Dashain 2026
Dashain is the longest and biggest Nepali festival: fifteen days of family, jamara and tika from elders, celebrating good over evil.
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Main day . Source: Nepal Panchanga Nirnayak Bikas Samiti 2083 calendar (Himal Press)
Dashain gatherings across the USA
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What Dashain is
Dashain, also called Bada Dashain, is the longest festival in the Nepali calendar and, for many families, the most important one. It marks the goddess Durga's victory over the demon Mahishasura, and with it the idea that good wins over evil.
For most people who grew up with it, Dashain is less about the story and more about going home. Offices and schools in Nepal close, people travel back to their family house, and the days are spent visiting relatives in order of seniority.
Common questions
- Dashain kahile ho? When is Dashain 2026?
- Dashain 2026 runs from Sunday, October 11, 2026 to Sunday, October 25, 2026, with the main day on Wednesday, October 21, 2026 (source: Nepal Panchanga Nirnayak Bikas Samiti 2083 calendar (Himal Press)).
- What is in Dashain tika?
- Dashain tika is usually raw rice mixed with yogurt and red vermilion, put on the forehead by an elder. Some families and communities use a white tika instead.
- What is jamara?
- Jamara is the pale yellow-green shoots of barley, and sometimes maize, sown on the first day of Dashain and grown out of the sun. Elders give it with tika on Vijaya Dashami.
- What is dakshina?
- Dakshina is the small gift of money an elder gives with tika and a blessing. It is a token of good wishes rather than a present to be measured.
More in the Dashain explainer.