Festival · Kathmandu, Nepal
Indra Jatra, Kathmandu
Kathmandu's biggest street festival marks the end of the monsoon. A tall wooden pole is raised outside Hanuman Dhoka, masked Lakhey dancers work the lanes, the Seto Bhairav mask is uncovered, and the living goddess Kumari rides through the old city in a wooden chariot.
Photo: Manjari Shrestha · CC BY 2.0 · CommonsIndra Jatra belongs to the Newars of Kathmandu and honours Indra, the Vedic king of the gods and bringer of rain, at the moment the monsoon ends and the rice is ripening. It opens with the raising of the yosin, a long wooden pole brought from the forest and set upright in front of the old palace at Hanuman Dhoka. A banner of Indra hangs from it for the length of the festival, and its lowering on the last night closes the celebration.
The part most visitors come for is Kumari Jatra. The Kumari, a young Newar girl worshipped as a living goddess, leaves the Kumari Ghar on Durbar Square and is pulled through the old city in a wooden chariot, followed by smaller chariots carrying boys who represent Ganesh and Bhairav. The chariot procession was added to Indra Jatra in the eighteenth century under Jaya Prakash Malla, the last Malla king of Kathmandu. The routes change on different days, covering the lower, upper and middle parts of the old town.
Around the processions, Durbar Square becomes a stage. Masked dancers perform each evening, the red-faced Lakhey demon dances through the lanes, and the large gilded mask of Seto (White) Bhairav near Hanuman Dhoka is uncovered for the festival days. The Nepali head of state traditionally attends on the main day to receive a tika from the Kumari. Dates follow the lunar calendar and processions run late; check current status before you travel.
Tips for the day
- Find a step or a terrace café on Durbar Square at least an hour before the chariot leaves; the crowd packs in fast.
- Do not use flash on the Kumari or her chariot, and do not try to touch it or block its path.
- Buy the Durbar Square ticket in advance or keep your SAARC ID handy; checks continue through the festival.
Where it happens
Kathmandu
Kathmandu is Nepal's capital and the start of most trips, at about 1,400 m in the Kathmandu valley. Give it two or three nights: Durbar Square and the Kumari, the stupas of Swayambhunath and Boudhanath, and Pashupatinath on the Bagmati. Stay in Thamel for budget and trek logistics, or Battisputali for Dwarika's.
Stay nearby
Photo: Gerd Eichmann · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
Budget
Zostel Kathmandu
The Indian hostel chain's Kathmandu property, down a quiet alley off Paknajol Marg a few minutes' walk from Thamel…
Photo: Christopher J. Fynn · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
Mid
Kathmandu Guest House (KGH Thamel)
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Questions
About Indra Jatra, Kathmandu
When is Indra Jatra held?
Indra Jatra follows the Newar lunar calendar and usually falls in September, lasting about eight days around the full moon of the month of Yenla. The pole-raising opens it and the main Kumari chariot day follows a few days later. Exact dates move each year, so check current status before you travel and book a room near Durbar Square early.
Where is the best place to watch the Kumari chariot?
Kathmandu Durbar Square, near the Kumari Ghar and Hanuman Dhoka, where the chariot procession begins. Rooftop cafés around the square sell seats or charge high minimum spends on the main day. Arrive at least an hour early, keep valuables in a front pocket and stay out of the chariot's path, because the wheels do not stop for spectators.
Is Indra Jatra safe for families and solo women?
Yes, it is a family festival and very public, but the crowds on the main evening are dense. Keep children close and agree a meeting point. Solo women are generally fine in the square; as in any big crowd, stay near families and stalls, avoid the tightest pushes near the chariot and leave by the wider lanes towards New Road.
Do I need a ticket for Kathmandu Durbar Square during the festival?
Yes, the Durbar Square heritage entry fee applies to tourists through the year, including festival days. SAARC nationals, including Indians, pay a lower rate than other foreigners on showing ID. Fees are revised from time to time, so check current status before you travel and keep your ticket with you for re-entry.