My black Dashain ‘tika’

It’s a symbolic protest against the anti-Dalit rituals and customs.

Many Nepalis may still be in a holiday mood as Dashain, the country’s most significant Hindu festival with the longest holiday, is just over. The importance of Dashain for Nepalis living in and out of the country cannot be exaggerated. Actually, Dashain is not a pan-Hindu affair; however, over the years, high-caste hill rulers have constructed it—specifically the red tika —as a powerful symbol of national and cultural identity.