A town in step with its ancestors

For centuries, the people of Banepa have celebrated the Chandeshwari Jatra, a festival that blends devotion, history and community pride.

Chandeshwari Jatra is a centuries-old festival celebrated in Banepa, a historic town in the Kavrepalanchok district of Nepal. Dedicated to the goddess Chandeshwari, locally known as Chasa Ajima, the protective mother goddess of Banepa, the two-day celebration begins on Baisakh Shukla Purnima—the first full moon of the Nepali lunar calendar.