Dashain or Bada'dashain, also referred as Vijaya Dashami in Sanskrit, is a major Hindu religious festival in Nepal and the Indian states of Sikkim, West Bengal, Assam, South India, and Sri Lanka.

The festival falls in September or October, starting from the shukla paksha (bright lunar night) of the month of Ashvin and ending on Purnima, the full moon.

For followers of Shaktism, it represents the victory of the goddess Durga over the demon Mahishasura, who had terrorised the devas and usurped their abode of Svarga.

The day of Ghatasthapana is marked with Jhijhiya folk dance across the Mithila (region) of Madhesh Province as the welcome ceremony of Dashain.

Traditionally, on this day, the royal Kalash, banana stalks, jamara, and sugar cane tied with red cloth are brought by Magars from Gorkha, a three-day walk, about 169 kilometres (105 miles) away from the Kathmandu Valley.

Hundreds of government officials gather together in the Tundikhel grounds in conventional formal dress to witness the event.

The king used to observe the ceremony in Tundikhel while the Phulpati parade was headed towards the Hanuman Dhoka royal palace.

Then there is a majestic display of the Nepalese Army along with a celebratory firing of weapons that continues for ten to fifteen minutes honoring Phulpati.

The Phulpati is taken to the Hanuman Dhoka Royal Palace by the time the occasion ends in Tundikhel, where a parade is held.

This is the day when the most fierce of Goddess Durga's manifestations, the Kali, is appeased through the sacrifice of buffaloes, goats, hens, and ducks in temples throughout the nation.

On this day, official ritual sacrifices of the Nepal Armed Forces are held in one of the Hanuman Dhoka royal palaces, the Kot courtyard.

On this occasion, the state offers the sacrifices of buffaloes as a feu de joie, and a 21-gun salute is fired in the background in the presence of the Army Staff.

Artisans, craftsmen, traders, and mechanics worship and offer animal and fowl blood to their tools, equipment, and vehicles.

Elders put this tika and jamara which is sown in the Ghatasthapana on the forehead of younger relatives to bless them with abundance in the coming years.

Elders give "Dakshina", or a small amount of money, to younger relatives at this time along with blessings as they visit.

This continues to be observed for five days till the full moon during which period families and relatives visit each other to exchange gifts and greetings.

On this day, it is customary to wake up early in the morning and start fasting till evening, after washing and wearing clean clothes.

[24] Animal sacrifices are often the norm during this time, as the festival commemorates the bloody battles between the "divine" and "demonic" powers.

Malashree dhoon is one of the oldest surviving devotional music of Newa art form, with its origin in the 17th century.

While putting tika to the younger family members or relatives, the elder people usually recite special Sanskrit mantras as a blessing.

[28] Jayanti Maṅgalā Kālī Bhadrakālī Kapālinī Durgā Kṣamā Śivā Dhātrī Svāhā Svadhā NamokastuteI bow before thee, who exists in various forms as Jayanti, Mangalā, Kāli, Bhadrakāli, Kapalini, Durgā, Kshāma, Shivā, Dhatri, Svāhā and Svadhā.Alongside these mantra, other blessings for good health and fortune are also given.

Riding kites has been a very important part of celebrating Dashain in the country, as it is considered to be one way of reminding God not to send rain anymore.

[29] While children are busy flying kites during Dashain, the older members of the family pass their time by getting together and playing cards with each other for money and fun.

[30] These swings are constructed by community members with traditional methods which use ropes made from tough grass, bamboo sticks and wood, etc.

The King of Bhutan offers the Dashain Tika to the representatives of the Hindu Community at the Devi Panchayan Mandir in Thimphu every year.

[37] On the other hand, the Nepalese people from Nepal working in India, return en masse during festival causing congestion in border areas.

Animal sacrifices are not done as much as they are in Nepal which is presumably due to the size of nepali population in the country.They offer Tika to ex-King of Burma as a tradition.

Driven by the belief that offerings of fresh blood will appease goddess Durga, scores of animals and birds are ritually slaughtered especially in the eighth and ninth day of the festival.

On 3 October 2016, renowned Nepali comedian Hari Bansha Acharya wrote a satirical piece on Nepal Saptahik – entitled "Euta Khasiko Aatmakatha" (Autobiography of a Goat) – in light of "horrendous" exploitation inflicted upon animals during the festival.

[47] Dashain has also become controversial in Nepal's current political climate as several indigenous groups (adivasi janajati) argue that festival has been imposed on them by the state.