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Festivals of Nepal

Indra Jatra

Homage to Indra, the "King of the abode of the Gods" Dedication to Bhairav , the terrifying representation of Shiva and protector of Kathmandu. Homage to the deceased and to Dagini, Indra's mother. Consecration of the Royal Kumari for another year. Commemoration of Kathmandu's conquest by Prithvi Narayan the Great in 1768 A very complex festival indeed !

Once upon a time, Dagini, Indra's mother was unable to pick a certain white flower called "Parijat" she needed to perform a given puja. So she requested her son to fetch some on earth, below, where there were plenty. Indra disguised himself as an ordinary farmer, wrapped himself in a cloud and landed on Earth. He found the flowers but he was caught "red-handed" by the owner of the meadow. He was put in fetters and kept as a prisoner in a certain house in Kathmandu. Dagini, anxious not to see her son return to heaven, went down herself to Earth and made herself known to the people she met. Now that it became dear that Indra was their prisoner, he was immediately released. And as a token of gratitude, Dagini promised to spread enough dew over the Valley during the winter-months to ensure a rich crop. The other promise she made was to take to heaven all those who had passed away that same year.

The legend explains, at least in part, the various stages of the festival: exuberant rejoicing for having succeeded in capturing nonless than the "King of the Gods", homage paid to Dagini and the deceased. 

Referring to the Living Goddess, "Kumari".
Jaya Prakash Malla, the last King of Kathmandu (1736-1768) loved to play dice with Goddess Taleju. One day, fascinated by the Goddess' beauty, the King was about to forget she was not an ordinary human being. Taleju immediately rushed away from him, swearing that she would never take again a human shape when and where the king could see her. But during the same night, she appeared to the King in a dream, warned him that his dynasty was nearing its end, adding that she would forget his insult and avert the threat to his throne if he would find a Newari girl in whom she, Taleju, would incarnate herself. Furthermore, she made the King promise to build a splendid Palace where this girl - herself in fact - would henceforth live. Finally, once a year, the King should personally pay homage to her. Jaya Prakash Malla agreed on all points. Nevertheless, Taleju's prediction proved true since it was precisely during the very festival of Indra Jatra, on Sept. 25th, 1786 that Prithvi Narayan Shah conquered Kathmandu and compelled Jaya Prakash to abandon his throne, thus putting an end to the Malla dynasty that had reigned over the Valley for more than five centuries.

What happens: On the eighth day of the clear fortnight of Bhadra, a huge tree is carried from Tundikhel, Kathmandu's parade-ground, to Hanuman Dhoka square, close to the old Royal Palace.

This tree has not been selected at random: One year before the beginning of the festival, it stood in a specific forest, miles away. A sacred goat was let loose there and the on lookers watched against which tree this goat would rub its flank. Thus, the tree was identified felled and carried away. The goat was sacrificed at once as an offering to Indra. Once the tree reached Hanuman Dhoka, another goat, sometimes a rooster, would be sacrificed and the blood poured in the hole prepared to receive the thick end of the post.

Now, while it is still lying on the pavement, devotees prostrate themselves and touch the wood with their forehead. This marks the beginning of the festival. Images of Indra, carved in wood, copper or brass, even crudely painted on paper, are displayed everywhere. He is always represented with threads and strings - symbol of being a prisoner. At the foot of the pole, a priest places a box containing a small gold statue of an elephant, Indra's mount.

At the precise moment determined by astrologers, men start hoisting the pole - which in essence, symbolizes too a Shiva's lingam.

Once the post is set up, roosters and goats are sacrificed, while the crowd shouts "Indra with us", a petition for a prosperous year.

Simultaneously, Bhairav, one of the Valley's patron-deity comes to sight. The wooden lattice screen that concealed his huge mask during the whole year, is suddenly thrown open Urchins climb up to his golden face while men and women throw rice-grains and flower-petals 7'' at him. A wooden duct sticks out of its half-open mouth and held by its protruding fangs.

On the eve of the festival, three golden chariots stand ready along the northern side of Basantpur Square, close to the Living Goddess' house.

On Indra's first day, at around 11 am, women and children start taking place - assaulting would be the better word - on the steps of all surrounding temples. The sight of this extraordinary colorful gathering that makes the temples look as if draped in bright red, t. golden and blue skirts is really unforgettable.

Teams of especially designated men and boys are busy giving the chariot's decorations ^ their finishing touch. The larger chariot will carry the Living Goddess, the smaller ones, Bhairav and Ganesh.

Around 1 PM. the whole area on and around Hanuman Dhoka will be crammed with people. Policemen prevent onlookers from proceeding further and, in particular, approaching too closely the Royal Palace's neo-Greek facade called Gaddhi Baithak. But foreign visitors especially if in groups and carrying cameras, will be allowed to reach certain spots which are - in theory - reserved for them, facing the balcony.

At the "auspicious" moment ascertained by astrologers (usually between 2 and 4 p.m.); the first act takes place: two men will be seen coming out of the Kumari's house. They help two boys - dressed in girl's clothes, their faces covered with make-up - to hoist themselves onto their respective chariots. For they act as Bhairav and Ganesh, the Kumari's "attendants".

A few moments later, the Royal Kumari herself appears through the same narrow door next to her Palace. If a servant spreads in front of her a long piece of immaculate white cotton serving as a carpet leading to her chariot, the Kumari may walk this short distance; if not, she will be carried, for under no circumstance should she get "soiled" by touching with her feet the dirt of the street ! She wears a red velvet blouse, a very elaborate hair-do [ and a golden crown on top. Impossible to describe all her necklaces, ornaments, bracelets and other jewelry. Her forehead is almost entirely covered by a thick layer of red "sindur" paste and a black "tika" encircled in blue, marks her "third eye". Her face is absolutely without expression and throughout the ceremony she remains impassive, looking straight ahead.

Meantime, foreign diplomats and Nepalese dignitaries have taken place on the balcony. His Majesty the King accompanied by Her Majesty the Queen and their children also step | down to the loggia's railing, cheered by the crowd.

The procession starts. The chariots move around Gaddi Baithak and stops in front of the balcony. His Majesty the King greets the Kumari and throws coins among the gathering onlookers. And so do the dignitaries too.

While this is going on, a dancer wearing a fierce-looking mask, gesticulates, jumps around as if possessed. He is a "Lakhe", i.e. a demon who is said to perform the dance in order to avoid severe punishment for his bad behavior while he was still an ordinary man !. Later, "Lakhe" will join other masked dancers called "Bhaku", who, before 1940, specialized in a kind of bull-fight each night of Indra Jatra in the narrow lanes of old Kathmandu, chasing and slashing an inebriated black buffalo ! But although this revolting game has been prohibited since, the "Bhaku" are still playing their part of Indra Jatra.

Now the chariot has moved on and reaches Hanuman Dhoka where it stops in front of the grim face of the golden Bhairav.

As mentioned before, his face is now in full view and, as soon as the Kumari arrives and pays homage to the image, the yearly "miracle" happens: a stream of "beer" spurts suddenly out of the masks mouth ! The crowd's amazement is excited by the thundering noise of the cymbals, drums and curved large horns, a Newari instrument not often seen in Kathmandu. The miracle is loudly cheered and everyone indulges in hazardous acrobatics in order to catch a sip of beer for himself.

As the chariots proceed along the "diagonal street" and reaches Indra Chowk, the Kumari again pays homage to another image of Bhairav, called the "blue Bhairav", although its face is entirely covered with red sindur-paste. This statue is erected in front of the temple decorated with the European-style tiles.

Late afternoon start the various ceremonies dedicated to those who passed away in the course of the year. Several processions take place almost simultaneously.

One starts from the Bhimsen Tower (the "minaret"). Close relatives of a deceased person gather here, each participant carrying a small oil-lamp containing a burning wick which he puts on the ground. As the procession builds up, a long luminous serpentine spreads itself out all along the route.

Once darkness has fallen over the city, two spectacular episodes deserve to be mentioned : a procession of Newari women holding each other by the red hem of their black saris, proceeds towards "Indra's lake" in order to prevent the souls of the deceased to throw themselves in its waters, following an ancient tradition. The participants in this procession appeal to Indra's mother Dagini who had promised to take all souls directly to "heaven".

Another cortege builds up near Kasthamandap (the "temple-made-of-the wood-of-one-tree) This procession is exclusively composed of young men. They carry a "snake" made of four bamboo poles bed together to give it the shape of a flexible plank on which are placed many small oil lamps with burning wicks.

On Indra Jatra's last day, the chariot returns to its shelter next to the Kumari's Palace. On that occasion, it was customary that His Majesty the King would call on the Kumari in her own house and receive the "tika" mark from her hands. But this is no longer a compulsory rite.

The festival ends with the lowering of the, pole set up in front of Kalo Bhairav's image on Hanuman Dhoka Square. Once on the ground, it is dragged down to the Bagmati and left there to float away or to be saw into pieces and used as firewood.

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