Hindus across Nepal are celebrating Dashain, the country’s biggest and most widely observed festival, with prayers, family gatherings, and cultural traditions. The festival, which symbolizes the victory of good over evil, brings together relatives and communities in rituals that run for fifteen days. The tenth day, a sort of main event, was observed on Thursday.
From the capital to rural villages, temples dedicated to Goddess Durga have drawn large crowds of worshippers. This festival includes age-old practices such as animal sacrifices, kite flying, and the exchange of blessings with elders. The festival is also the time for enjoying delicacies, leaving the ground on lingey ping (a bamboo-based local swing), and travelling locally. Observers sometimes travel long distances to meet their relatives and receive blessings.
