Indra Jatra, known as the biggest festival of the Kathmandu Valley, formally began on Tuesday with the installation of a wooden ceremonial pole (lingo) and the fluttering of a flag named after the Hindu God Indra at Hanuman Dhoka. The pole was installed at an auspicious time of 10:37am.

The festival dedicated to Indra, the god of rain and king of heaven, is celebrated for eight days. During the celebrations, Lakhe dances are performed on the streets of Kathmandu. The dance is one of the most popular dances of Nepal with performers wearing Lakhe costumes and masks.

The wooden log, called Ya Sin in Nepal Bhasa, is worshipped during Yenya (Indra Jatra) after it is installed outside Hanuman Dhoka Palace amid a ritual that marks the beginning of the festival. Ya Sin travels to Hanuman Dhoka from a forest in Suryabinayak, Bhaktapur, called Lingo Guthi Community Forest, formerly known as Nala Ban.

Here are some photos of the celebrations captured by the Post’s photojournalist Elite Joshi.