We just received some beautiful cards commemorating Bijaya Dashami from our students, and although we have passed the time of the celebration, it seemed an appropriate thing to pass some of them on to all of you.

Bijaya (or Bijay) Dashami is the Sanskrit name for Dashain, or Bada’dashain, which is the biggest and more anticipated religious festival in Nepal. There are versions of this festival celebrated by Hindus in India and in other parts of the world, such as in Bhutan and Myanmar.

This is the longest and most auspicious festival in Nepal, for which a public holiday is declared throughout the country. During this holiday, all schools are closed, so our students had the time off to celebrate. The festival lasts for 15 days, starting on the new moon and ending on the full moon. This year the festival started on September 26 and ran until the 9th of October. During this 15-day period, the 1st, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10 th and 15th days are the most important.

For some Hindu groups Dashami represents the victory of the goddess Durga over the demon Mahishasura, who had caused great havoc in the world. Other Hindu groups commemorate the ancient, mythic battles between different gods and demons during Dashami, but ultimately, the festival celebrates the victory of good over evil.

No matter what traditions one comes from in one’s beliefs and history, it’s never a bad thing to celebrate the victory of good over evil, so we wanted you to benefit from the best wishes of our students as well!

We are so very thankful for your help in making it possible for all these young women succeed in life. More importantly, because of your help, these students believe they can succeed. That, to us, is the most important thing of all. With all our help, we can vanquish the forces that would stop these women from living the best lives they can. Even if it’s only for a few young women, the ripples spread out and evil can be vanquished. Our own little Bijaya Dashami, every single day.

We wish you a very Happy Thanksgiving.

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  Amrita's card to us for Bijaya Dashami

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  Amrita's card to us for Bijaya Dashami

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  Sumira's card for Bijaya Dashami

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  From Roshani

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  From Khusbu

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  Khusbu's card