Bada Dashain festival begins, Madhesh employees face salary uncertainty

Nepal’s biggest national festival, Bada Dashain, officially began today, Sunday, October 11, 2026, with the ritual of Ghatasthapana. As households across the country observe the traditional planting of barley shoots (jamara), approximately 11,400 employees in 38 local municipalities of Madhesh Province face uncertainty over receiving their Dashain salaries and allowances due to the current fiscal year’s budget not yet being presented.The 15-day festival, celebrated with great enthusiasm, will continue until Ashwin Shukla Purnima. According to the Nepal Panchanga Nirnayak Vikas Samiti, the auspicious time for Ghatasthapana was set for 11:47 AM today. The ritual involves establishing a kalash (sacred pot), lighting a lamp, and invoking Lord Ganesh, followed by planting barley seeds in a ritually purified space, often a puja room or Dashain ghar, using sand or soil brought from a nearby river or clean area and smeared with cow dung. This practice is known as planting jamara.This year, the presence of Chitra Nakshatra and Vaidhriti Yoga on Ghatasthapana day has led religious scholars to advise performing peace rituals before the main ceremony.In Madhesh Province, Dashain is typically a time of deep devotion, worship, and vibrant celebrations, including traditional dances and entertainment. Folk and mythological dances have been a source of amusement in the Mithila region and across the Terai Madhesh for centuries. However, the budget deficit, leaving 11,400 employees in 38 local municipalities without salaries, poses a significant challenge to managing festive expenses. This situation is expected to dampen the festive spirit in Madhesh.Ghatasthapana is named after the ritual of establishing a ghada (pot) and worshipping Goddess Durga, the embodiment of power, on top of it. Barley sprouts are considered sacred to Goddess Durga, and on Vijaya Dashami, they are received along with the Tika (a red mark on the forehead) as a symbol of prosperity. The water from the kalash established today is used for anointing on Vijaya Dashami, when devotees receive blessings from Goddess Durga.According to Professor Dr Ramchandra Gautam, a religious scholar and former chairman of the Nepal Panchanga Nirnayak Vikas Samiti, traditional scriptures do not prescribe planting grains other than barley for jamara. However, some families, following their ancestral traditions, plant other grains alongside barley. Jamara is also used in Ayurvedic medicine.Associate Professor Dr Purushottam Bhattarai, chairman of the Nepal Panchanga Nirnayak Vikas Samiti, stated that since Chitra Nakshatra falls throughout the day, the auspicious Abhijit Muhurta in the midday period was chosen for Ghatasthapana, in accordance with scriptural injunctions. He added that the committee decided on today for Ghatasthapana based on the scriptural belief that it should be performed on the day when Pratipada (the first day of the lunar fortnight) occurs at sunrise.During Dashain, the nine-night festival known as Navaratri, three forms of Goddess Durga—Mahakali (symbol of power), Mahalaxmi (symbol of wealth and prosperity), and Mahasaraswati (symbol of knowledge and wisdom)—are worshipped. According to Hindu mythology, Goddess Durga took nine forms to vanquish demons such as Chanda, Munda, Shumbha, Nishumbha, and Raktabija, who symbolized evil forces.Over the nine days of Navaratri, the nine forms of Durga—Shailaputri, Brahmacharini, Chandraghanta, Kushmanda, Skandamata, Katyayani, Kalaratri, Mahagauri, and Siddhidatri—are worshipped. These nine forms are collectively known as Navadurga. Professor Dr Gautam explained that it is a scriptural rule for all humanity to worship Goddess Durga, as she protects humans from demonic and evil tendencies. He also stated that there is scriptural evidence that Durga Puja and Dashain are not exclusive to any particular caste or religion. Dashain is celebrated as a symbol of the victory of truth over falsehood and divine power over demonic forces. As a symbol of Durga, nine virgin girls, each above two years of age, are worshipped daily from today until Mahanavami.Throughout Navaratri, devotees also recite Durga Saptashati Chandi, Srimad Devi Bhagavat and other hymns and praises to the Goddess. During this period, numerous devotees visit and worship at various power centers across the country, including Naxal Bhagawati, Shobha Bhagawati, Nala Bhagawati and Palanchok Bhagawati.Key Dashain dates and auspicious times:Ghatasthapana: Sunday, October 11, 2026, at 11:47 AM.Auspicious time for changing flags: Monday, October 12, 2026, at 10:07 AM, facing west.Shree Pachali Bhairav Yatra: Thursday, October 15, 2026.Fulpati: Saturday, October 17, 2026. Auspicious time for Shree Tulajabhavani Yatra is 7:37 AM, and for Sthirasan is 10:39 AM.Maha Ashtami: Sunday, October 18, 2026.Maha Navami: Tuesday, October 20, 2026.Vijaya Dashami: Wednesday, October 21, 2026. The auspicious time for Devi Visarjan (immersion of the idol) is 8:49 AM. The best time for receiving Tika and blessings is 10:26 AM. Both the person giving and receiving Tika should face west.Kojagrat Purnima: From Vijaya Dashami until Kojagrat Purnima, blessings and Tika are received from elders. On Purnima, the festival concludes with the worship of Mahalaxmi, the goddess of wealth, by observing a fast and staying awake at night to pray for prosperity. It is believed that those who stay awake on this night will be blessed with wealth by Laxmi. The jamara planted on Ghatasthapana day is immersed in a clean place on Kojagrat Purnima.In accordance with tradition, the worship of Goddess Durga, along with the planting of jamara, officially begins today at the Dashain Ghar in Kathmandu’s Hanuman Dhoka Palace. Jayanti Shrestha Pradhan, chief of the Hanuman Dhoka Palace Care Office, stated that Ghatasthapana would be performed at the auspicious time provided by the committee, following the worship and oblations for Chitra Nakshatra and Vaidhriti Yoga on Sunday morning.Bada Dashain is also considered a festival of family reunion. People living away from home for work, study, or other reasons have started returning to their hometowns to celebrate the grand festival with their families. As many educational institutions have declared public holidays for Dashain starting today, long queues of people are seen leaving the capital and urban areas to return to their ancestral homes. The issue of salaries and allowances for employees in Madhesh Province will persist until the budget is presented, which is expected to diminish the festive spirit there.