The Harishankar Jatra is an annual festival celebrated in Pharping, Nepal, involving the procession of seven idols on chariots through the town. The festival is a century-old Newari tradition believed to bring the wrath of deities upon the community if it’s ever discontinued. A significant event in recent history was the theft of four of the original idols in 1999, leading to their replacement with replicas and highlighting the challenges of preserving cultural heritage amidst the illegal antiquities black market.
