Kathmandu, Oct 24: Nepal’s 15-day Dashain festival comes to an end today with the worship of Mahalakshmi, the goddess of wealth and prosperity, followed by an all-night vigil on Kojagrat Purnima.
Observed on the full moon day of Ashwin, Kojagrat Purnima marks the formal end of Dashain. Devotees worship Mahalakshmi in the evening and stay awake through the night, believing that the goddess visits their homes and blesses them with wealth and prosperity.
Purushottam Bhattarai, chairperson of the Nepal Panchanga Nirnayak Development Committee, said the festival is based on this religious belief.
The committee said all remaining ritual offerings prescribed by Hindu scriptures must be completed today. The tradition of receiving tika and jamara, along with blessings from elders, also ends with Kojagrat Purnima. People take their jamara to nearby rivers, lakes, ponds and other sacred sites for disposal.
Dashain begins on the first day of the bright fortnight of Ashwin and is celebrated across the country according to people’s means and traditions.
Mahalakshmi is one of the three forms of Goddess Durga. Although Navaratri ends on Vijaya Dashami, the wider Durga Paksha period continues until Kojagrat Purnima.
The full moon is also known as Kaumudi. Kojagrat Purnima falls 15 days before Laxmi Puja, celebrated during Tihar, and holds special significance in Hindu tradition. Gambling is also traditionally permitted on this night, Bhattarai said. Devotees also worship Indra, the Hindu god of rain and heaven, who is depicted riding an elephant.
The month-long Kartik rituals, including daily ritual bathing and special worship of the holy basil plant, will begin on Monday, November 2, according to calendars approved by the committee. The tradition of lighting and offering akash deep, or sky lamps, will also begin that evening.
People’s News Monitoring Service
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