Festival season returns to Nepal amid declining COVID cases

KATHMANDU, Nepal (AP) — Tens of thousands of devotees person packed the aged palace courtyard successful the bosom of Nepal’s superior to observe the feast of Indra Jatra, marking the instrumentality of the festival play successful the Himalayan federation aft it was scaled down due to the fact that of the pandemic. Kumari, a young miss who is revered by some Hindus and Buddhists successful Nepal arsenic the surviving goddess, near her temple palace for the archetypal clip successful 2 years and was driven astir the halfway of Kathmandu successful a woody chariot pulled by devotees. Nepal’s president and highest officials besides lined up to get her blessing, unneurotic with the tens of thousands of others. Last year’s festivals were scaled down amid a surge successful coronavirus cases.