The annual Indra Jatra celebration, organized with the support of Lalitpur Metropolitan City-1, concluded today with the traditional Lakhe dance. This festival, celebrated every year in Lalitpur, saw its grand finale with the Lakhe dance and processions.
Starting on September 17 (Ashwin 1) from the Sankata Marg Temple in Ward No. 1 of Lalitpur, the festival began with a traditional Khad Jatra (chariot procession). Today, the final day of the celebration, deities Bhairav, Ganesh, and Kumari were placed on chariots and paraded through key locations such as Musunggal Chowk, Gas Depot, Lilaghar, Kumari Temple, Janakpur College, Nanicha Chowk, Amar Shishu, Ganeshthan Paradise, Manpower Sarwang Hospital, Bigmart, Tinkhamba Chowk, Bhajan Mandal, and back to the Sankata Marg Temple.
The Indra Jatra procession also featured Lakhe dances on its opening day when devotees performed a ceremonial tour around the Sankata Temple premises. According to Nirmal Tandukar, the Ward Chairman of Lalitpur-1, the festival, traditionally observed by the Newar community, has been held in Lalitpur since last year after a 40-year hiatus.
“We are delighted to organize this historic Indra Jatra,” said Chairman Tandukar. “This year’s celebration was filled with joy, and we hope to make next year’s even more magnificent.”
Indra Jatra, a festival dedicated to the deity of rain and prosperity, has been celebrated since the 12th century according to legends.
