Indra Jatra 2026: Date, Meaning & Where to See It
Kathmandu's biggest street festival: eight days of masked dances, the living goddess Kumari's chariot, and the Indra pole at Basantapur.
- Next
- Usually in September
- Also called
- Yenya
- Usual month
- September
A tall pole (yosin) is raised at Hanuman Dhoka to start the festival; Lakhe and Pulu Kisi dancers roam the old town, the great mask of Seto Bhairab pours rice beer for the crowd, and on the main day the Kumari is pulled through Kathmandu in her chariot.
Base yourself near Kathmandu Durbar Square and Indra Chowk; the chariot route is crowded in the late afternoon.
Where to see it
Quick answers
- When is Indra Jatra in 2026?
- Usually in September. The exact date for the next one is not published yet.
- What is Indra Jatra?
- Kathmandu's biggest street festival: eight days of masked dances, the living goddess Kumari's chariot, and the Indra pole at Basantapur.
- Where is the best place to see Indra Jatra?
- Kathmandu Durbar Square.
Other festivals
DashainTihar (Deepawali)ChhathHoliMaha ShivaratriLosar (Tibetan, Sherpa, Tamang and Gurung New Year)Nepali New Year and Bisket JatraBuddha JayantiTeejJanai PurnimaKrishna JanmashtamiGai JatraMaghe SankrantiUbhauli and UdhauliMani RimduTiji FestivalVivaha Panchami
Calculate the cost for your group →Dates from the public Holidays in Nepal calendar (Google Calendar), checked daily. Local festivals not in that calendar show their usual month; lunar dates can shift by a day locally.