A member of dev gan is sleeping at the ground during Sikali Jatra in Khokana, a medieval Newari heritage village in the southern part of Kathmandu valley. The five-day-long festival is dedicated to goddess Shikali is also known as ‘Ajima’ or mother goddess. Masked dances following tantric rituals are performed by dancers garbed in colorful attires during the festival. The dancers represent 14 gods and goddesses of the Hindu pantheon. A wooden chariot with the idol of Goddess Rudrayani is carried through the village streets, finally resting in front of the Shikali Temple located on a grassy hill just outside the village. The procession, led by Newar priests wearing their white ritual costumes, sees the participation of devotees from Khokana and other parts of Kathmandu valley.
Lalitpur, Nepal