Ghatasthapana marked at Hanuman Dhoka as Dashain begins (Pictures)

Nabin Babu Gurung

Kathmandu, Oct 15

This year’s Dashain, the biggest and longest festival of Nepali Hindus, began with Ghatasthapana on Sunday.

Ghatasthapana was marked according to Vedic rituals amid a special ceremony at the Dashain Ghar in Hanuman Dhoka of Kathmandu by worshiping Goddess Durga and sowing barley seeds to prepare jamara (barley shoots). The auspicious time for observing Ghatasthapana was 11:39 AM.

A band from the Nepal Army played the Mangal Dhun on the occasion.

Ghatasthapana, which marks the beginning of the 15-day Dashain festival, falls on Ashwin Shukla Pratipada, or the first day of the bright fortnight in the month of Ashwin according to the Hindu calendar.

On this day, Hindus place a ghada (pitcher) in their homes and also sow barley seeds in a bed of clean soil and sand to prepare jamara (barley shoots). The jamara is offered along with tika as prasad of Goddess Durga on Bijaya Dashami, the 10th day of Dashain.

Here are some pictures of the Ghatasthapana at Hanuman Dhoka.