KATHMANDU: A grand festival was organized at Indradaha or Siddha Pokhari based in Dudhpati of Bhaktapur today. A large number of people thronged Siddha Pokhari to observe the festival organised on the day of Purnima, the full moon day in the month of Bhadau as per the lunar calendar.

The festival began with taking an idol of Hindu God Indra to the Siddha Pokhari from Indrayani Dho Chhe based in Khauma of Bhaktapur municipality on Friday evening. The idol of the god Indra was placed on a wooden chariot and taken around the city before carrying it to the Siddha Pokhari.

A Deepawali (lighting of butter lamps) was held on a Friday evening. The festival will conclude this evening after taking the idol back to Dho Chhe.

The festival symbolizes a myth dating back to the Dwarpara Yuga, one of four ages, when the God Krishna lifted the Gobardhan hill on the tip of his finger to save people from a powerful hailstorm and rainfall brought down by the God Indra enraged by cow herders as a punishment to them.

According to local historian Purushottam Lochan Shrestha, Indradev who earned fame as the most powerful crown prince in Nepal Sambat 218 had built the pond.