Dasain festival

Throughout Nepal cities have emptied, buses and vehicles have been crammed with people and the great Dasain exodus to the villages has begun. The hindu equivalent of Christmas lasts 10 days ( das  meaning 10 in Nepali) and everyone returns to their family home to celebrate. New clothes are bought, presents are exchanged and barley grains are germinated at the start of the festival to be used for puja ( worship) on the final two days. For those who cannot get to a temple to worship, there are tents in the streets of the cities with large statues of the gods and priests to give tikka (blob of red powder between the eyes)to those devotees who donate money. The most visible sign of dasain on the outskirts of Kathmandu are the herds of goat and water buffalo which are brought in for sacrifice to idols and then to provide meat for the feasting. They are dispatched with huge kukries( nepali curved blades) and the meat is then divided up. Despite the festivities there is a dark side to this festival. Many churches also put on programmes at this time since it is a national holiday.
Only the hindus worship idols with sacrifices, take tikka and puja their homes and vehicles with the remnants of the sacrifices in order to get blessings from their gods for journeys in the coming year ( see photos)
Roger and I chose to stay in the city for Dasain and have enjoyed exploring around the valley on our motorbike without  having to negotiate the heavy traffic.

ganesh idol worshipped with flowers, rice and coloured powder

goats waiting to be purchased for dasain

tableaux of gods and goddesses to be worshipped in the city streets

weighing a goat before purchase

vehicles being pujad  with goat remains , flowers and rice

Buying chickens for the feast

Dividing up buffalo meat after a sacrifice

young couple in their dasain best

festivities in street with dasain bamboo swing in the background