Biska Jatra Fervor in Bhaktapur

The famous Biska: Jatra festival has gripped Bhaktapur, one of the three cities of Kathmandu valley.

The eight-night and nine-day festival has kicked off from Thursday with the pulling of the chariots of two deities; Bhairavnath and Bhadrakali.

The main attractions of the Jatra are considered to be the Rath Yatra of chariot procession and the wooden pole raising and pulling down ceremonies.

Locals play traditional music and perform ritual worship during the Jatra period.

A wooden pole brought from Sallaghari in Suryavinayak Municipality-10 of Bhaktapur will be raised on April 13 and pulled down on April 14, which marks Baisakh first or the first day of Nepali New Year 2082.

As per some historians, the Biska Jatra has been celebrated since the beginning of the Bikram Sambat or the Bikrram Era, while others speculate that it was started by then king Shivadev II. ##