President Bidya Devi Bhandari is to offer tika and jamara to the members of the general public on the occasion of the Bada Dashain festival on October 19.
The President’s personal joint secretary and priest at the Office of the President Hem Chandra Dhakal gave out this information while initiating the ritual of Ghatasthapana at the President House on Wednesday.
Dhakal said the President will offer tika and jamara to the distinguished persons and the members of the general public coming to the President House to receive the auspicious items of the Bada Dashain festival from the hands of the Head of the State.
The President would be offering tika and jamara at the auspicious hour on the day of the Bijaya Dashami after partaking in the rituals with her family members, Dhakal said.
Meanwhile, President Bhandari has performed the Ghatasthapana rituals at the President House at the auspicious hour of 7:15 am on Wednesday.
On the day of Ghatasthapana, all Nepalis worship Diyo (an oil-fed lamp), Kalas (auspicious jar) and lord Ganesh in accordance with vedic rituals and sow maize and barley seeds in a jar filled with soil and cow dung for germination of the auspicious jamara (barley or maize shoots).
The golden barley shoots and the auspicious tika (a mixture of red vermilion powder, rice grains and curd) are given by parents to their children and by elders to their juniors on the tenth day of the Bada Dashain festival with blessings for peace, progress and prosperity.
The auspicious hour for receiving Tika this year is 9:51 am on October 19, according to the Nepal Calendar Determination Committee Chair, Dr Ram Chandra Gautam.
