Dashain is the biggest and most important festival in Nepal — 15 days of goddess worship, family reunions, tika, jamara and feasting. Here’s everything you’re searching for about Dashain 2026: the exact dates, the Vijaya Dashami tika time, what it means, and how the days unfold.
Dashain 2026 — key dates at a glance
| Ghatasthapana (Day 1) | Sunday, 11 October 2026 |
|---|---|
| Fulpati (Day 7) | Saturday, 17 October 2026 |
| Maha Ashtami (Day 8) | Sunday, 18 October 2026 |
| Maha Navami (Day 9) | Tuesday, 20 October 2026 |
| Vijaya Dashami / Tika (Day 10) | Wednesday, 21 October 2026 — tika muhurat around 11:53 AM NST |
| Kojagrat Purnima (Day 15) | Sunday, 25 October 2026 |
| Bhai Tika (Tihar) | Wednesday, 11 November 2026 |
In the Nepali calendar, Dashain 2026 falls in Kartik 2083 BS. You can cross-check any date with our Nepali Patro and BS–AD date converter.
What is Dashain, and why is it celebrated?
Dashain (also called Bijaya Dashami or Badadashain) is Nepal’s longest and most important Hindu festival. It celebrates the victory of good over evil — the triumph of the goddess Durga over the demon Mahishasura, and of Lord Rama over Ravana. Across 15 days, families worship the goddess, honour their elders, and come together from far and wide. For millions of Nepalis at home and abroad, Dashain is above all a time of family reunion, blessings and gratitude.
Which god is worshipped during Dashain?
Dashain honours the Hindu mother goddess Durga in her nine forms (Nava Durga), worshipped over the nine nights of Navaratri. Devotees pray for her power, protection and blessings, visiting temples such as Dakshinkali and the Shakti Peethas, with special worship on Maha Ashtami and Maha Navami.
Dashain in 100 words
Dashain is Nepal’s greatest festival, celebrated for 15 days in the month of Ashwin–Kartik. It marks the victory of Goddess Durga over evil. It begins with Ghatasthapana, when families sow jamara (sacred barley shoots) and worship the goddess through Navaratri. The eighth and ninth days (Ashtami and Navami) involve special pujas and offerings. The tenth day, Vijaya Dashami, is the highlight: elders place tika (rice, curd and vermilion) and jamara on younger family members and bless them. People wear new clothes, fly kites, enjoy bamboo swings (ping), feast together and reunite with family — making Dashain a season of joy, respect and togetherness.
The days of Dashain, explained
Dashain officially spans 15 days, but a few are the most significant:
- Ghatasthapana (Day 1): The festival begins. Families establish the sacred kalash and sow jamara in a dark room, watering it daily.
- Fulpati (Day 7): Sacred flowers, leaves and plants (fulpati) are brought in and worship intensifies.
- Maha Ashtami (Day 8): One of the holiest days, with major worship of the goddess and traditional offerings.
- Maha Navami (Day 9): The last day of Navaratri; tools, vehicles and workplaces are also blessed (Vishwakarma-style puja).
- Vijaya Dashami (Day 10): The main day — receiving tika and jamara and blessings from elders.
- Days 11–15: Visiting relatives to receive tika, ending with Kojagrat Purnima.
What is tika in Dashain?
Tika is the mixture of rice, curd (yogurt) and red vermilion (abir) that elders apply to the forehead of younger family members on Vijaya Dashami, along with yellow jamara tucked behind the ear. As they do, they offer blessings for long life, success and happiness — often with the well-known blessing beginning “आयु द्रोणसुते…”. Receiving tika from elders is the emotional heart of Dashain.
What is jamara?
Jamara is the tender yellow barley grass grown from seeds sown on Ghatasthapana in a dark, sun-free room. By Vijaya Dashami it has grown into soft golden shoots, considered a blessing from the goddess, and is given alongside tika.
When is Dashain tika 2026?
Vijaya Dashami (Dashain tika) 2026 is on Wednesday, 21 October 2026, with the auspicious tika muhurat around 11:53 AM Nepal Standard Time. Traditionally, tika can be received from this time through the following days until Purnima.
When is Bhai Tika 2026?
Bhai Tika — part of the Tihar festival that follows Dashain — falls on Wednesday, 11 November 2026. On this day, sisters apply a seven-colour tika to their brothers and pray for their long life.
Is Dashain the biggest festival in Nepal?
Yes. Dashain is the longest and most widely celebrated festival in Nepal, followed by Tihar (the festival of lights). Together, Dashain and Tihar make up the country’s biggest festive season, when schools, offices and businesses close and families travel home to celebrate.
Frequently asked questions
Why is Dashain celebrated?
Dashain celebrates the victory of good over evil — Goddess Durga’s defeat of the demon Mahishasura and Lord Rama’s victory over Ravana. It is also a festival of family reunion, blessings from elders, and gratitude.
Which god is worshipped in Dashain?
Goddess Durga, in her nine forms (Nava Durga), is worshipped during the nine nights of Navaratri.
What day is Dashain tika 2026?
Vijaya Dashami (tika day) 2026 is Wednesday, 21 October 2026, with the tika muhurat around 11:53 AM NST.
What date is Bhai Tika 2026?
Bhai Tika 2026 falls on Wednesday, 11 November 2026.
Which year is 2026 in the Nepali calendar?
Dashain 2026 (October) falls in the Bikram Sambat year 2083. The Nepali new year 2083 began in mid-April 2026.
What are the main days of Dashain?
The most important are Ghatasthapana (Day 1), Fulpati (Day 7), Maha Ashtami (Day 8), Maha Navami (Day 9) and Vijaya Dashami (Day 10, the tika day), ending on Kojagrat Purnima (Day 15).
What is tika made of?
Tika is a mixture of rice, curd (yogurt) and red vermilion, applied to the forehead with blessings, along with yellow jamara.
Tika and muhurat times are as fixed by the Nepal Panchanga Nirnayak Samiti and may be confirmed closer to the festival. Check the exact Bikram Sambat dates any time with our Nepali Patro. Shubha Dashain! 🌸 Source: Dashain (Wikipedia).
