The festival of Indra Jatra is the biggest for the citizens of Kathmandu. In its neighbouring cities, it is marked differently. You must be wondering why? The answer is simple, Indra Jatra is an amalgam of centuries of traditions. It features remnants from as far back as pre Lichhavi era. Over time, multiple dynasties ruled this valley - each contributed an element to this festival.
In Nepal Bhasa, the language of the Newars, this day is called Yenya Punhi. It is the full moon day of the Newar month of Yanla, which in Nepali is called Bhadra Purnima.
The Newar calendar is lunisolar, and every full moon has its symbolism and cultural rituals. For example, the full moon of the month Thila is Yamari Punhi. Its equal in the western world is the Harvest Moon. The Newars mark Yamari Punhi as the end of the harvest and offer the first grains to Annapurna Devi. They also present a traditional sweet with molasses filling known as Yamari.
To understand what Indra Jatra means, one must de-construct its various elements to see the meaning of the whole.
Let us start with the ceremonial pole known as Yoshi in Newari and Lingo in Nepali. Renowned Nepalese historian Babu Ram Acharya in his article, ‘Indra Jatra’ (Vide Himbat Sanskriti No.2), wrote of similarities between the ceremonial hoisting of the Maypole in Europe with the Yoshi.
The Maypole is a similar high pole raised in May in Europe. Its origin is Pagan (Ethnic religions of Europe before Christianity). The celebration of Mayday is to welcome spring. The colourful ribbons wrapped in the pole symbolise spring and warmth.
In Nepal, the Yoshi symbolises the turning of the season from Barsha (Rainy) to Autumn. It is the first layer of the festival.
For an agricultural and pastoral society, the seasons play a huge role. The ancients could have devised this mechanism to inform the people.
Just as in the Mayday festival, the pole is in the centre of the celebration. Its erection marks the beginning and its fall, the end of the festivity. Indra Jatra begins with the hoisting of the pole on the 12th day of the bright fortnight.
It is taken down on the 4th day of the dark fortnight of Yanla.
In the Lichhavi Era came the second attribute. In a dream, King Gunakamadeva was instructed to create a new city north of his present kingdom. He was requested to centre it around the ancient temple of Kanteswara, at the junction of Bagmati and Vishnumati rivers. The vicinity where the renowned sage Ne Muni performed various austerities. Kanteswara is one of the most revered Newar deities. He is called Aju Dya (Eldest God) in Newari and Aakash Bhairab in Nepali. The scared river junction in front of the temple is now a street.
As instructed, the King merged the existing villages of Koligram (Yambhu) and Dakshin Koligram (Yengal) and defeated rulers of various petty states and created his new city. He also established a beautiful stone spout gilded in gold, Lu Hiti (Gold- dhara/ Sundhara). It featured an intricate water-management system, royal canals (Rajkulos) channelled river water to the spout. He named the city Suvarna Pranali Kantipur. Here, Suvarna means golden; Pranali means system. Kantipur is a mixture of two words - Kanti, meaning beautiful and pur, means place.
To celebrate the momentous occasion, he initiated a festival known as Yenya. The word is a mixture of Yen- the Newari name of the city and Ya- celebration. It is also called the celebration inside the town.
It is possible King Gunakamadeva’s celebration overlapped the change of seasons, and the two elements became one.
In the next part of this article, we call look into the arrival of Indra.
