Indra Chowk ( ne, इन्द्रचोक) or Wongha: is one of the ceremonial and market squares on the artery passing through the historic section of

Kathmandu , pushpin_map = Nepal Bagmati Province#Nepal#Asia , coordinates = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = , subdivision_type1 = Province , subdivision_name1 = Bagmati Prov ...

Nepal Nepal (; ne, :ne:नेपाल, नेपाल ), formerly the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal ( ne, सङ्घीय लोकतान्त्रिक गणतन्त्र नेपाल ), is a landlocked country in S ...

. The intersection of Indra Chowk, along with Maru,

Kathmandu Durbar Square Kathmandu Durbar Square (''Basantapur Durbar Kshetra'') is located in front of the old royal palace of the former Kathmandu Kingdom and is one of three Durbar (royal palace) Squares in the Kathmandu Valley in Nepal, all of which are UNESC ...

, Makhan, Jana Baha,

Asan Asan () is a city in South Chungcheong Province, South Korea. It borders the Seoul Capital Area to the north. Asan has a population of approximately 300,000. Asan is known for its many hot springs and is a city of spas. Asan has grown into th ...

and Naxal, mark the old India-Tibet trade route that is now a vibrant market street. Six streets meet at Indra Chowk and link the square to Kathmandu's major localities. Its temples and bazaar draw streams of pilgrims and shoppers. The square is named after Indra, lord of heaven in Hindu mythology. Indra Chowk is a ceremonial venue and major festival pageants and chariot processions pass through the square. During

Indra Jatra Indra Jātrā, also known as Yenyā (Nepal Bhasa: येँयाः), is the biggest religious street festival in Kathmandu, Nepal. The celebrations consist of two events, Indra Jātrā and Kumāri Jātrā. Indra Jātrā is marked by masked danc ...

, the chariots of Kumari, Ganesh and Bhairav are pulled through here. The chariot procession of

Jana Baha Dyah Jatra Jana Bahā Dyaḥ Jātrā ( ne, सेतो मच्छिन्द्रनाथको रथयात्रा) is the chariot procession of Jana Baha Dyah, the Bodhisattva of Compassion, which is held annually in Kathmandu. It begins on th ...

also passes through the square.

Highlights

* The large temple of

Akash Bhairav Akash Bhairav () or Aaju () is one of the different forms of Bhairava. The temple of Akash Bhairav is supposed to have been a palace of the first king of Nepal, Kiranti King Yalambar around 3100–3500 years back. The surrounding of Akash Bhair ...

(alternative name: Āju Dyah आजुद्यः) on the western side of the square is the symbol of Indra Chowk. The temple houses a large mask of Akash Bhairav, which means "god of the sky", up a flight of stairs. The ground floor contains shops. * A Shiva Temple stands on the northern side of the square. The original pagoda structure was completely destroyed during the Great earthquake of 1934, and it has been replaced with a small domed shrine. * Raki Bazaar, a twisting alley lined with small shops selling glass beads, is situated on the eastern side of the square. The ancestors of the merchants here are believed to have come from

Iraq Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to the north, Iran to the east, the Persian Gulf and K ...

during the medieval period, and the name Raki Bazaar derived from the term Iraqi. * Shukra Path is the wide road leading south from the square to New Road. It is lined with identical white-washed stucco houses and was built after the 1934 earthquake. Named after martyr Shukra Raj Shastri, it is a fancy shopping street and a Kathmandu landmark. * A small temple of

Ganesh Ganesha ( sa, गणेश, ), also known as Ganapati, Vinayaka, and Pillaiyar, is one of the best-known and most worshipped deities in the Hindu pantheon and is the Supreme God in Ganapatya sect. His image is found throughout India. Hindu ...

(alternative name Ganedya गनेद्य:) stands at the southwestern corner of the square. The street leads to Makhan and Durbar Square.

References

{{coord, 27.7060, N, 85.3096, E, format=dms, source:wikidata, display=title Bazaars in Nepal Buildings and structures in Kathmandu Economy of Kathmandu Odonyms referring to religion Squares in Kathmandu