Tens of thousands of devotees packed the old palace square in central Kathmandu on Saturday to mark the start of Nepal’s months-long festival season with the weeklong Indra Jatra celebration.
Men and boys wearing colorful masks and flowing gowns representing Hindu deities danced to traditional music and drums as families gathered for feasts and lit incense at shrines to honor the dead. In the center of the procession, worshippers pulled a wooden chariot bearing a young girl known as the Kumari — revered as a living goddess by both Hindus and Buddhists.
The streets of inner Kathmandu were lined with spectators who pressed close to watch the chariot move through narrow alleys. Nepal’s president, prime minister and other top government officials were among those who paid their respects to the Kumari, according to participants at the event.
Indra Jatra, a traditional Newar festival that honors the god Indra, is one of the first major observances in a sequence of national celebrations. The festival, observed with masked dances, music and processions, traditionally lasts about a week and heralds larger events later in the season, including Dasain, the country’s principal festival later this month, and Tihar, the festival of lights in October.
The Kumari is traditionally a prepubescent girl selected through age-old rituals and venerated as a living manifestation of the goddess. She appears at public events such as the Indra Jatra procession, where devotees seek blessings as the chariot passes. The practice is rooted in the religious and cultural traditions of the Kathmandu Valley and draws participants from diverse faith communities.
Observers described the atmosphere as festive and crowded, with the sounds of drums and cymbals punctuating the procession. Alongside public worship, families used the occasion to make offerings at neighborhood shrines and to gather for communal meals.
Cultural experts and local residents say the procession and related rituals play a central role in Kathmandu’s social and religious calendar, bringing together performers, priests, civic leaders and ordinary citizens. The pageantry and ceremonies also attract domestic and international visitors who come to witness the living tradition that has been observed in the valley for generations.
As Indra Jatra continued through the weekend, organizers and community leaders emphasized the festival’s role in reaffirming cultural identity and sustaining long-standing religious practices. The celebration set the tone for the months ahead, when Nepal will observe multiple major festivals that are integral to family life and public ritual across the country.