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Nepal's Ancient City Of Bhaktapur Welcomes Nepali New Year With Beat

Masked dancers perform during a celebratory event organized on the eve of the formal start of Biska Jatra, a nine-day procession welcoming the Nepali New Year, in Bhaktapur, Nepal, on April 9, 2026. Biska Jatra, a popular religious festival in the Kathmandu Valley, begins with the ascension of Lord Bhairab onto a chariot built in front of the Nyatapola temple, the tallest temple in Nepal. Two groups of locals engage in a traditional tug-of-war, pulling the chariot to either side as a show of strength, a practice followed for generations. The three-story chariot, made of wood in the pagoda style, is pushed and pulled around the settlements with statues of Bhairavnath and Betal as part of the festival. This festival, celebrated for nine days and eight nights, is believed to have originated during the Malla Dynasty and formally starts four days before the Nepali New Year. According to a local myth, anyone who marries the local princess dies on the first night of marriage, until a brave young man killed two attacking snakes. Biska Jatra is unique as it does not follow the lunar-based Nepali Calendar and commences after a special Tantric ritual is performed in the Bhairab Temple in Taumadhi Tole in Bhaktapur. (Photo by Subaas Shrestha/NurPhoto)

Photo ID	#13552064
Date Taken	9 April 2026
Location	N/A
Photographer	Subaas Shrestha/NurPhoto
Category	Human Interest
Copyright	© 2026 NurPhoto - Subaas Shrestha/NurPhoto

Medium Group of People Action Shot Masked dancers celebratory event formal start Biska Jatra nine days Nepali New Year Bhaktapur Nepal April 9 2026 religious festivals Kathmandu Valley Lord Bhairab chariot Nyatapola temple tallest temple locals show of strength three-storey chariot wood pagoda style settlements statues Bhairavnath Betal cultural importance historical importance Malla Dynasty four days myth local princes marriage brave young man snakes lunar-based calendar Tantric ritual Bhairab Temple Taumadhi Tole Subaas Shrestha NurPhoto.