As one of the three royal centres of the Kathmandu Valley in the Nepalese Himalayas, Bhaktapur is athriving city with some 40,000 inhabitants. Over almost two millennia, its original inhabitants of the valley, the Newars, have shaped a unique urban culture that preserved a pre-industrial lifestyle until the
middle of the twentieth century. The city's festivals punctuate the calendar in such away that urban space turns into astage for quite anumber of civic performances. In these rituals, the supernaturals and humans act collectively to ensure the continuity of time and space. Among the many festivals of the year, ten occasions are selected. Of these, the celebration of the New Year(Bisketjatra) in April, the Farewell to the Dead (Gaijatra) in August, and the Victory of the goddess Durga-Dasain in October are of signifi cant meaning for the well-being of the community.
Moreover, the ritual of the Navadurga Deities leaves an imprint on the spatial and temporal integrity of the urban realm over aperiod of nine months.publiarq.com