page_title: Yenya
section_title: Opening ceremony
hierarchical_section_title: Yenya / Opening ceremony
caption_attribution_description: English: Raising the Yosin pole at Kathmandu Durbar Square marking the start of Indra Jatra festival. The puff of smoke at left is from muskets being fired in salute.
context_page_description: Indra Jātrā, most commonly known as Yenyā is the biggest religious street festival in Kathmandu, Nepal. Ye means "Kathmandu" and Ya means "celebration", together it means "celebration inside Kathmandu" in Nepal Bhasa. The celebrations consist of two events, Indra Jātrā and Kumāri Jātrā. Indra Jātrā is marked by masked dances of deities and demons, displays of sacred images and tableaus in honor of the deity Indra, the king of heaven. Kumāri Jātrā is the chariot procession of the living goddess Kumari.
  Family members deceased in the past year are also remembered during the festival. The main venue of the festivities is Kathmandu Durbar Square. The celebrations last for eight days from the 12th day of the bright fortnight to the 4th day of the dark fortnight of Yanlā, the eleventh month in the lunar Nepal Era calendar.
  Indra Jatra was started by King Gunakamadeva to commemorate the founding of the Kathmandu city in the 10th century. Kumari Jatra began in the mid-18th century. The celebrations are held according to the lunar calendar, so the dates are changeable. This year, the festival takes place from 30th August to 6th September, and the main day of attraction falling on 1st Sep.
context_section_description: The festival starts with Yosin Thanegu (योसिं थनेगु), the erection of Yosin or Linga, a pole from which the banner of Indra is unfurled, at Kathmandu Durbar Square. The pole, a tree shorn of its branches and stripped of its bark, is obtained from a forest near Nālā, a small town 29 km to the east of Kathmandu. It is dragged in stages to Durbar Square by men pulling on ropes.
  Another event on the first day is Upāku Wanegu (उपाकु वनेगु) when participants visit shrines holding lighted incense to honor deceased family members. They also place small butter lamps on the way. Some sing hymns as they make the tour. The circuitous route winds along the periphery of the historic part of the city. The procession starts at around 4 pm.
caption: Raising the Yosin pole
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