Locals prepare to defy as another jatra season in Kathmandu comes with another warning of Covid-19 surge

Rita Tandukar has always been a bystander in major jatras of the Kathmandu valley. A resident of Nayabazaar in the city, she used to travel from places to places to see the vibrant festivals unfold with the same zeal every year.

But last year, her plan to go and witness the Biska Jatra (Bisket Jatra) was cancelled as the jatra could not take place following the threat of the Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdown. This year, as things were dialled down, she was hopeful of not to miss it again.