Indra Jatra, Kathmandu's biggest street festival, concluded on Tuesday night with the Nanicha Yah procession, when women pulled the chariots of Kumari, Ganesh and Bhairav through the old city before the sacred Indradhwaja pole was lowered at Hanuman Dhoka. The eight day celebration ran this year from 23 to 29 September.
The festivals honours Indra, the Hindu god of rain and prosperity and blends ancient Newar rituals with public processions featuring the living goddess Kumari. This year's observance followed the traditional calnedar, with the main chariot day on 25 September and the final women-only procession on 29 September.
Indra Jatra formally began on 23 September with the Yansi Thanegu (Indradhwajotthan) ritual, when a sacred wooden was erected in front of Kalbhairav at Hanuman Dhoka Durbar Square. The pole, cut earlier in the Nala forest and hauled into the city marks the start of the festival and is lowered only on the final night.
The main attraction is the chariot procession of Kumari, the living goddess accompanied by smaller chariots of Ganesh and Bhairav. On 25 September, the chariots were pulled through the lower town (Tallo tole) route, passing key Newar neighbourhoods and markets. A secon procession on 26 September took the chariots through the upper town(Mathillo Tole).
On the final day, 29 September , the Nanicha Yah procession saw only women pulling the three chariots from Basantapur Durbar Square through Pyaphal, Naradevi, Kilagal, Asan, Indra Chowk and Makhan before returning to Basantapur. Traditional musicians accompanied the procession as crowds lined the narrow streets.
After the chariots returned, the Indradhwaja pole was ceremonially lowered in a ritual called Indradhwaja Patan, officially closing the festival. According to tradition, the head of state or a senior representative then visits Gaddi Baithak ko receive blessings and offerings from Kumari, Ganesh and Bhairav.
Traditional beliefs and mythologyIndra Jatra is rooted in a Newar legend about Indra, king of the heavens and god of rain. According to the story, Indra descended to earth in human form to gather parijat flowers for his mother, who was grieving and performing penance. He was captured by locals in Kathmandu and paraded through the streets. When his mother learned of his captivity, she came to the city and Indra was released.
To commemorate this event, the festival enacts Indra's capture and public display. The raised Indradhwaja pole symbolises Indra's banner and victory, while the processions of Kumari, Ganesh and Bhairav represent divine presence moving through the city to bless its inhabitants. The Dagin procession, featuring a masked figure representing Indra's mother searching for her son, is another key ritual that recalls the myth.
The festival also marks the end of the monsoon and the beginning of the autumn festival season. Farmers offer thanks for the harvest, and households display butter lamps and make offerings to deities. Masked dances such as Lakhe, Pulu Kisi which is a white elephant figure and other performances animate the evenings, blending religious devotion with community celebration.
President Ram Chandra Paudel, Vice President Ram Sahaya Prasad Yadav, Acting PM and Finance Minister Dr Swarnim Wagle, Chief Justice Manoj Kumar Sharma, Speaker Dol Prasad Aryal and National Assembly Chairperson Narayan Prasad Dahal attended the Indra Jatra celebrations in Basantapur on 25 September. The dignitaries gathered at Gaddi Baithak in Hanuman Dhoka Durbar Square to observe the main chariot procession. Acting Mayor Dangol, along with local representatives and residents, was present at the Yansi Thanegu (Indradhwajotthan) ritual on 23 September, when the sacred wooden pole was erected in front of Kalbhairav to mark the start of the eight-day festival.
Indra Jatra 2026 concluded on Tuesday, 29 September, with the Nanicha Yah procession and the lowering of the Indradhwaja pole. The festival will next be observed in 2027 according to the lunar calendar, typically falling in September.
