When is Indra Jatra in 2027?
Indra Jatra’s main day is listed for Tuesday 14 September 2027 by the calendars we could open, while one travel blog disagrees. The festival follows the moon, so its Western date moves each year. In 2026, the main day was Friday 25 September, according to Hamro Patro and Spotlight Nepal.
| Source | Date given for 2027 |
|---|---|
| CalendarLabs | Tuesday 14 September, Kathmandu Valley |
| qppstudio | Tuesday 14 September, Kathmandu Valley regional holiday |
| The Longest Way Home (travel blog) | 25 September |
We lean to 14 September. The blog also gives 6 September for 2026, which doesn’t match Hamro Patro’s 25 September, so it looks unreliable on dates. Hamro Patro hadn’t published its 2084 BS list when we checked.
The pole went up on a Wednesday in 2026, two days before the main day. If that holds, it would go up around 12 September 2027, but that’s only our estimate. Please confirm close to travel. There’s no date left in 2026.
What is Indra Jatra?
Indra Jatra is a religious street festival unique to the Kathmandu Valley, according to Wikipedia, and it thanks the god Indra for rain and harvest. “Jatra” means a festival or procession. It’s held in Yenla, the eleventh month of the Nepal Sambat calendar, and lasts eight days.
Wikipedia says King Gunakamadeva reportedly started the festival around the 10th century, and that the Kumari’s chariot procession began in 1756 under Jaya Prakash Malla, the last Malla king of Kathmandu. The Library of Congress study says Gorkha troops entered Kathmandu in September 1768 while people were celebrating a festival. Our history of the Kathmandu Valley has more on that.
What happens during the festival?
The festival opens with a tall pole at the palace square, and then come chariots, masked dancers and the Kumari’s public appearances. The order below follows Spotlight Nepal’s report on 2026 and Wikipedia.
| Stage | What happens |
|---|---|
| Opening | A pole called Yosin, or Indra Dhwaja, is raised at Hanuman Dhoka Durbar, on the 12th day of the waxing moon in Bhadra |
| First day | People carry lit incense and place butter lamps along a route round the old city, to honour relatives who have died |
| Chariot days | Chariots of Ganesh, Bhairav and Kumari are pulled through the city over three days |
| Main day | The President offers dakshina (a ritual gift) and gives permission for the procession. In 2026 this was the lower part of the city |
| Next day | The upper part of the city |
| Nani Chaya | Only women pull the chariots, on Ashoj 13 in 2026 |
| Closing | The Yosin pole is taken down in a ceremony called Yosin Kwathalegu |
The masked dances are a large part of the attraction. Wikipedia names Pulu Kisi, who represents Indra’s elephant, along with Majipa Lakhey, Sawa Bhakku and Dee Pyakhan. It also describes large masks of Sweta Bhairava and Akash Bhairava on show, and an image of Indraraj Dyah with bound hands at Maru.
Who takes part?
Kathmandu’s local communities carry the festival, with the state taking a formal role. Spotlight Nepal reports that in 2026 President Ram Chandra Paudel watched from the Gaddi Baithak in Hanuman Dhoka Durbar, with the Vice President, the Speaker, ministers, police chiefs and others attending. It says he was due to receive tika (a blessing mark) and prasad from the Kumari that evening.
The Kumari is a young girl worshipped as a living goddess, and she lives in the Kumari Ghar at the edge of the square. Read our page on Kumari Ghar in Kathmandu to understand more about her. We haven’t sourced the details of who pulls each chariot, other than the women-only day.
Where should visitors go?
Go to the area around Kathmandu Durbar Square and Basantapur, since the pole, the President’s viewing place and the procession all start there. The route then runs through the old city lanes. Read our guide to Kathmandu Durbar Square for the layout.
| Place | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Hanuman Dhoka and Basantapur | Pole raising, official viewing, chariot start |
| Maru | Image of Indraraj Dyah |
| Asan, Indrachowk, Jaisidewal, Lagan | Named on the road closure lists below |
We found no official viewing area for visitors. Some rooftops and cafes may offer a view, but we haven’t checked any of them, and we can’t say which are safe.
How does it affect traffic and sightseeing?
Vehicles are barred from the procession route, and the old city is hard to cross by car on those days. The dates and routes change each year, so use these reports as a guide to which areas are affected.
| Report | Roads closed to vehicles |
|---|---|
| Kathmandu Metropolis, 2023, first listed day | Basantapur, Maru, Jaisidewal, Lagan, Brhamatol, Hyumat, Kohiti, Bhimsenthan |
| Kathmandu Metropolis, 2023, second listed day | Basantapur, Pyaphal, Yatkha, Naradevi, Tengal, Nhokha, Nhekatala, Asan, Machhindra Bahal, Indrachowk, Makhan, Hanuman Dhoka |
| Kathmandu Metropolis, 2023, third listed day | Basantapur, Pyaphal, Yatkha, Naradevi, Kilagh, Bhedasing, Indrachowk, Makhan |
| Traffic police notice, via Ratopati, date unclear | From Hanuman Dhoka through Dokatol, Tamsipakha, Chhetrapati, Thahiti, Jamal, Asan, Bhotahiti, Bir Hospital and New Road Gate, with the chariots starting at 4 pm |
Plan to walk the last part if you’re going to the square. Thamel is close to several of these streets, so a hotel pick-up or a group tour’s Thamel meeting point may need to change on chariot days. That’s our own reading of the lists and not an official rule.
Our Kathmandu half day tour and other Durbar Square tours go right into this area, so tell us your date when you ask. Sites outside the old city, such as Boudhanath and Patan, aren’t on these closure lists. We can’t say how busy they’d be.
How should visitors behave?
Give way to the chariots, stay clear of the wheels, and treat the rituals as worship and not as a show. These are our own suggestions.
- Keep clear of moving chariots. Don’t stand in front of the wheels or in a narrow lane where you can’t step aside.
- Don’t photograph the Kumari. Please don’t take or share images of her, and stop if a guardian or official asks you to.
- Give way to dancers and officials. Masked dancers move fast through the crowd.
- Accept security limits. Expect police lines and barriers around the President’s viewing place. That’s our inference from the guest list in 2026, not a published rule.
- Dress modestly and leave large bags at your hotel. Our guide on what to wear in Kathmandu has more.
Is it worth planning a trip around Indra Jatra?
It’s worth it if you’re in Kathmandu in mid-September and you’re happy with crowds in narrow lanes. Our best time to visit Kathmandu guide has more on the season.
Check the date against a Nepali calendar close to travel. Dashain follows about two weeks later in 2027, so check our Dashain guide if you’re staying on.
