Indrajatra festival celebrated in Kathmandu

KATHMANDU: The Indrajatra festival was celebrated with great fanfare and rejoicing at Basantapur in Kathmandu on Friday. Thousands of devotees and visitors lined up in the inner Newari settlements of Kathmandu for the main festivities.

President Ram Chandra Paudel, Vice President Ramsahaya Prasad Yadav, Acting Prime Minister Dr. Swarnim Wagle, Chief Justice Manoj Kumar Sharma, Speaker Dol Prasad Aryal and National Assembly Chairman Narayan Prasad Dahal were among those who attended the celebrations.

Ministers, lawmakers, provincial assembly members, heads of constitutional bodies, chiefs and representatives of diplomatic missions in Nepal and local government representatives also gathered at Basantapur to observe the festival.

On the occasion, President Paudel offered dakshina to the chariots of Sri Ganesh, Sri Bhairav and Sri Kumari and gave permission for the chariot procession to begin. The chariots were subsequently pulled through the designated routes.

The main day of Indrajatra falls on Friday this year. The festival began on Wednesday morning with the ceremonial erection of the Indradhwaj, or ceremonial pole, at the Hanumandhoka Durbar Square. According to the Guthi Sansthan, the chariot procession through the lower parts of the city was held on Friday, while the procession through the upper areas will take place on Saturday.

A special procession known as Nanicha Jatra, in which women exclusively pull the chariots, will be held on Tuesday.

Later that evening, President Paudel will visit Hanumandhoka Durbar and receive tika and prasad from the Kumari, the living goddess. A traditional ceremony in which the head of state exchanges a ceremonial sword with the Kumari is also held on the occasion.

The festival will conclude Tuesday night after the Indradhwaj is lowered. The ceremonial pole will then be taken to the Bagmati River at Teku Dovan and immersed.

Indra Jatra is believed to have begun during the reign of King Pratap Malla, while the tradition of chariot processions began during the time of King Gunakamadev. It is one of the longest-running festivals observed in the Kathmandu Valley.

The festival features a range of traditional dances, musical performances and cultural displays, including Lakhey dance, Dashavatar dance, Mahakali dance, Ramchandra dance and Pulukisi dance.