Thane vs Kone — The Tug-of-War

The Two Halves

Bhaktapur is divided for this purpose into an upper town (thane) and a lower town (kone). The division is territorial and inherited: which side a family pulls for follows from where in the city it belongs, not from choice, and the rivalry is carried through the year and across generations.

The Contest

When the Bhairava chariot reaches the contested ground, crews from both halves take the ropes at opposite ends and pull. The chariot becomes the rope in a tug-of-war weighing several tonnes. It can sit motionless for a long stretch while both sides strain, then travel suddenly and fast when one gives. The side that succeeds in drawing it into their territory is held to have taken the year's fortune for their half of the city.

How Serious It Is

Seriously. This is not a staged exhibition for onlookers — it is a real contest with a real result that matters to the people pulling, and it is rough. Pushing and scuffles between the sides are part of it; injuries happen most years. The energy is what makes Bisket Jatra unlike the more composed festivals of the Valley, and it is also the reason the festival has resisted being tidied into a performance.

Where to Stand

Nowhere near the ropes. A rope under load that parts or slips sweeps a wide arc, and the chariot's sudden runs give no warning and cannot be stopped. Upper-storey windows and rooftops along the route are where residents watch, and they are the right model to follow. Ask before climbing onto anyone's roof — permission is usually given readily, and taking it without asking is not.