Abstract
Vernacular settlements provide us an opportunity to learn how sustainable building was inherently practiced in various regions of the world. This paper looks at how rituals that are a part of the Indra Jatra, a community festival, reinforces the ideals of sustainable spatial planning in the vernacular settlements of the Newars who are the indigenous community belonging to the Kathmandu Valley in Nepal. The settlement-pattern and vernacular dwellings are appraised, and the current scenario is analyzed so as to derive how the ritual spaces get activated during the festival ( that have been spatially planned) and whether they guide decision-making and policy planning. This is essential to determine whether these spaces face any urban pressures and to further investigate how they can be mitigated.