Dashain is the biggest festival of the year for most Nepalis. It usually falls in late September or October and lasts fifteen days. Offices close, buses fill up, and Kathmandu empties as people travel to their home villages. Food, family and blessings are at the centre of it all.
What Dashain celebrates
Dashain marks the victory of the goddess Durga over the demon Mahishasura, a story of good overcoming evil. The most important day is Vijaya Dashami, when elders place tika (a mix of red powder, yoghurt and rice) and jamara (young barley shoots) on the foreheads of younger family members and give their blessings.
Food at the heart of the festival
Mutton
For many families, Dashain is the time of year for goat meat. Markets fill with goats in the days before the festival, and households prepare mutton curry, fried mutton and other meat dishes to share with visiting relatives.
A full table
Visitors come and go throughout the day of tika and after. Hosts serve rice, curries, pickles, beaten rice, sweets and fruit. Nobody leaves hungry.
Chyangra in the mountains
In some regions, especially those with links to Mustang and Dolpa, chyangra (mountain goat) is a Dashain speciality. Herds are brought down to Kathmandu before the festival, and dried chyangra meat, called chyangra sukuti, is prized. Read more in our chyangra sukuti guide.
Dashain in Thamel
Kathmandu becomes quieter during the main days of Dashain as many residents travel home. For visitors, it is a special time to experience the city, see families in their festival clothes and taste the food of the season.
A festival meal at Thulo Thakali
If you cannot be with family, or you are visiting Nepal during Dashain, a mutton set is the closest thing to a festival plate. Our Thulo Thakali Mutton Set is the dish locals most often order for a celebration.
Planning a family meal? Reserve a table and tell us about the occasion, and check our opening hours before you come, since they can change around the main festival days.
