Kathmandu, March 21. The residents of Budhanilkantha to Shankhamul have received an invitation to participate in the Tudal Devi Gahana Khojne Jatra, a traditional festival of searching for jewelry in Kathmandu’s Gahana Pokhari pond.

The Chairman of Kathmandu City Ward number 5, Birendra Prajapati told reporters, “Today, the deity of Lukumadya will have been kept hidden, will be taken out and worshiped.”

Prajapati continued, “A week from today, a ceremonial pole “Lingo” will be raised. Two weeks from today, the Gahana Khojne Jatra will be organized.”

Tuladevi Gahana Khojne Jatra

It is a special day when devotees gather to worship Goddess Tuladevi Vaishnavi.

The celebration involves placing her idol on a chariot, which is then pulled through the town of Hadigaun. The chariot on its journey to Gahana Pokhari, is stopped several times at the doorstep of houses marked with red mud.

When the chariot arrives at Gahana Pokhari, two men take three rounds around the pond with a silver pole, accompanied by locals playing the Dhime and Nya Khin instruments, which are central to the Newari Community’s musical traditions.

The chariot is then pulled into the pond, with the main leader of the Jatra leading the way, and the devotees pulling the chariot three rounds above the water.