INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
KATHMANDU, SEPTEMBER 17Nepal's monthslong festival season began on Tuesday with tens
of thousands of devotees pulling a wooden chariot with a young girl revered as a living goddess.
Festival protects culture,
ancient civilization: President Paudel
Himalayan Art Festival underway
Families gathered for feasts and lit incense for the
Men and boys in colorful masks and gowns representing Hindu deities danced to traditional music and drums, drawing throngs of spectators to
Kathmandu's old streets.The Indra Jatra festival marks the end of the monsoon and rice farming season and signals the dawn of fall
It's celebrated mostly by the Newar community, the native residents of Kathmandu
It is also known as the festival of deities and demons and especially honors Indra, the Hindu god of rain.
The masked
dancers, one of the highlights of the ceremony, can be fearsome, entertaining and awe-inspiring, depending on the performers'
movements.Kumari, a young girl who is revered by both Hindus and Buddhists in Nepal as a living goddess, left her temple palace and was
driven around the center of the capital in a wooden chariot pulled by devotees, who lined up to receive her blessing
Among the spectators were President Ram Chandra Poudel, officials and diplomats.The weeklong Indra Jatra precedes months of other festivals
in the predominantly Hindu nation
They include Dasain, the main festival, and Tihar, or Diwali, the festival of lights, in November.
This article first appeared/also appeared in https://thehimalayantimes.com
