Indra Jatra after-hours, mapped

Indra Jatra, mapped

Indra Jatra is one of those festivals that looks chaotic from the outside and is in fact precisely choreographed. Here is the resident's tour.

The pole-raising at Hanuman Dhoka

Start of the festival proper. The lingo (a wooden pole) is raised on the first day. If you go, go early — by mid-morning the square is impassable.

The Kumari rath jatra

The Kumari's chariot is pulled through the old city over three nights. The route is fixed; the timing slips. Locals know to camp at intersections and wait.

Lakhe, Sawa Bhakku, and the masked dances

These appear in pockets through the old city, mostly after dark. The trick is knowing which chowk has which dance on which night. Ask the elders sitting on the rest-platforms (phalcha) — they will tell you.

After it ends

The pole comes down on the eighth day. Most tourists have moved on to Dashain prep by then. The takedown is its own quiet ceremony. Worth the late evening.