2022
Bya-li-siya Jatra is celebrated on the evening of Baisakh 1st every year at the Siddhikali Temple in Madhyapur Thimi, Bhaktapur. It is also known as Biska Jatra or Sindur Jatra and is celebrated by the Newari people of Madhyapur Thimi.
During the festival, people greet each other by throwing simrik powder on the backdrop of traditional Newari Dhime music. The festival also involves parades with chariots of deities, worshipping them, and merrymaking.
The festival is celebrated twice a year, once in Baisakh month known as Biska Jatra and another in Bhadra month known as Yenya Punhi Jatra. The last day of the festival, Baisakh 2nd, is celebrated at Balkumari Temple in the early morning as Sutha-Siya Jatra.
The festival is steeped in ancient mythology and celebrates divine victories, symbolizing soul purification and the onset of prosperity.
