Generally, giving Tika blesses someone with good luck, but during Dashain, it carries much more love and significance than any other time in the year.
In Hindu mythology, many different stories boast the triumph of the all-powerful goddess Durga over evil. Each form Durga takes on has a different title, such as the Divine Mother of the Universe, the Terrible Destructress or the Divine Protectress of Nepal. She is also associated with military prowess and if satisfied with generous offerings of blood, she is compassionate, forgiving and all protecting. If angered by neglect, though, Durga would cause terrible disease, evils and misfortune to afflict those people. These sacrifices are preferably black, uncastrated males, especially water buffaloes, because they resemble the buffalo demon she killed long before. These goddesses also wear the Tika as a symbol of victory and power. Other forms of Durga include the Divine Instrument of Locomotion and the Great Carpenter, so people give prayers to all vehicles and implements of all professions in the hopes that Durga will grant those things perfection in use.
Absolutely! All of these traditions interact with the surrounding environment. For the months leading up to Dashain, herders breed huge flocks of animals all over the country to be eaten for a few specific days. Without the vast fields and the largely agricultural and livestock-centered lifestyle in Nepal, this tradition would cease to exist. Then, for the Tika and all other worship rituals, or puja, much of what is needed grows in people’s fields.
