The dabalis and streets are already filled with vigorous music and dance signifying the festive mood of Indra Jatra in Kathmandu. The historical city comes alive with different gods and goddesses every year during this festive season.
Every year on Bhadra Shukla Dwitiya (the second day of the bright fortnight of Bhadra) the locals from Newa community goes for Banayatra. The Banayatra this year was held on August 25, which is the auspicious time for cutting the tree for the Lingo (pole) for the Indradhwajotthan (erection of Indra’s pole).
After that, there comes the ritual of Nagar Pravesh, which means entry in the city, is the act of bringing the Lingo from Bhotahiti to Hanuman Dokha.
This Thursday on September 4, at the precise moment of 10:31 am, the city will hold its breath. As the clock ticks to that auspicious second, the ceremonial pole, the Lingo, will begin its ascent towards the heavens, marking the commencement of the eight-day Indra Jatra; Kathmandu’s most storied and spectacular festival.
Tapestry woven from myth, devotion and tradition
This is not merely a festival; it is a living, breathing tapestry woven from myth, devotion, and unbroken tradition since historical time. It is the time where gods walk among mortals, a living goddess is paraded in a towering chariot, and the nation’s highest leaders bow their heads in reverence.
The story, whispered through generations, begins with a god in distress. Lord Indra, the king of heavens, descended to earth in human disguise to fetch the rare ‘parijat’ flower for his mother’s rituals. But upon picking the bloom, he was captured by the locals of Kathmandu.
His mother, the grief-stricken Dagini, later descended, searching for her son with tears in her eyes and his mighty elephant, Airawat, by her side. The festival is a vibrant re-enactment of this divine quest; a tale of misunderstanding, a mother’s love, and ultimate liberation.
“The erection of the Indradhwaj is the opening act of this divine play,” explains a member of the festival coordination committee. “It is done with precise Vedic rituals on Bhadra Shukla Dwadashi. It signals that the stage is set, the gods have arrived, and the city is now a theater for the sacred.”
The main day of Indra Jatra
The festival’s crescendo arrives on the main day, Bhadra Shukla Chaturdashi, which is on September 6. This is when the capital transforms. The narrow, winding streets of Khwone Tol (lower area) echo with the rhythms of traditional bands and the fervent chants of “Jai Indra!” But the true centerpiece of the day, and indeed the entire festival, is the Kumari Jatra.
A young pre-pubescent girl, chosen as the living embodiment of the goddess Taleju, emerges from her secluded palace. The Kumari, adorned in red and gold, with a fiery “third eye” painted on her forehead, is escorted to a massive wooden chariot. From this lofty perch, she will bestow blessings upon the city. Route on the first day or Kwaneyā (downtown procession) begins from Basantapur and follows through Maru-Chikanmugal-Jaisidewal-Lagan-Brahma Marga-Wonde-Hyumat-Kohity-Bhimsensthan-Maru-Basantapur.
In a powerful display of the festival’s significance to the nation’s identity, the Head of State and the Head of Government, along with a host of dignitaries, gather to observe the Kumari’s procession a tradition that seamlessly blends the sacred with the secular, the celestial with the temporal.
The processions
The procession continues over the next two days, charting a course through the historic heart of the city. On Sunday, September 7, the chariot journeys through the Thane Tol (Upper area). The procession begins from Basantapur and proceeds to Pyaphal-Yetkha-Nardevi-Tengal-Nhyokha-Nhyakan Tole-Asan-Kel Tole-Indra Chok-Makhan and back to Basantapur. Notably, the committee has declared this a moment of pure celebration, unbound by the need for an auspicious hour.
The following Thursday, on September 11, sees the Nanicha Yatra, the midtown procession, which since 2012 has taken on a powerful new tradition: the chariots are pulled solely by women devotees, their strength and devotion propelling the goddess forward. The procession starts from Basantapur and then to Pyaphal-Yetkha-Nardevi-Kilagal-Bhedasing-Indra Chok-Makhan and back to Basantapur.
As the eight days draw to a close, the cycle completes itself under the cloak of night. On Ashwin Krishna Chaturthi, at 10:32 pm, the auspicious time for ‘Indradhwaj Patan’ arrives. The same Lingo that was raised with such ceremony is gently lowered, symbolising the departure of the deities.
In a final, poignant ritual, President Ramchandra Paudel will approach the Kumari. He will bow, and from her hands, he will receive “Tika” and “Prasad”; a divine offering from the goddess to the head of state. It is a moment that encapsulates the soul of Nepal: a modern republic forever cradled in the palm of its ancient gods.
For 17 days, the line between myth and reality blurs. The air crackles with a magic that is uniquely Kathmandu’s, a promise that the gods are still listening, and that tradition, like the chariot’s wheels, continues to roll forward, forever.
