Bajrayogini Jatra
बज्रयोगिनी जात्रा
Sankhu's oldest jatra, when the goddess Bajrayogini is carried down from her hilltop temple into the ancient town in a major Newar-Tamang celebration.
Location
Sankhu, Kathmandu
Duration
8 days
Month (Local)
Chaitra/Baisakh
Month (AD)
April
Next celebration
Apr 11 – Apr 15, 2027
In 341 days
Highlights
Goddess Bajrayogini carried by community members from hilltop temple into Sankhu town. Procession through intact medieval Newar bazaar. Traditional dhime and naumati music. One of the four Ashta Matrika tantric goddess sites in the valley.
Tips for Visitors
Sankhu is 17 km northeast of Kathmandu (30–40 min drive). The procession timing varies by year — ask locals or check the day before. The Bajrayogini temple complex on the hill above town is worth visiting independently for its carved architecture and valley views. The medieval bazaar street rewards slow exploration. Far less crowded than Kathmandu's New Year events.
Bajrayogini Jatra is the best-known festival of Sankhu, one of the Kathmandu Valley's oldest Newar towns and a historic waypoint on the Tibet trade route. The festival is observed in April and centers on bringing the goddess Bajrayogini down from her temple on Manichud Hill into the old town.
The main ritual begins when the goddess is carried on a palanquin from the temple, accompanied by Nibha: Dya: (an ancient chaitya) and two smaller lion- and tiger-faced deities on separate palanquins. Once inside Sankhu, the deities are kept in a designated Pahuna Ghar in one of the town's traditional toles before being taken around the settlement on the main procession day.
The jatra is observed for eight days and is regarded locally as the oldest festival of Sankhu. It is celebrated jointly by the Newar community of Sankhu and the Tamang community associated with Bajrayogini, giving it a wider social importance than a single-neighborhood jatra.
Sankhu's long medieval bazaar street, carved wooden houses, and temple squares create one of the most atmospheric festival settings in the valley. Compared with the larger festivals of central Kathmandu or Bhaktapur, Bajrayogini Jatra remains more local in tone while still drawing devotees from across the valley.