Nava Durga deities, the 9 demonic representations of the Goddess Parvati, that are represented by the new Nava Durga masks on display in the temple. Later in the evening, ritual dancers don the Nava Durga masks and, accompanied by musicians, move the deities through the city’s small neighborhoods. Then they perform a tantric dance in an open space. Devotees pay homage to these dancers and offer food, flower and money.

The masks are made anew each year by a designated artist of the Chitrakar (painter) caste with special clay that is imbued with power and magic through a tantric ritual. The masks are secretly cremated each June and new ones made in September incorporate the ashes.

(Text: Claire Burkert)