History
Sindoor Jatra ("Vermilion Powder Festival") is celebrated on the second day of the Nepali New Year in Thimi, a historic Newar town between Kathmandu and Bhaktapur. The festival is unique to the Newar community of Thimi and is not found in this form anywhere else in the world.
Thirty-two decorated palanquins (khats), each carrying a local deity, are brought out simultaneously from different neighbourhood temples and converge in a grand procession. As they meet, devotees hurl kilos of bright orange sindoor (vermilion powder) into the air — creating dense, luminous clouds of colour over the crowd.
Significance
The hurling of sindoor is both a joyful celebration of the New Year and a ritual act of blessing — the powder is sacred to the goddess Balkumari, the principal deity of Thimi. Participants believe that being covered in sindoor brings good luck, health, and protection for the coming year.
The procession is also notable for its hundreds of torch-bearers, who carry blazing torches through the streets in the early morning hours before dawn.
What to Expect
The main procession begins before sunrise and reaches its peak around midday. Wear clothes you don't mind staining permanently — the sindoor is bright and stubborn. Most visitors join the crowds around the main Balkumari Temple area in central Thimi. Bring a dust mask or be prepared to have sindoor in your nose, eyes, and hair. It is genuinely joyful and welcoming — locals encourage visitors to participate.