Nepal's festival season starts with a parade for a living goddess

KATHMANDU, Nepal (AP) — The old palace in the heart of Nepal's Kathmandu was packed to the brim as tens of thousands of devotees celebrated the beginning of the monthslong festival season on Saturday.

Men and boys in colorful masks and gowns representing Hindu deities danced to traditional music and drums, drawing throngs of spectators as families gathered for feasts and lit incense for the dead at shrines.

The weeklong Indra Jatra festival is the first of many other coming celebrations in the predominantly Hindu nation, which include Dasain, the main festival, celebrated later this month, and Tihar, or Diwali, the festival of lights, in October.

In the heart of the crowd, devotees could be seen pulling a wooden chariot with a young girl, known as Kumari, or virgin in the Nepali language, who is revered as a living goddess by Hindus and Buddhists.

Tens of thousands of devotees lined up the narrow streets of inner Kathmandu to worship Kumari, including Nepal's president, prime minister and several top officials.

The Indra Jatra festival marks the end of the monsoon and rice farming season and signals the dawn of fall. It’s celebrated mostly by the Newar community, the native residents of Kathmandu. It is also known as the festival of deities and demons and especially honors Indra, the Hindu god of rain.

The masked dancers, one of the highlights of the ceremony, can be fearsome, entertaining and awe-inspiring, depending on the performers’ movements.

A Newar woman takes a selfie with her young daughter, dressed to represent divine female energy, and her son as they wait for Kumari Puja, a ritual during which the young girl would be worshipped, at Hanuman Dhoka, Basantapur Durbar Square, Kathmandu, Nepal, Friday, Sept. 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha)

A young Newar girl, dressed to represent divine female energy, waits for Kumari Puja, a ritual during which she would be worshipped, at Hanuman Dhoka, Basantapur Durbar Square, Kathmandu, Nepal, Friday, Sept. 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha)

Masked dancers perform during Indra Jatra, a festival that marks the end of the rainy season in Kathmandu, Nepal, Saturday, Sept. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha)

A young Newar girl, dressed to represent divine female energy, reacts as she waits for Kumari Puja, a ritual during which she would be worshipped, at Hanuman Dhoka, Basantapur Durbar Square, Kathmandu, Nepal, Friday, Sept. 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha)

A young Newar girl, dressed to represent divine female energy, waits for Kumari Puja, a ritual during which she will be worshipped at Hanuman Dhoka, Basantapur Durbar Square, Kathmandu, Nepal, Friday, Sept. 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha)

NEW DELHI (AP) — India raised fuel prices by 3 rupees ($0.03) per liter Friday as the government moved to offset losses due to higher global oil prices.

In New Delhi, gasoline prices rose to 97.77 rupees ($1.17) a liter, while diesel climbed to 90.67 rupees ($1.09) a liter.

India imports about 90% of its oil and has been hit hard by rising energy prices and supply disruptions linked to the Iran war and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. It had until now avoided raising retail fuel prices despite sharp increases in energy costs, making it one of the last major economies to pass higher crude prices on to consumers.

The price increases came days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged Indians to adopt voluntary austerity measures.

Modi on Sunday called on people to work from home where possible, limit foreign travel and reduce purchases of gold. He described fuel conservation and saving foreign exchange as an act of “patriotism,” and encouraged greater use of public transportation, carpooling and lower fertilizer consumption.

Opposition leaders said Modi’s appeal came only after a key round of state elections had concluded, noting that fuel prices were kept unchanged during the campaign.

Manoj Kumar, a 48-year-old taxi driver in New Delhi, said the rise in fuel prices was adding to the strain on working-class people.

“For common people like us, even one rupee has great value. People work so hard from morning till evening just to make ends meet. The government is not seeing this," he said.

Earlier this week, India also raised import duties on gold and silver to 15% in an effort to curb demand for imports that drain foreign exchange reserves.

The Indian rupee has fallen to record lows in recent weeks as higher oil prices increased pressure on imports and foreign exchange reserves.

Meanwhile, India’s capital has become the first state to roll out austerity measures.

Authorities in New Delhi on Thursday announced fuel-saving measures, including mandatory work-from-home days for some government employees. Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said the 90-day campaign aims to reduce official fuel use and encourage people in the capital to rely more on public transportation instead of private vehicles.

Under the plan, employees whose work can be done remotely will work from home two days a week, while private companies are being encouraged to adopt similar measures voluntarily.

India has also accelerated ethanol blending in gasoline as part of its push to cut crude oil imports.

Most fuel stations across the country now sell gasoline blended with 20% ethanol, and the government has proposed expanding the use of fuels containing 85% — or even 100% — ethanol in compatible vehicles.

Energy experts said blending biofuel can help shield from global energy shocks but can lead to further stressing already depleting groundwater resources, encroach on land meant for food crops and impact older vehicles’ engines.

AP journalists Sibi Arasu in Bengaluru, India and Shonal Ganguly in New Delhi contributed to this report.

A commuter monitors the meter as an attendant refuels his vehicle at a filling station in New Delhi, India, Friday, May 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Shonal Ganguly)

A commuter monitors the meter as an attendant refuels his scooter at a filling station in New Delhi, India, Friday, May 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Shonal Ganguly)