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

Kathmandu Kathmandu () is the capital and largest city of Nepal, situated in the central part of the country within the Kathmandu Valley. As per the 2021 Nepal census, it has a population of 845,767 residing in 105,649 households, with approximately 4 mi ...

Nepal Nepal, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is mainly situated in the Himalayas, but also includes parts of the Indo-Gangetic Plain. It borders the Tibet Autonomous Region of China Ch ...

. The intersection of Indra Chowk, along with Maru,

Kathmandu Durbar Square Kathmandu Durbar Square (Nepal Bhasa: येँ लायकु/𑐥𑐾𑑄 𑐮𑐵𑐫𑐎𑐹, Nepali: हनुमानढोका दरबार; ''Basantapur Durbar Kshetra'') is a historically and culturally significant site in Kathma ...

, Makhan, Jana Baha,

Asan Asan (; ) is a Administrative divisions of South Korea, city in South Chungcheong Province, South Korea. It borders the Seoul Capital Area to the north. Asan has a population of approximately 400,000. Asan is known for its many hot springs an ...

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 Indra (; ) is the Hindu god of weather, considered the king of the Deva (Hinduism), Devas and Svarga in Hinduism. He is associated with the sky, lightning, weather, thunder, storms, rains, river flows, and war. volumes Indra is the m ...

, lord of heaven in

Hindu mythology Hindu mythology refers to the collection of myths associated with Hinduism, derived from various Hindu texts and traditions. These myths are found in sacred texts such as the Vedas, the Itihasas (the ''Mahabharata'' and the ''Ramayan ...

. 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 Punhi is the biggest religious street festival in Kathmandu, Nepal. "Ye" means the old Newar people, Newari name for "Kathmandu", "Ya" means “Celebration”, and "Puhni" means full moon so together means the ...

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

Jana Baha Dyah Jatra Jana Bahā Dyaḥ Jātrā () is the chariot procession of Jana Baha Dyah, the Bodhisattva of Compassion, which is held annually in Kathmandu. It begins on the 8th day and ends on the 10th day of the bright fortnight of Chaulā (चौला), 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 king of Nepal, Kirati King Yalambar around 3100–3500 years back. The surrounding of Akash Bhairav is ...

(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, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a country in West Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to Iraq–Saudi Arabia border, the south, Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq border, the east, the Persian Gulf and ...

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 Shukra (, ) is a Sanskrit word that means "clear" or "bright". It also has other meanings, such as the name of a sage who was the preceptor of the asuras and taught them the Vedas. In medieval mythology and Hindu astrology, the word refers to ...

, it is a fancy shopping street and a Kathmandu landmark. * A small temple of

Ganesh Ganesha or Ganesh (, , ), also known as Ganapati, Vinayaka and Pillaiyar, is one of the best-known and most worshipped Deva (Hinduism), deities in the Hindu deities, Hindu pantheon and is the Supreme God in the Ganapatya sect. His depictions ...

(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