Indra Jatra begins [Photos]

KATHMANDU: SEPT. 18 – In the Durbar area of ​​Hanuman Dhoka, a Lingo (a pole) has been raised in the name of Indra, the god of rain and contemporaries. The Lingo of Indra Jatra was held on the site provided by the Nepal Panchang Adjudicating Committee at 6:51 am this morning, said Sandeep Khanal, head of the office at Hanumandhoka Durbar Care Center. Although the main procession will be on Sunday, dances of various deities will start from today, he said.

Devraj Aryal, the chief priest of the office, performed ritual worship and incense at the auspicious site. On the occasion, Shardul Jung Gulm (Guruju’s platoon) of the Nepal Army performed a Mars tune with a slow instrument. Along with Lingo, the Devi dance has also been performed in the morning at the Basantapur Durbar area. From today till September 24, more than 19 different types of dances are also performed in Basantapur area.

There is a tradition of performing dances on the occasion of Indra Jatra in Basantapur Durbar area from different places of the valley including Bhaktapur and Halchowk. After raising the Lingo, on the main day of the procession, on Sunday, Kumari is taken to the Tallo tole. The Mathillo Tole Yatra is scheduled to be held on September 20. Nanicha Yatra will be held on September 24. On the same day, at 10:36 pm, there is a site where the Lingo falls. Thus, the 15-day long Indra Jatra program is concluded.

The Jatra was postponed last year due to the coronavirus epidemic. Hari Prasad Subedi, head of the Kathmandu office of Guthi Sansthan, informed that the meeting of the concerned bodies is going to be held this year with minimum attendance following the health standards. Chariot repairs of Sriganesha, Shree Bhairava ​​and Shree Kumari have been completed in preparation for the procession. It is said that President Bidhya Devi Bhandari is scheduled to visit Basantapur Durbar on September 19, the main day of Indra Jatra.

The Indra Jatra program started at 10:52 am on Wednesday the September 8. On the same day, at 7:27 pm, a tree was cut down for Lingo. Shrikrishna Adhikari, chairman of all the sites, including cutting down trees for Lingo, gave information. The Lingo town was entered from Bhotahiti at 10:34 am on September 14.

Religious Beliefs

There are various sayings about the beginning of Indra Jatra. According to a saying, as the rains have been completed and the crops have been planted, it is believed that dances of various deities will be performed along with the procession to wish for an end to the rains, said Aryal, the chief priest of Hanuman Dhoka.

According to another saying, the Indra Jatra tradition is said to have started when the king of the heavens, Indra, was caught on earth when he came to the earth to collect the flowers of Parijat and the leaves of Karkala (taro plant) for his mother’s fast.

It is believed that Indra Jatra has been celebrated as a symbol of victory since ancient times. Kumari Jatra has also been performed in Indrajatra since ancient times. It was customary to ride in a chariot together during the Malla King. After the conquest of Kathmandu by Prithvi Narayan Shah, the tradition of prostration has started.

In ancient times, India used to perform Indra Jatra all year round, but this tradition has been broken in places where Muslims have invaded. As Nepal is not under the control of external forces, it is believed that this tradition has been going on continuously since the Vedic period. Modern history mentions that Indrajatra started only from the Malla’s period in various texts.

Indra Jatra, which is performed on Bhadra Shukla Ekadashi till the Malla period, has been performed on Bhadra Shukla Dwadashi since the Shah period. It is mentioned in the history book that even after the conquest of Kathmandu by Prithvi Narayan Shah, this tradition was continued by assimilating the culture here.

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