A significant merit-making celebration, Jugā Chāhre is commemorated on the thirteenth day of the dark half of Shrawan or Bhadra as part of Gunlā. While devotees perform Dāan (alms-giving), three enormous images of Dīpaṅkara Buddha are carried out from nearby Bahas (monasteries), namely from Heranīlavarṇa Mahāvihāra, Hemavarṇa Mahāvihāra, and Guṇakīrti Mahāvihāra, and paraded through Thimi, Bode, and Nagadesh.
The celebration is a regional manifestation of the more general Gunlā month, the sacred tenth month of the Nepal Sambat lunar calendar devoted to spiritual cleansing. To gain religious merit, families present grains, fruits, and cash alms to the Sangha (monastic community) and the Dīpaṅkara Buddhas during this procession.
The route links Madhyapur Thimi’s three historic municipalities:
Thimi: The place where the massive, imposing images are put together and consecrated.
Bode: The procession travels to this ancient community, where locals congregate in the chowks and streets to greet the gods.
Nagadesh: The last significant portion of the circumambulation, which ends with communal celebrations, offerings, and traditional devotional singing.
