Bada Dashain concludes with Kojagrat Purnima celebrations

The fifteen-day Bada Dashain festival officially concludes today with the observance of Kojagrat Purnima. Commencing on the day of Ghatasthapana with the planting of sacred jamara, the festival of Durga Paksha reaches its final day on the bright lunar fortnight's full moon. Households across the country mark the occasion by immersing the jamara that was grown at the start of the festival period. Central to the evening rituals is the worship of Mahalakshmi, one of the primary forms of goddess Durga alongside other deities. Following the evening prayers, devotees observe an overnight vigil. According to Ramchandra Gautam, chairperson of the Nepal Panchanga Nirnayaka Samiti, this night-long wakefulness stems from the religious belief that Mahalakshmi travels across the earth during the night and enters homes where people remain awake to bless them with wealth and prosperity. The conclusion of this major cultural period serves as the final day of the festivities that began on Ashwin Shukla Pratipada. With the completion of tonight's rituals and the immersion of the remaining sacred sprouts, the long celebration comes to a close for the year.