Kathmandu — The festival of Chaite Dashain, observed every year on the eighth day (Ashtami) of the bright fortnight of the month of Chaitra, is being celebrated today with the पूजा and devotion of Goddess Navadurga Bhagwati.
During Chaite Dashain, both Ashtami and Navami hold special significance. While Ashtami marks the main festival day, Navami is celebrated as Ram Navami, commemorating the birth of Lord Rama, believed to have been born in the Treta Yuga as the son of King Dasharatha and Queen Kaushalya of Ayodhya.
Similar to the major Dashain festival, Chaite Dashain is also a time for family gatherings and religious observances.
In the Kathmandu Valley, special worship is performed at temples and shrines such as Guhyeshwari Temple, Jay Bageshwari Temple, Maitidevi Temple, Naxal Bhagwati Temple, Bhadrakali Temple, Shobha Bhagwati Temple, Kalikasthan Temple, and Bajrabarahi (Bajrayogini) Temple, as well as other sacred sites across the country.
There is a strong religious belief that offering prayers and visiting these Shakti Peeths grants spiritual strength and fulfills devotees’ wishes.
Traditionally, special पूजा is also performed on this occasion at the Dashain Ghar inside Hanuman Dhoka Durbar, continuing a practice that dates back to ancient times.
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