Vijaya Dashami (Devi Visarjan) - Tenth Day of Dashain Festival

Nepalese people celebrate Vijaya Dashami (Bijaya Dashami) on the tenth day of Dashain festival. Vijaya means 'victory' and 'Dashami' means tenth day on the lunar fortnight. So, on this day people commemorate goddess Durga’s victory over demon 'Mahishasura' after a nine day long fight.

Nepalese people celebrate this day by organizing tika ceremonies. They also perform Devi Bisharjan on Vijaya Dashami. All family members gather and wait for the auspicious time to put tika. The time is already defined by the Nepal Panchanga Nirnayak Samiti. People prepare tika with the combination of rice, yogurt, and vermilion ('Abir'). The Buddhist community prepared a white color tika to celebrate this ceremony.

In the morning, people worship Goddess Durga and wear new clothes. As soon as the clock hits auspicious time, the elder member of the family puts tika to the younger one and blesses them. Along with tika, they also give Jamara (grains sewed in Ghatasthapana) and Dakshina ('money'). Once every member receives tika, all of them have their meal together. They spend the remaining day enjoying and visiting relative's houses to put Tika. In different communities of Nepal, People put Dashain tika to their kins till Kojagrat Purnima. This tradition of receiving tika from all senior relatives helps a lot in restoring communal bonds.

Devi Visarjan in Terai Region

Vijaya Dashami also marks the end of navadurga puja. On this day, Nepalese people of Terai region perform Devi Visarjan. In the evening people take Devi to the nearest river and immerse in the water.

Likewise, people of some parts of India also immerse the Durga statue on the tenth day of Dashain. The name that day is Devi Visharjan day of Navratri Festival. They worship nine durga in this festival just like people of Nepal in Dashain Festival.

Celebrating Victory Of Good over Evil

In Nepal people celebrate Dashain festival to commemorate the victory of Durga over Mahisasur. Similarly, the Ramayana and the Mabharat also represent the victory of good over evil.

People of some parts of India commemorate the win of God Ram over Ravana and celebrate Dussehra Festival. For the first nine days of Dussehra they perform an act of Ramayan. On the tenth day, they burn the big idol of Ravana made of hay and the woods.

This day also commemorates a legend from the book of Mahabharata. This legend says, “Pandav hid in Matsya (modern day Biratnagar) when they were on hiatus.” On the final day of their hiding, one million Kuru warriors attacked Matsya. So, Arjun along with prince Uttar fought a war defeating them all. This win of Arjun also symbolises the victory of good against evil.