Maha Ashtami, the eighth day of Bada Dashain, being observed today
KATHMANDU: Hindu communities across Nepal are celebrating Maha Ashtami today, marking the eighth day of the Bada Dashain festival.
Devotees are visiting goddess temples throughout the Kathmandu Valley and the wider nation from dawn to engage in prayers, animal sacrifices, and the recitation of the Durga Saptashati sacred texts. Ceremonies are taking place at traditional Dashain Ghars, military installations, and numerous temples, with offerings including the ritual sacrifice of goats, ducks, and roosters.
On this significant day in the Dashain festival calendar, worshippers perform sacred rituals in honour of the divine forms of Mahakali, Mahalaxmi, and Mahasaraswati. Religious tradition marks Maha Ashtami as the occasion upon which Goddess Durga acquired her divine power. Alongside religious worship, individuals also consecrate weapons, vehicles, and mechanical equipment as part of the day's observances.
Providing insight into the varied observances, religious scholar Prof Dr Ram Chandra Gautam noted, "Hindu practitioners traditionally perform animal sacrifice; however, those who abstain from animal sacrifice present vegetable and fruit offerings instead, in accordance with their respective religious customs."
The day's celebrations culminate at midnight with a solemn Kalaratri worship ceremony conducted at the historic Dashain Ghar situated at Hanumandhoka in the capital.
(with inputs from RSS)
