.

The Department of Immigration has decided to keep the tourist visa and agency units open during the Dashain public holidays, except for the day of Tika. 

The department has stated that the services provided by the tourist visa and agency units will be operated from 11 am to 1 pm during the public holidays from September 29 to October 3. 

However, the services will be closed down on the dashami i.e. on October 2.

Department's Immigration Officer Shiva Kumar Adhikari published a notice informing that the services will be operated on all days except the main day during the public holidays of Bada Dashain festival.

Talking about Dashain in 1969, a woman from Bhaktapur recalls her childhood experience. She remembers her local Guthi (community-based trust) sacrificing buffaloes for the festival, families wearing new clothes—mostly stitched at home and sent to Chipa (cloth dyer)—and receiving 25 paisa from her parents as Dashain dakshina (offering). Her parents saved money for the festival by selling chilies and potatoes.

She also remembers children flying handmade kites and buying colorful ribbons for herself. To earn a little extra, she and her friends would work at night under the light of a tuki (oil lamp) to design Dhaka topi (traditional Nepali hat).

By 1991, when she was 30 and living in Satdobato, Lalitpur, with her husband and three children, Dashain celebrations had begun to change. Meat cost around Rs 80 per kilogram, and although kite flying remained a part of the festival, kites were now bought from shops, and the family’s excitement revolved around new clothes and festivities.

Now at 63, she feels the meaning of Dashain has evolved into something else. In the past, people eagerly waited for the festival just for the chance to eat meat and wear new clothes. These days, children are absorbed in their mobile phones, and the spirit of festivity and family gatherings have been lost in time.

“I have celebrated Dashain throughout my life, and it is still my favorite festival. But now, things have changed. Back then, even though we had vacation homework, I used to feel completely free during Dashain. Those nine days of festival holidays carried excitement and joy. I especially loved putting on tika and jamara, and the blessings offered by our elders felt pure and heartfelt,” she says. 

Today, Dashain has become a perfunctory affair. Rather than enjoying the company of their loved ones, most people are busy posting their festival photos and videos on their social media.

Kristina Shrestha, a college student, agrees that the Dashain celebrations have changed over time, especially after the rise of social media.

“Dashain once felt like a festival of peace and unity. Now the atmosphere has shifted. The recent Gen Z protests showed that most of the youths are deeply involved in activism and social media, and for them, scrolling through their phones for news updates and putting up social media posts are more important.”

Shrestha’s friend Nanzana Sunuwar says busy schedules have reduced the time for rituals and family gatherings. “People often prioritize convenience over tradition. Social media glamorizes Dashain, often turning it into a show of appearances. Digital validation has become more important than real-life experiences.”

Sunuwar believes social media platforms should be used to preserve tradition through education, storytelling, and organizing celebratory events. 

Sayan Shakya, 20, maintains a positive view on Dashain celebrations. “I enjoy the overall vibe of Dashain and I haven’t noticed much difference in how the festival is celebrated,” he says. “Although I’m not fond of posting on social media platforms, I still think social media has allowed us to connect with others and to see how the people from different communities celebrate Dashain.”

Shakya’s sister, Sanjita, 22, offers a different view. “While a barrage of social media posts may not directly harm our traditions, I do believe that the essence of enjoying the moment and having genuine fun with your loved ones is gradually getting lost.”

Rachana Magar, a student, says as many people today are busy with jobs and studies, they can’t travel back to their villages or spend much time with their families even during the festival season. 

“Dashain feels shorter and less traditional these days. Photos and outfits often take center stage, making Dashain more like a fashion show than a family tradition,” she adds.

She suggests balance as a way forward. “Families can organize fun activities and games together, teach younger members the meaning behind rituals, and blend tradition with modern fun through cooking, decorating, or storytelling. At the same time, limiting screen time during gatherings can help everyone focus on real interactions and create more meaningful memories.”

Dashain, once a festival defined by simple joys and family gatherings, is undergoing a profound transformation. From handmade kites and tika worn with pride to the modern preoccupation with social media, urbanization, and consumerism, the ways people celebrate have shifted across generations. While some find that technology can broaden understanding of traditions, others worry that the essence of fun, connection, and cultural ritual is gradually being lost.

Yet, amid these changes, the memories and stories of past Dashains remind us of the festival’s enduring spirit, a spirit that can survive when we consciously balance modern life with the heartfelt celebration of tradition. 

With Dashain aura in the air, more than 189,000 people left the Kathmandu Valley in the last five days. 

According to the Kathmandu Valley Traffic Police Office, such numbers of passengers moved outside the Kathmandu Valley in 29,360 public vehicles from September 17 to 21. The vehicles left the federal capital via Thankot, Sanga, Dakshinkali and Balaju check points.

Deputy Superintendent of Police at the Office, Lokendra Singh Guru, informed that people hailing from different parts of the country and living in the Kathmandu Valley for study, business, and employment have started heading towards their hometowns to celebrate Dashain festival. 

Total 34,556 passengers left Kathmandu Valley on September 17 while 36,100 on September 18, 40,555 on September 19, 34,879 on September 20 and 43,124 on September 21. 

Similarly, General Secretary of the Federation of Nepalese National Transport Entrepreneurs, Dek Nath Gautam, opined that problems had surfaced in movement of vehicles along many highways this year due to landslides. Thousands of vehicles were stranded due to obstruction of the Muglin-Narayangadh road section for hours, he added, urging the government to make prompt efforts to resume the highways soon.  

A huge number of people started thronging New Bus Park, Gongabu to secure bus tickets for heading towards villages to celebrate the biggest festival of Hindu people, Dashain.

More than 15,000 passengers are now leaving Kathmandu Valley from New Bus Park every day while this number in other normal days recorded 4,000-5,000, mentioned Gautam.

Devotees have thronged the goddess temples and shrines throughout the country on the occasion of the Ghatasthapana today, the first day of the Bada Dashain festival. 

A large number  of devotees could be seen at the Bhadrakali temple, Guheshwari temple, Maitidevi temple, among other shrines to pay homage to the goddesses. 

Deity Shailaputri is worshipped for observing Ghatastapana on the auspicious hour. 

The first day is being marked by worshipping the deity Shailaputri in accordance with Vedic rituals and preparing for Jamara (barley shoots) by sowing maize and barley seeds in a jar filled with soil and cow dung for germination.   

Similarly, throngs of devotees also visited Dakshinkali temple, Palanchok Bhagawati temple in Kavre, and Manakamana temple in Gorkha, Chhinnamasta temple in Saptari, Nuwakot Bhairavi temple in Nuwakot, Shaileshwari temple in Doti, Kalika Bhagawati temple in Baglung, Dantakali temple in Dharan, Ugratara temple in Dadeldhura, Siddhakali temple in Bhojpur, Bageshwari temple in Banke and Pathibhara temple in Taplejung.

The “Navaratri”, a nine-night festival known as Bada Dashain and a significant celebration for Hindus in Nepal, has commenced today.

Ghatasthapana falls on Ashwin Shukla Pratipada, the first day of the bright half of the lunar calendar month Asoj or Kartik.

According to the Nepal Calendar Determination Committee, the auspicious time for observing Ghatasthapana this year is at 9:13 am today. Deity Shailaputri is worshipped for observing Ghatastapana on the auspicious hour. The festival entails with reverence for deities such as Brhamacharini, Chandraghanta, Kushmanda, Skandamata, Katyayani, Kalarati, Mahagauri, and Siddhirati.

The first day is being marked by worshipping the deity Shailaputri in accordance with Vedic rituals and preparing for Jamara (barley shoots) by sowing maize and barley seeds in a jar filled with soil and cow dung for germination.   

Prayers are also offered to Durga Bhavani, the goddess of power today. Germination of the auspicious “Jamara” is also initiated at Hanumandhoka Dashain Ghar in accordance with Vedic rituals.   

On the 7th day of the festival, Dashain Phulpati are brought to home on September 29. The committee has set 11:53 am as the most auspicious time for Dashain tika on October 2 (Asoj 16). 

I remember Dashain as a tender embrace. My cousins and I would race barefoot across the terrace, jamara tucked behind our ears, tika still damp on our foreheads. Steel plates clinked under the weight of sel roti, stacked like golden memories. The air was thick with marigold and camphor, madal drums pulsing softly in the background. In those sunlit rooms, family gathered without distraction, fully present, stitched together by ritual and story. My bajai would hum a bhajan in the kitchen and say, “Aaile ko keti-keta haru, yesto Dashain kahile dekhcha ra?”, translating to these kids nowadays, what would they know of a Dashain like this? 

She said in a melancholic tone. Like she already knew we’d grow up into a different kind of Dashain, one wrapped in Wi-Fi signals and busy schedules, where the warmth of the sunlit kitchen would be replaced by the glow of a screen. 

Now, the air feels quieter. The plates are still full. The rituals still happen. But more often, they unfold behind screens, typically on WhatsApp calls, filtered through Instagram stories, caught in between video edits and captions. We say “hello” instead of “namaste,” “thanks” instead of “dhanyabaad.” And somewhere in that shift, the soul of the festival feels like it’s slipping. 

My mother also speaks of a Dashain that stretched across days, a sacred pause when neighbors became family and the night was carried by stories passed down through voice and memory, not typed out. Each gesture held meaning. Each offering had a purpose. Even the smallest thing, placing jamara under a mattress, sweeping the puja room at dawn, applying tika with both hands was loaded with history. Today, those same gestures are often performed without question, reduced to a quiet shrug: “This is just what we do.” 

For many of us, festivals have become curated performances. We wear the traditional clothes, we light the lamps, we take part in the puja but too often through the lens of a phone. Culture is dressed up for the feed. Aesthetics sometimes eclipse meaning. The perfect photo matters more than the imperfect moment. And in the process, something quieter, something sacred, begins to fade. 

Kathmandu itself is changing. Sprawling family courtyards have turned into compact homes. Siblings live across countries. Families are spread thin across time zones. The altar may now be a single candle, lit in between meetings or homework. The spirit of celebration has become a matter of logistics. What was once rooted in sambandha, deep relational ties, can now feel like a checklist: tika, thali, photo, post. 

Tihar, another example, used to arrive gently. Flickering diyos, whispered songs, the unspoken warmth between brothers and sisters. A festival of light that lived not just in lamps but in shared silence. Now, celebrations often boom from Bluetooth speakers and dance to algorithms. TikTok trends replace traditional songs. The ritual is still there, but sometimes, it feels hollow, almost like a paper version of something once carved in stone. 

I watch friends post stunning rangolis and perfectly arranged thalis, and it’s beautiful. But it also feels rehearsed. The whispered instructions of grandparents are replaced with online tutorials. The chants become short audio clips played from someone else’s phone. This is a new way to celebrate, but I constantly wonder: does it still carry the same weight? 

Language is part of this quiet fading. Our mother tongues like: Newar, Maithili, Tamang, Gurung, among others carry within them stories, humor, songs, and wisdom. But they, too, are softening. Yielding to convenience, to English, to what feels easier. I find myself translating in my head before I speak to elders. And when a language disappears, so does a whole way of understanding the world. 

To be clear, this isn’t about resisting change. Culture isn’t something to preserve in glass. It’s alive, which means it adapts, shifts, and evolves. I’m not asking us to put down our phones or cancel our posts. Social media connects us. It lets us share, remember, and create. It brings a global Nepali diaspora together in ways once impossible. 

But when it becomes the only lens through which we experience culture, we risk turning festivals into content and content alone. 

What I’m asking is this: can we slow down? Can we ask why we do what we do? Can we pause before we post, just long enough to understand? Can we listen to the stories behind the rituals before they slip through the cracks? 

Festivals don’t need to be picture-perfect. They need to be felt. Lived in messy, honest, deeply human ways. Culture doesn’t need to be aesthetic, but it does need to be meaningful. We don’t need to be perfect keepers of tradition. But we should care more about what our customs mean when no one is watching, than how they look when everyone is. Because when rituals lose their roots, they become routines. And when tradition becomes a trend, it no longer grounds us. 

Our festivals still breathe. They still carry power. But they ask us to meet them halfway. To be present. To care. To listen. To remember. Because if we keep culture alive only for the feed, what remains when the screen fades to black? 

Soniva Vaidya

Grade XII

The British School, Kathmandu

More than 237,000 people traveled by air through the Tribhuvan International Airport during the five days of Badadashain festival.

According to the statistics of the TIA office, 160,910 people traveled through the domestic terminal while 78,512 people flew to and from the international terminal of the airport from Phulpati to Duwadashi, i.e. from October 10 to 14.

A total of 2,159 domestic flights and 781 international flights took place on the seven days of Dashain, i.e. from October 10 to 16, said TIA spokesperson Rinji Sherpa.

Due to the increase in the number of both domestic and international flights at the TIA, the domestic as well as international terminal building of the airport was crowded with passengers.

According to the airport office, air flights are becoming normal now. –––

Mustang district recorded the transaction of Himalayan goats and sheep, earning Rs 160 million during the Dashain festival.

Veterinary Hospital and Livestock Service Center in Mustang informed that 4,800 Himalayan goats reared by the farmers in Mustang and 3,000 others brought from Dolpa and Mugu districts were sold in the district.

Center's chief Lal Mani Aryal informed that 7,500 chyangra (Himalayan goats) and 500 sheep were sold in the district. The Mustang farmers sold each Himalayan goat at a price ranging from Rs 28,000 to Rs 38,000 considering the weight.

Last year, as many as 7,000 Himalayan goats and sheep were sold in the district. The Mustang goats were bought by the people from Myagdi, Baglung, Parbat, Kaski and Kathmandu city.

The traders have been happy to see a rise in production of Himalayan goats and sheep that fetched better prices compared to the past.

Arjun Paudel from Beni of Myagdi informed that the goats reared in the highlands are considered healthy and nutritious, as they graze in the pasture having medicinal herbs. Chyangra and sheep are consumed more during the festivals as Dashain and Tihar. The Himalayan goat reaches a slaughter age when it is three-year-old.

Gharapjhong, Loghekar Damodarkunda, Baragung Muktichhetra and Lomanthang are some places famous for chyangra. It is the major source of income for the farmers here.

Goats, sheep and buffaloes worth more than Rs 160 million were sold during the Dashain time alone in Jumla this year.

Bir Bahadur Rawal, Chief of the Chandannath Municipality, Livestock Development Section, said goats, sheep and buffaloes worth Rs 163. 21 million were sold from Khalanga town alone during the Dashain period this year.

The sale of goats, sheep, buffaloes and fowls is generally high during the Dashain festival period as people sacrifice these animals at goddess shrines, and meat consumption also increases due to the festivities.

According to Rawal, 7, 928 sheep and goats supplied by the sheep farmers within the district itself and those imported from other districts were sold. Sheep worth Rs 152.32 million, goats worth Rs 7. 79 million and buffaloes worth Rs 3.11 million have been sold. 

The maximum price of local sheep was determined at Rs 28, 000, the minimum price at Rs 10, 000 and the average price at Rs 19, 000.

Similarly, the maximum price of local goat was fixed at Rs 24, 000, the minimum price at Rs 8,000 and the average price at Rs 16, 000. The maximum price of buffalo is determined at Rs 50, 000, the minimum price at Rs 26, 000 and the average price at Rs 38, 000. 

Only the local goats and sheep are sold in Jumla ever since livestock traders stopped importing goats and sheep from Tibet 12 years back.

The Livestock Service Office Jumla said 88, 000 sheep are being reared in the district.

The rituals of receiving Dashain tika and jamara as blessings of the Goddess Navadurga continue today, too on Aswin Shukla Paksha Dwadashi, the 12th day of the waxing moon in the month of Asoj.

The tika and jamara ceremony, which began on Bijaya Dashami, the tenth day of Dashain on October 12, continues today.

Traditionally, those unable to meet with their relatives in the previous days visit them today to receive Dashain blessings from seniors.

This practice will continue until Aswin Shukla Poornima, the last day of Dashain.

In the federal capital, Kathmandu, which has been relatively calm since the day of Maha Astami and Mahanawami, people are now out and about.

People adorned with red tika and jamara are heading to their relatives' homes to seek blessings. The official holidays for Dashain, which began on Saptami (October 10), are concluding today.

According to the Nepal Calendar Fixation Committee, Dashain will conclude on Thursday, October 17.

Nepali Congress President and former Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba has said the Dashain festival contributes to strengthening of unity and harmony among community and families.

Giving a message of best wishes on the occasion of the Bada Dashain festival today, NC President Deuba wished peace, prosperity and happiness to all Nepalis.

He also reminded the recent disaster of floods and landslides that not only caused a huge number of fatalities but also rendered thousands of people homeless.

"We are getting united for the Dashain at this difficult moment this year. May Goddess Durga provide strength and power to all at this hour," he said.

Nepal is a multi-cultural, multi-lingual and multi-ethnic country which has foster unity in diversity.

The unity in diversity is our identity, President Deuba added.

The festival is a symbol of the victory of justice over injustice, according to him.

Speaker Devraj Ghimire has expressed belief that the Dashain festival would foster mutual cooperation, harmony and unity in society.

Giving a message of best wishes on the occasion of the Bijaya Dashami today, Speaker Ghimire wished peace, prosperity, happiness and longevity to all Nepali sisters and brothers living in the country and abroad.

"The victory of truth over untruth and of the divine force over demonic force is the supreme message of the Dashain festival," he said, reminding its cultural, religious and social values.

The faith in Goddess Durga fosters relations within family and community, Speaker Ghimire said, adding that in recent years even the people from different communities are celebrating the Dashain festival which has helped in developing it as a common festival.

"Receiving tika and blessing from the seniors, exchanging best wishes and visiting relatives are major features of this festival," Speaker Ghimire said.

He reminded the recent disaster that took a huge toll on human life and property; and urged everyone to maintain safe travels.

The Speaker also suggested frugal behaviour and healthy food habits. 

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has wished cooperation and harmony on the occasion of the Bijaya Dashami today.

Giving a video message on the occasion of the Bijaya Dashami 2081, PM Oli extended best wishes to all Nepalis living in the country and abroad.

He requested all Nepalis to extend assistance from their respective places to return the normalcy as it was before the disaster. "Irrespective of the places we are living now, I urge all to extend support to the government for assuaging the agony of those who underwent huge suffering in the recent disaster," PM Oli said in the message.

He reminded that the tika ceremony of the Dashain festival could not be that joyful as it used to be. "I'm not feeling joyful as the happiness of Nepali sisters and brothers was seized by the disaster occurred some days back that caused a huge loss of lives including innocent children and senior ones, injured many others and destroyed property," PM Oli added.

The PM reminded that the government was working actively for the rescue, relief distribution and rehabilitation. "The disaster massively damaged crops. The farmers will be compensated and damaged housed reconstructed and handed over soon," PM Oli said, urging the disaster survivors to be assured of assistance and others to celebrate the festival. Moreover, the PM urged the disaster survivors for patience because the government was aware of its responsibility towards them. "As I'm leading the government, I've more responsibility to pay heed to those suffering after the recent disaster.

The families of the victims would be provided assistance, reconstruction forwarded on time and transportation resumed in the wake of the festival. I call for patience at this moment." 

President Ram Chandra Paudel has extended best wishes to all Nepalis living in the country and abroad on the occasion of the Bijaya Dashami festival today.

President Paudel wished peace, prosperity and happiness to all Nepalis on this occasion- the day of the victory of truth over demonic attitude.

On the day of the Bijaya Dashami, we receive tika, jamara (holy seeding) and blessing from the respected elders.

"On the auspicious occasion of the Bijaya Dashami, 2081 today, I pray Goddess Durga for the peace, prosperity and happiness of all Nepali sisters and brothers living in the country and abroad," the Head of the State wished in the message, "May Goddess Durga bring stability, good governance and prosperity in the country."

At least 1, 300, 000 people have exited Kathmandu Valley in a week for their home districts to celebrate Dashain, the biggest festival of Nepal. According to the Federation of Nepalese National Transport Entrepreneurs (FNNTE), this number includes those people who left the Valley till day.

FNNTE had estimated that around 1.8 million passengers would exit the Valley via road transport for Dashain this year.

FNNTE president Bijaya Swar said that although it was estimated that around 1.5 million to 1.8 million passengers will be leaving Kathmandu Valley for their hometowns for celebrating Dashain this year, 1.3 million, less than the estimated number, left the Valley due to the disruption of roads from flooding and landslides triggered by incessant rains on September 27 and 28.

"The roads are in poor shape and travel is difficult. Despite this situation, 1.3 million people have left the Valley for their home districts to celebrate Dashain festival," he said.

According to Kuwar, the exact figure of people leaving the Valley is awaited as people will be leaving for their homes until Friday.

Around 1, 800, 000 people had left the Kathmandu Valley for their home districts away from the Valley for the Dashain festival last year.