Balen Shah Craze At Indra Jatra (Yenya) | Biggest Religious Street Festival in Kathmandu, Nepal

Indra Jātrā, also known as Yenyā, is the biggest religious street festival in Kathmandu, Nepal. The celebrations consist of two events, Indra Jātrā and Kumāri Jātrā. Indra Jātrā is marked by masked dances of deities and demons, displays of sacred images and tableaus in honor of the deity Indra, the king of heaven.

Why is Indra Jatra celebrated?
In different cities, there are different legends about the commencement of Indra Jatra. However, among them, the most popular one is about the God of Rain Indra. It is said that once god Indra descent from heaven dressed as a peasant. He came to earth to find a special flower called Parijat translated as jasmine. His mother Basundhara had a fast and she needed the flower and fruit to worship. So, to collect the flower, Indra came to earth concealing his real identity. While collecting the flower in Maruhiti, locals caught him. He was stealing the flower and no one knew his real identity. They treated him like a common criminal and imprisoned him. Since he was hell-bent on not revealing his identity, he was not released and put on a display in the town square. During the festival, this incident is enacted by displaying the image of the god Indra with his hand bound in Maru. Since Indra didn’t return for a long time, his elephant ‘Pulu kisi’ panicked and started to search the nuke and corner of Kathmandu city with the hope of finding his master. Back in heaven, his mother Basundhara started to get restless due to her son’s disappearance for an extended period. Without wasting any more time, she descends to Kathmandu and starts to search for her son. (In the reenactment of this event, Pulu kisi runs through the city in search of Indra and the procession of Goddess Dagini takes place) Unlike her son Indra, the mother made her and her son’s identity clear to everyone. Soon, the captors realized what they did and released Indra without hesitation. After Indra was released, Basundhara was very glad thus she promised locals to provide them with enough dew in winter to ensure a good harvest. It is believed that Kathmandu started to experience fog during winter after this incident.
Additionally, she made a promise to them that she would take their deceased family member who died that year to heaven. After the incident, commoners and the king celebrated their fortune with a feast, dance, and procession. Since then this day is celebrated with great enthusiasm. It is said that the locals enact those incidents during Indra Jatra.

The story behind Kumari Jatra :

Living Goddess Kumari is considered to be an incarnation of goddess Taleju. Starting in 1756 AD, Kumari Jatra has a very interesting story behind its inception. Many years ago, the king of Kathmandu used to worship the goddess Taleju and she was very much impressed by him. They used to play dice together. One day while playing the dice, King wondered if he could marry her. Soon Goddess Taleju realized his intention and got furious. She disappeared immediately. Though the king realized his mistake, the damage was done already. He was very regretful. That same night, Goddess Taleju appeared in his dream. She expressed her disappointment and told him she will never appear in the palace again. But, she agreed to look after the kingdom in an avatar of a young girl. Nepal is the only country where a living goddess is worshipped. One day while the king was strolling around the kingdom, he came across a little girl. She started to laugh at him hysterically. King was surprised by her so, asked his helper to find out the reason behind her behavior. When asked by the helper, the girl replied that the king knows why she was laughing. King was baffled by her answer. After returning to the palace, he pondered about the little girl a lot. He then remembered the dream he had and wondered if she was the same girl Goddess Taleju mentioned earlier. So, he decided to find out who she was. After inquiring about her, he found out she is from a Shakya community and resides in Kathmandu. He thought it must be the same girl that goddess had stated so the king decided to visit her and asked for her forgiveness. She forgave him and blessed him by putting tika. After that day, the king decided to construct a house for Kumari near the palace. Since then the tradition of celebrating the Kumari Jatra started.

More Videos From My Channel :
Camping In A SECRET PLACE Near KATHMANDU/LALITPUR
   • Видео  

OH LAKHEY !! Gaijatra Fire 🔥 Show | Patan,Lalitpur (2079/2022)
   • OH LAKHEY !! Gaijatra Fire 🔥 Show | P...  

Bhaktapur Durbar Square After Covid-19 Pandemic
   • Видео  

My First YouTube Vlog - Patan Durbar Durbar Square Visit
   • Видео  

About Me :
Golden Shrestha 💜 Living in hostel at Thasikhel,Lalitpur.
Explore before you regret.

What do I use to Vlog?
GoPro Hero 10 Black

Get Connected On :
Instagram : @goldenshrestha_
Twitter : @goldenshrestha_
Facebook Account : Golden Shrestha
Facebook Page : Goodvibesyatra