Vijayadashami celebrated with tika & jamara blessings across Nepal today

KATHMANDU: Today (Saturday), the main day of Bada Dashain or Durga Paksha, people receive the auspicious red tika and jamara, symbolizing prosperity, from elders as part of the Navadurga blessings.

The tika is prepared from offerings made during nine days of worship at the Dashain Ghar (worship room).

For those seeking an auspicious moment for receiving tika, the Nepal Panchanga Nirnayak Vikas Samiti has announced that 11:36 AM is the most favorable time today.

Since Vijayadashami is inherently an auspicious day, ordinary individuals do not need to seek an exact time for receiving tika, stated the committee’s chairperson, Professor Shree Krishna Adhikari. “However, those involved in state affairs must adhere to the auspicious moment, as it is believed that receiving tika at this time grants them divine energy, blessings, and enthusiasm. Doing so invokes the power of the Goddess,” he explained.

The tika applied on Vijayadashami is consecrated from the sacred Kalash (vessel) established on the first day of Ghatasthapana. The festival, celebrated on the tenth day of the waxing moon in the month of Ashwin, involves joyous rituals, with family members receiving tika and jamara as blessings from Durga Bhavani.

For those unable to partake today, tika can still be received from elders until Kojagrat Purnima. The Samiti has also indicated that the proper time for bidding farewell to the goddess worshipped since Ghatasthapana is 8:33 AM this morning.

Direction of Facing: Receiver to the East, Giver to the West

On Vijayadashami, as the moon is positioned in Capricorn, people receiving tika should face east, as advised by Dr. Devmani Bhattarai, a member of the committee and an expert in religious scriptures. When one faces east, the moon is positioned on the right side, which is considered auspicious.

Dr. Bhattarai further explained that the direction in which both the giver and receiver of tika face will vary until Kojagrat Purnima, depending on the moon’s position in various zodiac signs.

From today until Purnima, those receiving tika as a blessing from elders will also wear jamara—yellow grass sprouted during Ghatasthapana—which symbolizes prosperity.

Scientifically, it has been proven that jamara can act as a medicinal herb, offering various health benefits. Given the current spread of dengue in many districts of Nepal, Ayurvedic doctors suggest that consuming jamara juice can help boost immunity.

Before receiving tika and blessings, people are traditionally sprinkled with water from the Kalash, established during Ghatasthapana, as it is believed to bring peace throughout the year. Vijayadashami, the most significant day of Dashain, represents the triumph of truth over falsehood and divine power over demonic forces.

According to religious belief, Lord Ram achieved victory over the demon king Ravana, symbolizing evil, on this day during the Treta Yuga. This is why Vijayadashami is celebrated as a day of triumph.

Today, people receive tika, jamara, and blessings from their gurus, priests, grandparents, parents, and elders, wishing for success, prosperity, improved capacity for work, and longevity.

In some parts of Nepal, families receive tika and jamara today according to family traditions. However, in most regions, people continue to receive these blessings until Kojagrat Purnima.