Indra Jatra
September, eight days in the lunar month of Bhadra (lunar calendar)
Indra Jatra honours Indra, the god of rain and king of the heavens, and marks the end of the monsoon. It begins with the raising of a tall wooden pole, the yosin or lingo, in front of Hanuman Dhoka in Kathmandu Durbar Square, after which the old city comes alive with dances and processions. Masked Lakhe dancers whirl through the streets, and images of Indra, bound as a captive according to legend, are displayed on platforms around the city.
The best-known moment is the Kumari Jatra, when the Kumari, a young girl worshipped as the living goddess, leaves her house on Durbar Square and is pulled through the old city in a wooden chariot, accompanied by chariots for Ganesh and Bhairav. On the main day, the head of state receives her blessing in the square. During the festival the great mask of Swet Bhairav near Hanuman Dhoka is uncovered, and rice beer is poured through its mouth to waiting crowds.
For travellers, Indra Jatra is the most accessible of Kathmandu's festivals: it happens in public, in the squares and lanes, and offers dance, music and ritual over several days. Crowds are heavy on the main chariot days, and police close parts of the old city. We book a terrace or upper-floor viewpoint where possible and walk the quieter evening dances with a guide, when the temple platforms are lit and the crowds have thinned.
How to do it well
- Watch the Kumari procession from a reserved rooftop or first-floor window rather than at street level.
- Evenings bring masked dances on temple platforms in Durbar Square, with smaller crowds.
- Leave valuables at the hotel, as the main days draw dense crowds.
Questions travellers ask
Good to know
When is Indra Jatra?
Indra Jatra lasts eight days in the lunar month of Bhadra, usually in September. It begins with the raising of the yosin pole in Kathmandu Durbar Square, and the Kumari chariot processions take place on several days of the festival. Exact dates move each year, so check current status before you travel and we will plan your Kathmandu nights around the procession.
Can you see the Kumari during Indra Jatra?
Yes. Indra Jatra is the main occasion on which the Kumari, Kathmandu's living goddess, appears in public. She is carried from her house on Durbar Square and pulled through the old city in a chariot over several days, and the head of state receives her blessing. Photography of the Kumari is not allowed inside her house, but the procession is public.
Where is the best place to watch Indra Jatra?
Kathmandu Durbar Square and the old-city lanes around Indra Chowk, Asan and Jaisidewal, where the chariots pass. The square becomes extremely crowded on the main days, so we arrange a viewpoint on a terrace or upper floor overlooking the route where possible. Masked dances on the temple platforms in the evenings are easier to watch at close range.
Is Indra Jatra crowded?
Very, on the main chariot days, when tens of thousands of people fill Durbar Square and the old-city streets and police close roads. The other days of the festival are calmer, with dances and rituals that can be watched from close by. Keep valuables at the hotel, stay with your guide, and avoid bringing small children into the densest crowds.
Festival journeys
Routes built around the calendar
