Dashain in many forms: Muslim leaders take tika in Nepalgunj, Athpahariya community skips Dashain, hill and Tarai tika customs differ

Communities across the country marked Vijayadashami in different ways.

In Nepalgunj, Banke, Muslim community leaders also received Dashain tika and jamara from Hindu elders on Wednesday. Abdul Wahid Mansoori, a central member of the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry, said the two communities celebrate festivals such as Dashain, Tihar, Raksha Bandhan and Holi together. According to him, it is also customary to invite Hindu elders to join Muslim festivals such as Eid, Bakr-Eid and Muharram. Both communities in Nepalgunj have celebrated each other's festivals together for years.

Meanwhile, the Athpahariya community, found only in Dhankuta municipal area, does not celebrate Dashain. According to Ashtaman Athpahariya, chairman of the Kirat Athpahariya Samaj, Dhankuta, the community's history is tied to its defiance of a Rana-era government order making Dashain compulsory.

According to culture expert Ramdayal Rakesh, the practice of applying red tika and jamara as widely seen in the hills is not as common in the Tarai-Madhes. However, the tradition of elders blessing younger family members remains the same in both regions. Rakesh said the core meaning of applying tika is to bless those younger than oneself. In some communities, a white tika made by mixing rice and curd is applied instead.