Indra Jatra begins (Photo Feature)
Kathmandu: Indra Jatra, one of the major festivals celebrated in Kathmandu, has officially begun.
The festival starts with the hoisting of the lingo — a ceremonial pole with the Indra Dhwaja (flag of Indra) — in front of Hanumandhoka, Basantapur. This year, the lingo was pulled from Bhotahiti and erected at Hanuman Dhoka on Thursday.
The lingo — approximately 32 hands long (a traditional Nepali unit measuring from the elbow to the tip of the middle finger, totaling about 48 feet) — was dragged through the streets at the auspicious time of 9:52 a.m. It was then erected at 10:31 a.m., marking the official beginning of Yenya Punhi, also known as Indra Jatra.
According to historical accounts, the tradition of hoisting the lingo dates back to the reign of King Jaya Prakash Malla. The festival is deeply interwoven with the cultural and spiritual life of Kathmandu’s Newar community.
Indra Jatra is celebrated for eight days with various cultural dances, chariot processions, and the worship of gods and goddesses.
The main day of the festival falls this coming Saturday, when the chariots carrying Ganesh, Bhairav, and the Living Goddess Kumari are taken around the thoroughfares of Kathmandu in a grand procession.
(Glimpses of Indra Dhwaja)
(Photos: Saroj Basnet)
Nepali versio of the photo story
