Dashain
Late Sep–Oct, 15 days ending on the full moon of Ashwin (lunar calendar)
Dashain runs for fifteen days in the lunar month of Ashwin, usually from late September into October, and overlaps with Durga Puja in the plains. It celebrates the goddess Durga's victory over the demon Mahishasura. On the first day, Ghatasthapana, families sow barley seeds in a pot of sand and keep it in a dark corner of the house, where the pale yellow shoots, jamara, grow over the following days.
The heart of the festival is the tenth day, Vijaya Dashami. Elders mix rice, yoghurt and red vermilion into tika, press it on the foreheads of younger family members, tuck jamara behind their ears and give blessings and a little money. People travel long distances to receive tika from grandparents, so buses and jeeps out of Kalimpong are packed in the days before. Bamboo swings called ping go up in some villages for children.
For travellers, Dashain brings both colour and crowds. Durga Puja holidays send Kolkata families to the hills at the same time, so the Puja week is the most expensive of the year. Many shops close on the main days. Plan around it: arrive after Vijaya Dashami and the post-monsoon skies are clear and the hotels empty again. Even then, the festive mood lingers: families visit relatives for days after the main tika day, and jamara stays tucked behind many ears.
How to do it well
- Book rooms and cars for the Puja week by July or August; prices are at their annual peak.
- Shared jeeps fill up with families travelling home before Vijaya Dashami, so start transfer days early.
- If invited to watch a tika ceremony, accept it as a privilege, dress neatly and ask before photographing.
Questions people ask
Good to know
When is Dashain in 2026
In 2026 Dashain's main day, Vijaya Dashami, falls in mid to late October, with Ghatasthapana about nine days earlier. The festival follows the lunar calendar, so exact dates change every year. Check a current Nepali calendar or ask your hotel. The days around Vijaya Dashami are the busiest for travel in the hills.
Is Dashain the same as Durga Puja
They celebrate the same goddess at the same time of year, but the customs differ. In Bengal, Durga Puja centres on pandals and idols carried to rivers on the last day. In Nepali homes in Kalimpong and Darjeeling, Dashain centres on jamara barley shoots and receiving tika and blessings from elders on Vijaya Dashami. Both fall in the same week.
Is Kalimpong crowded during Dashain and Puja
Yes. The Durga Puja holidays bring large numbers of visitors from Kolkata and the plains, and local families travel home for Dashain at the same time. Hotels, homestays and cars are at peak rates and often full. Book well ahead, or travel a week after Vijaya Dashami, when clear skies remain and prices drop.
Are shops and taxis open during Dashain in Kalimpong
Most shops close or keep short hours on the main days, especially Vijaya Dashami and the day after. Shared jeeps run but are crowded before the festival and thin out on the tika days. Hotels and homestays stay open. Carry some cash and snacks, and confirm your driver's availability for the main tika day in advance.