Vehicle Worship: A Sacred Dashain Tradition

Dashain in Nepal is not just a festival of family gatherings, feasts and tika, but also a time when people worship the vehicles that support their daily journeys throughout the year.

Apart from family gatherings, feasts and fun , people worship the manifestations of Goddess Durga be it in any form.

Hindus on Maha Nawami, which fell on Monday, worshipped their vehicles marking the ninth day of Dashain.

Vehicle worship might be a ritual for the owners but for some, it has also become a source of income.

Traditionally, Hindus perform rituals for their vehicles on Maha Navami, the ninth day of Dashain.

This year, however, many people worshipped their vehicles on Ashtami, the eighth day as well as Navami, due to the extended lunar dates.

Priests at the premises of Bhadrakali Temple in Kathmandu were busy performing vehicle worship.

One priest said he can perform rituals for as many as 12 vehicles on a day, including both two-wheelers and four-wheelers.

There is no fixed fee for the vehicle worship ceremony.

According to priests, people pay according to their own wishes, with offerings generally range from 200 to 500 nepali rupees for two-wheelers and 500 to 2,500 nepali rupees for four-wheelers.

Vehicle owners say they believe the Maha Nawami rituals will bless their vehicles, ensure safer journeys and give them greater confidence behind the wheel.

It makes them feel like some divine energy is protecting and guiding their journey.

The number of four-wheeler users in Nepal has been increasing steadily, contributing to growing demand in the domestic automobile market, according to traders.

Government statistics also point to a significant rise in vehicle imports.

According to the Department of Customs, more than 8,000 four-wheelers and over 66,000 two-wheelers entered Nepal in the past three months.

Electric vehicles accounted for more than 80 percent of the imports, according to the figures provided. Irrespective of the brand or type for the priests Nawami is the day to earn by performing vehicle worship ceremonies.