Dashain is finally here and we all have plans as to how to fill all the free hours we shall soon have at our disposal. While some of us want to relax and just be lazy, quite a few of us will utilize this time to travel or catch up with friends and relatives.
The Week asked some of our beloved celebrities about their Dashain plans. Here’s what they had to say.
Shrinkhala Khatiwada
Miss Nepal World 2018
Dashain has always been a very important occasion for me. The weather is great, the festive vibes fill everyone with happiness and joy, and the food is always exceptionally tasty. However, this year, as Dashain is right before Miss World, I will be very busy with preparations for that. I have to get dresses, performances, etc, all ready during this holiday. Sadly, I’ll barely have time to receive tika and blessings from my elders. Not only this, since most of my relatives from my generation are all abroad it makes Dashain feel a bit different than it did when I was younger and everyone was around.
Amrit Gurung
Vocalist, Nepathya
Holiday happiness
Everyone has their own variations of celebrating Dashain. Mine is traveling. When I was young, Dashain meant new clothes, running through the fields with friends, dipping fingers in tubs of butter and flying kites. Now, not so much. I think old age does that to you. This year will be more traveling. I’m excited to travel to the rural parts of Nepal and meet up with friends and family. There are too many places I have yet to see. I’ll try to have fun, but in a very non-traditional way. I’m excited about Dashain but not in the way I used to be.
Sanjog Koirala
Actor/ Producer/ Entrepreneur
When I was younger, Dashain was all about flying kites, receiving dakshina, and being around family members. But, now, Dashain for me is like a retreat. I spend the first initial days of Dashain with my family and then I spend time with my friends. Last year we traveled to Rara, so maybe this year we might go to Mustang, I’m not sure yet. Basically, Dashain is like a holiday these days, and is about having some time off and being free from work. I believe in these aspects the experiences you have during Dashain changes as you grow older, having different perks and objectives.
Dayahang Rai
Actor
To be honest, the main reason why I enjoy Dashain is because I get a lot of off-days. I’m very busy 24/7 throughout the year otherwise. So I really enjoy these days when I get to sleep in and just be lazy. But, unfortunately, this year I just get about a week off and then I have to get back to shooting for an upcoming project. I’m a little sad that I can’t go to my village this year and can’t meet my parents. A fun fact people might not know about me is that I’ve never received tika in my entire life.
Kengal Meher Shrestha
Singer
Dashain is one of my favorite times of the year. I really like the vibes I get from the people around me and the atmosphere in general during this time. It’s the longest holidays Nepalis get and probably the only time everyone is free of work or school-related responsibilities. Every year, my family and all of my close relatives (from my mother’s side) get together at one of the family member’s house and have loads of fun together. I was very busy this past year and haven’t met my extended family for quite some time now. Also, if the filming for my upcoming song works on schedule I will release a new song before Dashain so I am excited about that too.
Sanup Paudel
Singer
This Dashain will be different from the previous years. I always used to go home to Gaidakot. I love going back home, as the fresh, clean air and the greenery always make me feel at peace. But, this year, I have a lot of shows going on, so I will not be able to celebrate Dashain with my family from the beginning. I will only return home after I’m done with all my shows. I never gamble, eat mutton as I’m a vegetarian, and will not be putting tika. So, this break, I will do nothing in particular, and just unwind, relax, and meet up with a few friends and family at the most.
Erina Tamrakar
Artist
For me, getting blessings and putting tika is the highlight of Dashain. I’m very religious and all these little tidbits that are religiously important hold a lot of significance in my life. It is also the longest holiday I get so I use it to unwind and relax. Since I belong to a Newar family, our celebrations are a little different from the usual Dashain celebration. Although we don’t put tikas during the regular days – i.e. from Dashami to Purnima – we hold huge parties about five or six days after Dashain ends. These are always fun to attend. Also, this is the first time I have an ongoing exhibition of my work during Dashain. It is happening in Thamel so all of my evenings will be spent there.
