KATHMANDU: Large crowds of devotees and revellers throng the historic city of Bhaktapur, at Taumadhi and Yasinkhel, to observe Biska Jatra, the festival that is celebrated for nine days every year. The popular Jatra takes place as the chariot of Lord Bhairav is pulled by scores of revellers. Every year, the festival begins with a tug of war between the denizens of the upper and lower parts of Bhaktapur. This year too, a large number of locals as well as people from other districts participated in the festival. Revellers exhibit their passion to win the tug of war at the Biska Jatra. Later on, men erect a wooden pole called lingo while the female revellers express their devotion to different deities including Bhairav for absolution. This year the crowd that gathered at Yasinkhel were astonished to find the lingo erected unusually early. The next day, they moved with the same ardour to pull down the lingo. Likewise, 'Sindoor Jatra' was celebrated in Thimi today with the same excitement. Locals and the sightseers celebrated the jatra by smearing orange coloured powder on each other.