File
Kathmandu, April 10
One of the most famous and oldest festivals in Kathmandu Valley, the Bisket Jatra, commences in Bhaktapur today.
The festival, which will be celebrated for eight nights and nine days, starts after devotees bring the Bhairavnath chariot in front of the square outside the Nyatapola temple at Taumadi Bhaktapur. The statues of the Bhairavnath and Betaal will be kept inside the three-story chariot built in pagoda style.
ive ropes will be tied in the front part of the chariot while four ropes will be set up at the rear side. The devotees will tug at the ropes from both ends to take it to their part of neighbourhood. The side able to pull the chariot to their quarter of the town will be viewed as the victors.
Meanwhile, preparations are being made to start the chariot-pulling during the daytime this year to avoid possible clashes among the devotees.
Metropolitan Police Range Office, Bhaktapur Superintendent of Police (SP), Kiran Rana, said security has been beefed up in view of possible clashes. Every year people die after being crushed by the wheels of the chariot.
