Kartik Naach, the traditional dance drama performed every year in Lalitpur, concluded on Wednesday after being performed for eight consecutive days. Last year, the dance was performed for only two days owing to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The traditional dance is staged in the Kartik Dabali (a traditional stage) in Patan Durbar Square, Lalitpur.

King Siddhi Narsingh Malla is credited to have started the dance drama during his reign about 380 years ago. It is believed that the dance drama was performed to impart moral lessons to his subjects through entertainment.

The dance honours the god Kartikeya and was born out of Malla's love for the arts. Told day after day in an episodic format, the dance acts out the tales of the Shreemad Bhagavad Geeta and the Swasthani, two principal Hindu texts. The dance is a moral tale, a classic story of good triumphing over evil.

The duration of the play has changed often—first being lengthened to a full lunar month, then shortened to a week due to budget concerns more recently.

On the final day, the Narasimha avatar of God Vishnu slaying the demon was depicted in the dance drama.

Here are some photos of the final day of Kartik Naach captured by Post’s photographer Elite Joshi.