Kathmandu, September 5

Indra Jatra, one the biggest street festivals in Kathmandu Valley, was celebrated with much fanfare by worshipping Lord Indra, the Hindu God of rains and good harvest.

The festival is celebrated for eight consecutive days and concludes with a number of ceremonies, including lakhe naach and pulu kisi procession. The lingo, a towering wooden structure brought from Sallaghari in Bhaktapur, is installed on the chariot in Hanumandhoka as part of the festival.  The chariot carries statues of Lord Indra and goddess Kumari. Indra is worshipped as the god of rain and fertility by both Hindus and Buddhists.

The chariot procession is the major attraction of Indra Jatra, in which a chariot of Kumari and two smaller chariots of Ganesh and Bhairab, are pulled along the core areas. The festival formally began on Sunday. The government had announced a public holiday to mark the festival.