Nepal, Jan. 19 -- Every Jatra had an allegorical figure called Bibek who commented on actions of actors and their consequences

I can see a few raised eyebrows just reading the word Jatra. Some might be thinking, 'what is there to write about it?' Well, Jatra comes from Yatra meaning procession or journey in Sanskrit. It also refers to different types of Newari festivals. Similarly Jatra is a popular folk form of Bengali theater, spread throughout most of Bengali speaking areas in the Indian subcontinent including Bangladesh and Indian states of West Bengal, Bihar, Assam, Orissa and Tripura. Now you must be thinking, 'so what? Why are you writing about it?' Well, the connection is related to my visit to Varanasi.

My recent trip to Varana...