14 September,2019 12:50 PM IST | | mid-day online correspondent
A masked dancer performs the 'Sawa Bhaku' dance on the main day of the Indra Jatra festival at Basantapur Durbar Square in Kathmandu, Nepal. Pic.AFP
On Friday, thousands of people gathered at the Durbar Square in Kathmandu to mark the celebrations of the Indra Jatra festival with much fervor and gaiety. The Indra Jatra festival, which is also known as Yenya in Nepalese is an eight-day long festival. The festival is celebrated to honour Indra, who is the king of heaven and god of rain and harvest, as per the Hindu mythology.
The worship of Indra commences with the erection of a sacred wooden pole called the "Lingo" at the premises of Kathmandu Durbar Square. While the fourth day of the festival, which is called Kwaneya, witnesses singing and mask dancing by the citizens of the country.
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Kwaneya is also considered as the main day of the Indras Jatra festival and witnesses a large crowd that pulls a chariot with the living Goddess Kumari through the southern part of the town. According to officials from Nepal, Mayors from Indian, China, and Bhutan also attended the Indra Jatra festival, which is Nepal's biggest annual Hindu festival.
The mayors were among the 48 foreign guests from India, China, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Japan, and the US who took part in the eight-day Indra Jatra at the invitation of the Kathmandu Metropolitan Corporation (KMC), which organises the event every year, reports news agency ANI.
This is the first time in its history that the KMC has invited foreign guests to witness the Indra Jatra festival. This year, the festival began on Friday and will be celebrated for eight-long days. MC Mayor Bidya Sundar Shakya said, "Inviting foreign guests to attend the festival is aimed at promoting 'Visit Nepal Year 2020', with a target to attract two million tourists. The festival will help to showcase Nepali culture at an international level."
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With inputs from agencies
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