Lalitpur, October 28

Kartik Nach, a traditional cultural dance, is being performed upon Kartik Dabali of Patan Durbar Square in Lalitpur.

“Kartik Nach usually lasts for 27 days but this year it will only be performed for 12 days. “This year, it began from October 24 and will be performed till November 4,” said Kiran Chitrakar, president of Kartik Naach Preservation Committee.

Various mythical stories are depicted through this dance. On the first day, ‘Sudama Pyakha’ was performed and second day ‘Bath Pyakha’ was performed.

From the third day, ‘Usha Haran Lila’ was performed and will continue for five days, according to Chitrakar.

Usha Haran Lila depicts the love story of Anirudra, the grandson of lord Krishna and Usha, daughter of Banasur. Ujjwal Shakya, 24, is playing the role of Anirudra and Sojan Raghubansi, 25, is playing the role of Usha.

This dance was first introduced by King Siddhi Narsingh Malla to maintain social, cultural and religious harmony among the people of various castes.

The dance performance has continued for around 376 years. “If we have to preserve our identity, we need to preserve our culture first.

Keeping this thing in mind, we encourage our young generation to follow the tradition and preserve our rich culture,” said Chitrakar.