Kathmandu, November 15. In the wee hours today, the final performance of the centuries-old “Kartik Naach” was staged at Kattik Dabli, the traditional stage of the Char Narayan temple courtyard in Patan Durbar Square. The dramatic conclusion featured Lord Vishnu, in his Narsingha avatar, triumphing over the demon king Hiranyakashipu.

The Kartik Naach tradition began 383 years ago, during the mid-17th century reign of King Siddhi Narsingh Malla. Oral traditions recount that the kingdom faced a severe catastrophe, prompting religious gurus to advise the king to invoke Narasimha, the fierce half-man, half-lion incarnation of Lord Vishnu, through a ritual involving a human sacrifice. This sacrifice, they believed, would allow the king to seek divine intervention for his kingdom.

Reluctant to take an innocent life, King Siddhi Narsingh Malla sought an alternative. The Rajopadhyaya priests developed a “Tantrik performance” as a substitute for the sacrifice, leading to the creation of the Kartik Naach in 1641 CE. The first performance, held that November, lasted two days and quickly became a cultural highlight for the Patan community.

In the years that followed, each generation added to the tradition. Siddhi Narsingh Malla’s son, Shree Niwas Malla, expanded the festival to 12 days, using it to educate the public about Hindu mythology. In the 18th century, Shree Niwas Malla’s son, Yog Narendra Malla, further extended the festival to 27 days, making it an even more significant cultural and religious event. Today, the duration of Kartik Naach varies between 8 and 27 days, according to the lunar calendar.