Bisket Jatra is a nine-day festival coinciding with the Nepali New year. It takes place in the medieval town of Bhaktapur. The festival has been immensely popular since the Lichhavi period.
Since the Bisket begins in the last days of the Nepalese year and ends in the beginning days of the New Year it is regarded as the New year festival as well. During the seven days of the festival chariots of God Bhairava and Goddess Bhadrakali are pulled with lot of merriment within the town limits. At a place called Lyasinkhel, a lyasin or a tall pole is erected with two long embroidered cloths hanging from it. These cloths represent two evil serpents who in the past had troubled the royal family by mysteriously killing every suitor to the princess at night. Ultimately a brave prince with the blessings of Goddess Bhadrakali came along and killed them even as they appeared from the nostrils of the sleeping princess and began to enlarge themselves. Thus, to show the townspeople the cause of previous suitors’ death they were hung from the pole and at present the cloths represent them.
The festival used to be called “Bisyau” jatra, which means the festival celebrated in the memory of slaying of serpents. In the passage of time the term changed from ‘Bisyau’ to Bisket Jatra.
In Madhyapur Thimi and Bode, as part of Bisket Jatra or maybe a variation of this festival called Sindoor Jatra is observed. This festival is celebrated by youths participating in a parade carrying god’s images and smearing vermilion powder to each other.
Location: Khalna Tole, Bhaktapur, Nepal
Dates: Mid-April (the beginning of the Nepali month of Baisakh)
Source: PageNepal, Google
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