KATHMANDU, Sept 28: Indra Jatra, the festival of rain and good harvest, is being observed today with fanfare. On the occasion of this festival, the government has declared a public holiday in Kathmandu Valley.

The festival that falls on Bhadra shukla chaturdashi is celebrated in Kathmandu, Lalitpur, Bhaktapur, Dhulikhel, Dolakha and other districts. 

The festival begins with the erection of lingo, a sacred wooden pole, in front of Hanumanthodka on Bhadra shukla Dwadashi with religious processions.

The eight-day festival is dedicated to Lord Indra – the god of rain. Various ceremonies and processions take place during the festival and it concludes with a series of ceremonies including ‘Lakhe Naach’.

As part of the festival, the lingo brought from Bhaktapur is installed on the chariot at Hanumandhoka. The chariot procession, a major part of the festival, involves towing a big chariot of Kumari and two smaller chariots of Ganesh and Bhairab along the thoroughfares of the city.

 
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