Nepal’s Indra Jatra festival begins, linking tourism with art and culture

Kathmandu, Sep 6 (PTI) The biggest festival of Kathmandu Valley, Indra Jatra, began on Saturday with the worshipping of Indra, the King of Heaven, also known as the God of rains.

Nepal President Ramchandra Paudel, Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli, Kathmandu Mayor Balendra Shah and other dignitaries visited Basantapur to observe the festival and offer prayers.

Chariots of living deities Kumari, Bhairav and Ganesh were also pulled at Hanumandhoka, Basantapur and other parts of Kathmandu.

President Paudel amidst a special ceremony worshipped Goddess Kumari and received her blessings as per centuries old tradition.

The eight-day festival starts on Bhadra Shukla Chaturdashi as per the lunar calendar.

On Thursday, two days before the festival, a wooden pole known as Indradhwoja with flags on its top, was erected in Hanumandhoka.

On Sunday, the second day of the festival, known as Yenya Punhi, the Newar community of Kathmandu enjoy a traditional feast consisting mainly of beaten rice, meat, egg, beans and bara, a kind of bread made of black lentil.

In addition to Kathmandu, the festival is also observed in Lalitpur, Bhaktapur, Dhulikhel and Dolakha districts in central Nepal.

During the festival, various cultural items — including Mahakali dance, Lakhe dance, Pulukisi dance and Bhakku dance — are performed and Dasavatar is shown in the core areas of Basantapur and Hanumandhoka complex.

There is a legend behind the Indra Jatra festival. When Indra came to Kathmandu to pick up Parijat, a special flower, for his mother Dakini, riding on his elephant Erawat, he was caught by the local farmers and tied to a tree mistaking him for a thief.

When his mother came in search of him, she found her son tied to a tree. The farmers freed him with the promise to bring rain for a good harvest. The festival is observed recalling the incident.

Pulukishi taken around the city on Indrajatra represents the Erawat elephant.

Besides performing masked dances, chariot processions and typical cultural songs are also performed during the festival.

Meanwhile, the Nepal Tourism Board in collaboration with Nepal Art Council is organising a three-week long ‘Nepal Art and Culture Festival 2025’, coinciding with the Indra Jatra starting from September 5 to promote tourism linking it with the culture of Kathmandu Valley.

President Paudel inaugurated the art and culture festival on Friday.

A variety of programmes, including street dance, food festivals, music shows and art exhibitions are being organised to attract domestic as well as international tourists on the occasion. PTI SBP GSP GSP