The Taleju Jatra, one of Bhaktapur's most significant observances in the days surrounding Dashain, concluded on the morning of Ekadashi after an all-night celebration that kept the old town's streets alive with ritual. The festival's central events, the Payahdyo or sword procession and the white horse procession representing the mount of Goddess Taleju Bhawani, began at midnight on Vijayadashami and passed through various neighborhoods of Bhaktapur before daybreak. The night's proceedings culminated at Durbar Square, where devotees of Navadurga Bhawani, who had spent Vijayadashami in worship at the Brahmayani temple, circumambulated the town and observed the tradition of Brahmayani paying homage to Taleju Bhawani, as reported by Nagarik News.
A Midnight Start and a Journey Through the Town
The observances commenced at midnight on Vijayadashami, the tenth day of the Dashain festival. Rather than ending with the close of the day's rituals, the festival in Bhaktapur carried directly into the night, with the processions setting out as the town slept. The timing underscores the distinctive character of the Taleju Jatra, which unfolds largely across the dark hours between Vijayadashami and Ekadashi and demands an uninterrupted vigil from the devotees who accompany it.
As the processions moved through the night, they passed through various neighborhoods of Bhaktapur. This routing through the town's quarters is central to the character of the jatra, carrying the goddess's symbols from street to street and square to square rather than confining the observance to a single temple courtyard. Reports by Ratopati noted that the celebrations continued without pause until the processions had completed their circuit and the concluding rites had been performed.
The Payahdyo Sword Procession
The Payahdyo, the sword procession that gives the night much of its character, is among the most recognizable elements of the Taleju Jatra. In this ritual, the sword associated with Goddess Taleju is taken out in procession, moving through the town as devotees accompany it on foot. The carrying of the sacred sword through the town's streets stands at the heart of the night's observances, and its journey through the neighborhoods is one of the images for which the festival is best known.
The White Horse of Taleju's Mount
Alongside the sword, the white horse procession represents the mount of Taleju Bhawani. The leading of the horse through the town is understood to represent the goddess's own movement through Bhaktapur in ritual form. Together, the sword and the horse constituted the two great processions of the night, both of which were required to complete their routes through the town's neighborhoods before the festival could be brought to a close on Ekadashi morning.
Devotees of Navadurga Bhawani and the Homage at Durbar Square
The night was not given over to Taleju alone. Devotees of Navadurga Bhawani had been worshipping at the Brahmayani temple throughout Vijayadashami, maintaining their own observances at the goddess's shrine through the day. As the midnight hour passed and the Taleju processions began their journey, these devotees too set out, circumambulating the town before making their way toward Durbar Square.
Their arrival at the square marked one of the most significant moments of the entire jatra. There, the tradition of Brahmayani paying homage to Taleju Bhawani was observed, a ritual encounter that brings together the two deities and their devotees at the historic heart of Bhaktapur. The completion of this homage, followed by the conclusion of the processions, allowed the festival to be formally brought to an end on the morning of Ekadashi.
The sequence of this year's observance, as reported by local media, can be summarized as follows:
- Worship by devotees of Navadurga Bhawani at the Brahmayani temple during Vijayadashami
- The start of the processions at midnight on Vijayadashami
- The Payahdyo, or sword procession, passing through the town's neighborhoods
- The white horse procession of Taleju's mount
- The circumambulation of Bhaktapur by the Navadurga devotees
- The arrival at Durbar Square and the homage of Brahmayani to Taleju Bhawani
- The formal conclusion of the festival on the morning of Ekadashi
A Tradition at the Heart of Bhaktapur's Festive Season
The Taleju Jatra occupies a distinctive place in Bhaktapur's ritual calendar, beginning at midnight on Vijayadashami and concluding on Ekadashi, the day that follows. In doing so, the festival extends the Dashain period by an additional night and morning of ritual, sustaining the devotional atmosphere of the season well beyond the main day of Vijayadashami itself. Khabarhub was among the outlets that reported the festival's conclusion following the night-long celebrations.
For the old town, the jatra binds together its ritual geography: the Brahmayani temple where the Navadurga devotees worship, the neighborhoods through which the sword and horse processions pass, and Durbar Square where the traditions of the two goddesses meet. The completion of the homage at the square and the wrapping up of the processions at dawn brought this year's edition of the festival to a close, marking the end of another night in which Bhaktapur's streets served as the setting for one of its most cherished observances.
