Kathmandu. Badasain, the great festival of Nepali which starts every year from Ashwin Shukla Pratipada, has started from today Sunday. This festival is celebrated with great pomp for 15 days till Ashwin Shukla Purnima. On the first day of Badadasain, Ghatasthapana is performed in every house with the installation of lamp, Kalash and Ganesha. In the Pooja room or Dasain house, the Puja begins with the invocation of Goddess Durga, the ruler of power, according to Vedic rituals.

On this morning, after finishing daily rituals, sand or soil is brought from a nearby river or a suitable place, covered with cow dung and placed in the pooja room or Dasain house in a formal manner, and yaw (barley) is planted on it. This action is also known as putting up a jamara. As the yaw sprout is a favorite object of Goddess Durga, today yam is planted and offered to Durga on the day of Vijayadashami.

Prof. Dr. Ramchandra Gautam, a theologian and former chairman of the Nepal Panchang Adjudicatory Development Committee, said that there is no classical method of planting other grains in Jamra except barley. According to the tradition, some have planted other crops along with barley. Jamra is also used in Ayurvedic medicine.

At 11:47 a.m. at Ghatasthapana

Today is also known as Ghatasthapana, because the worship of Shaktiswarupa Durga is performed on the same day after the installation of a Ghat or Ghada. On the day of Vijayadashami, the Prasad of Goddess Durga is accepted by anointing the water of the complete pot that is installed today.