Bisket Jatra , a famous cultural festival of Tokha, northern outskirt of the Kathmandu Valley, is underway. The unique festival had formally begun on the first day of the Nepali month Baisakh.

The annual festival is observed mainly for five days from Baisakh 1, the Nepali New Year’s Day.

The panchabali (offering of five animals) ritual and the chariot procession of different deities were also held as part of this festival.

On the occasion, Kumari and Ganesh are worshipped as the live deities.

A big religious fair commenced with the returning of the chariot of Cahndeshwori, Sapan Binayak, Kuthu Ganesh, Masan Kali, Saraswati and Mahadev in the respective temples on Sunday.

Tokha lies some 10 kilometres to the north of the Kathmandu Valley on the lap of Shivapuri National Park.

However, unlike the Bisket Jatra celebrated in Bhaktapur, there is no tradition of tongue piercing in Bisket Jatra of Tokha.