Take a Look: UCO Nepalese Student Association Held Indra Jatra Celebration

Cameron Estes September 25, 2025 3:32 pm

Student dressed as the living goddess Kumari (CAMERON ESTES/THE VISTA)

Students dressed as the Living goddess Kumari and guardian demon Lakhe (CAMERON ESTES/THE VISTA)

Student dressed as guardian demon Lakhe (CAMERON ESTES/ THE VISTA)

UCO student dancing at Indra Jatra celebration (CAMERON ESTES/THE VISTA)

UCO community getting food at Indra Jatra celebration (CAMERON ESTES/THE VISTA)

President of the Nepalese Student Association Jenisha Kashichhawa (CAMERON ESTES/THE VISTA)

Students pose with guardian demon Lakhe (CAMERON ESTES/ THE VISTA)

The University of Central Oklahoma’s Nepalese Student Association held its second annual Indra Jatra festival on Sept. 24 at the Blue Tent on Broncho Lake.

“For UCO, Indra Jatra represents more than just a festival; it is an opportunity for the broader campus to learn about Nepal’s culture, history, and spirituality. It celebrates the diversity of the international student body and gives everyone the chance to experience food, music, dance, and traditions they might never encounter otherwise. It’s a moment of cultural exchange that builds appreciation, respect, and community,” said Ayushi, secretary of the NSA.

The word Indra refers to the god of rain in Hindu mythology, and Jatra means festival, so Indra Jatra is essentially a festival dedicated to thanking Indra for the rains that make our harvests and life possible.