Patan’s historic Kartik Dance : 383 years of celebrating Lord Vishnu’s stories

This dance is associated with 17 stories of Lord Vishnu. Each day, a different story is depicted through dance performances based on various legends.

The Kartik Dance was initiated by the Malla-era King Siddhi Narsingh Malla and has been performed every year during the month of Kartik since then. It is believed that King Siddhi Narsingh Malla started this tradition for the welfare of the country and its people.

Historical records show that the Kartik Dance began in Nepal Sambat 761, which corresponds to 1697 AD. A unique feature of this dance is that it presents a different story through performances each day.

King Siddhi Narsingh is said to have started this dance to free the people of Lalitpur from fear and anxiety. The creators and pioneers of this dance include Siddhi Narsingh’s teachers, Pandit Harivansh Upadhyay and Guru Vishwanath Upadhyay.

Initially, the dance was performed for five days. It is believed that Siddhi Narsingh’s son, Srinivas Malla, extended it to 15 days by adding performances like ‘Bathah Pyakhan’ (folk drama), ‘Sudama Pyakhan,’ and ‘Surdas Pyakhan.’