Sindure Jatra in Nuwakot

Nuwakot is a historical as well as religious place and a neighboring district from Kathmandu valley. Sindure Jatra is one of the major festivals in Nuwakot which marks the arrival of the spring season and Nepali New Year which is celebrated in Nuwakot Durbar by Newar community. This great festival is celebrated on Chaitra Purnima for 10-12 days in the month of Chaitra (March/April) where people worship goddess Bhairabi and observe various ritual and food items with family members. The major goal or highlight of the festival is the chariot parade of Goddess Bhairabi to Devighat village, which is believed to the meeting place of goddess Bhairabi and sister goddess Jalpa Devi. The special meeting takes place only once a year, in which the Dhami is believed to gain power by the grace of the Goddesses to predict the future of the country.

To begin the festival train, the wooden chariot with 32 palanquins known as Khats with different images of Goddess Bhairabi is carried by devotees, and also marks Sindure to each other while singing and dancing in the religious festival tunes. Dhami (also known as living god) is believed to gain the power of the grace of goddess for predicting the future of the country. As the part of the tradition, he, Dhami, offers goats and buffalos to sacrifice to the goddess and should suck the blood of the animals three times and then pray to the Bhairabi goddess. This festival is celebrated 10-12 days and in each and every day there are various activities carried out during this festival time. This historically and religiously important festival is celebrated once in a year and gets the attention of many of its visitors from different part of the country.

Moreover, Sindure Jatra in Nuwakot is participated and observed not only by the locals over there but also the state army and people from the neighboring region. The festival is also considered as having the longest chariot procession in Nepal, is one of liveliest festivals offering some of the lesser-known but fascinating cultural display of Nepal.