Volunteers Celebrate Dashain And Tihar Festivals In Nepal

Our volunteers had a fantastic time celebrating the “Dashain” & “Tihar” festivals! It was an amazing Nepali experience that we were extremely happy to celebrate with our volunteers. Everyone joined in to celebrate with family members, staff members and locals. It was a colorful event and one which we hope more volunteers can experience in the future. Below are many photos to show you the event.

The Significance of the Festivals

Dashain is the major National festival of Nepal. It is celebrated throughout the country and lasts for fifteen days. Tihar, also known as the festival of lights is celebrated 2 weeks after Dashain. It shows reverence to the humans and the gods, but also to animals such as, crows, cows, and dogs that maintain intimate relationships with humans. People make patterns on the floor of their living rooms or courtyards to celebrate. They use materials such as colored rice, dry flour, colored sand or flower petals outside of their house. Mandala is the name of these creations. It represents a sacred welcoming area for the Gods and Goddesses of Hinduism, primarily Goddess Laxmi. On the last day, brothers are greeted and blessed by the sisters.

The most exotic and dazzling festival “Tihar” came to an end after five magnificent days of worship and honour. We are already counting the days until the next celebration!

Your Volunteer Experience

At VSN, we care about our volunteers. We want to use your skills in the best way possible, but we also want you to have fun. If you would like to arrange your volunteer at the same time as a festival, send us a message and we can inform you of the best time to come to Nepal!

Follow this link for another festival celebrated by volunteers in Nepal!

You can find out more about volunteering in Nepal, here https://www.volunteersocietynepal.org/placements/