Masked dancer at indra jatra |
The chariot will be pulled along Basantapur, Ittkha, Naradevi, Tengal, Baangemuda, Ason, Indrachowk and back to Basantapur. The procession on the second day of chariot pulling is followed by a two-day break. After that, on the eighth day of the festival, the chariot is taken to Mahankal from Basantapur and back to Hanumandhoka for concluding rituals.
The entire Basantapur and surrounding areas is covered by thousands of devotees who come to witness the procession. Nepal Police have been deployed over 1,000 security personnel to avoid any untoward incident during celebrations.
According to legends it is believed that lord Indra’s mother Dakini was in need of a flower of ‘parijat’ to cure her ailments. Indra was plucking the flowers at Maruhiti, a sunken water spout at Maru, the people caught and bound him like a common thief. He was then put on display in the town square of Maru in Kathmandu.When the city folk realized they had captured Indra himself, they were appalled and immediately released him. Out of appreciation for his release, his mother(Dakini) promised to provide enough dew throughout the winter to ensure a rich crop. It is said that Kathmandu starts to experience foggy mornings from this festival onwards because of this boon.