jatras

Jatras are traditional public events in the Indian subcontinent that can denote either religious processions or a form of folk theatre, especially in Nepal and the Bengal region. The two senses are geographically overlapping but distinct in practice.

In Nepal, jatras are major religious festivals featuring temple rituals, processions, chariots, and public performances. They bring communities together, often around a deity or a temple, and synchronize ritual, music, and dance.

In the Bengal-speaking regions (West Bengal, Bangladesh, and parts of Assam), jatra refers to a popular itinerant theatre tradition. Troupes travel from town to town performing dramatic narratives, usually with songs, chants, and music, often based on mythological or historical plots.

The form has regional variations in content and presentation. Bengali jatra theatre tends to be stage-based and commercial, with stock plots and audience participation; Nepali jatras are more ritual- and festival-centered and integrated with temple life.

Today, jatras remain important for cultural heritage and tourism. They are studied by scholars of folklore and theatre as examples of communal performance, ritual life, and popular culture.