The historic PuluKisi Jatra in Nagadesh, Madhyapur Thimi Municipality-7, concluded on Monday night after resuming this year following a 12-year gap. The festival, based on the Swasthani Brata Katha, is traditionally held on the day of Bhimadwadashi but has been halted due to financial constraints and other reasons. Local leader Binod Koju shared that the festival was revived this year through community efforts.
The Jatra began at the Siddhi Ganesh Temple premises in Lachhitol, Nagadesh, and paraded through Wanani, Chhwash, Dhwakasi, Twaga, Nyagacha, and other neighborhoods. According to the Swasthani Brata Katha, the PuluKisi Jatra symbolizes the legendary tale of an elephant selecting a Brahmin’s son, Navaraj, as a prince.
This year, the committee selected local Elis Badel to represent the prince, who rode the PuluKisi (elephant figure) through various neighborhoods. Traditionally, the chosen prince must host a grand feast, which led to the festival’s discontinuation due to financial burden.
Before the Jatra began, a feast was organized for the locals on Sunday evening at the Siddhi Ganesh Temple premises in Layku, Nagadesh. The community celebrates this festival with feasting to mark the selection of the prince, and it is customary for young participants to observe a fast while wishing for an ideal life partner.
According to Bhai Jan Badel, a member of the Nagadesh Layku Durbar Committee, while PuluKisi Jatra is celebrated in Kathmandu and Bhaktapur as part of Indra Jatra, in Nagadesh, it is observed as a tradition rooted in the Swasthani Brata Katha.
