Sindoor Jatra 2024

Nepalese people carry a ceremonial palanquin while others smear vermilion-colored powder on each other during the ‘Sindoor Jatra’ festival as part of the Bisket Jatra festival in Thimi, on the outskirts of Kathmandu, Nepal, 14 April 2024. Thousands of Nepalese gathered to celebrate the Bisket Jatra festival which is also celebrated to mark the Nepali New Year 2081, especially in the ethnic Newar communities in Bhaktapur. During the festival, ethnic Newar devotees visit temples, carry a chariot of Hindu gods and goddesses, and smear vermilion-colored powder on each other’s faces. It is celebrated in the hope of protection from all-natural calamities and support for a good harvest for the coming year.