Vatsaleshwori Jatra of Pashupati gets underway

 Kathmandu, Mar. 17: Among various jatras and festivals, which are celebrated in the Pashupati area since ancient times, Vatsaleshwori Jatra is one. It is the longest jatra of the Pashupatinath area, and the process to mark this annual festival began on Tuesday by performing Dudu Chya Chya (invitation journey). 

Dudu Chya Chya means to invite the Naxal Bhagawati, Naradevi and other goddesses in the Vatsaleshwori Jatra. Accordingly, the Dongols of Pashupatinath Amalkot Kachahari prepared a khat (cot) decorated with and umbrella with jhallar and a gold-plated pinnacle to invite the goddesses. 

Rewati Raman Adhikari, spokesperson for the Pashupati Area Development Trust (PADT), said the Dudu Chya Chya journey that started at 5:00 pm Tuesday completed around 9:00 pm in the night. 

He said that the trustees, employees of the PADT, Bhandar Tahabil, Pashupatinath Amalkot Kachahari, Pashupatinath Bhandar Tahabil and Jayabajeshwori Bhandar Tahabil walked on a pilgrimage to Nawalitole, Tamreshwor Mahadev, Naxal Bhagawati, Nagpokhari, Naradevi, Asan Annapurna Temple, Jaishideval, Balkumari, Indrachowk, Makhan, Hanumandhoka with the well decorated khat 

The khat was also taken to Jaishideval for inviting Her to the Vatsaleshwori Jatra. Then it was also taken to Lagan, Yangal, Majimpat and Maruganesh by keeping Kasthamandap on the right side. 

The Dudu Chya Chya invitation pilgrimage (nimantrana yatra) team reached Naradevi before returning to Pashupatinath. 

The festival is celebrated from March 15 to March 23 (Chaitra Krishna Ashtami to Chaitra Shukla Dwitiya).  

After completing the Dudu Chya Chya invitation pilgrimage, the main festival of Vatsaleshwari Jatra is celebrated for six days from March 18 to March 23. 

The festival is related to Deshodwar puja, Vatsaleshwori Jatra, Vajreshwari Jatra and Bhairava Jatra. 

The four castes of Devpatan namely Brahmins, (Rajopadhyaya), Kshetriya (Bhandari, Vaidya, Shakya, Shrestha), Vaishya (Dangol, Napit, Manandhar) 

and Shudra (accompanied by Nawali Tole) performed the worship of Deshodwar. 

Eight Guthis including Vatsaleshwori Sindoor Guthi, Vatsaleshwori Chandan Guthi, Vatsaleshwori Dhwon Guthi, Vajreshwori Guthi, Akash Bairava Guthi, Baladaitya Guthi, Kwachi Guthi and Koteshwor Guthi perform worship of Vatsaleshwori and sacrifice he-buffalo on the day of Chairtra Krishna Dwadashi (on March 18). 

This worship is traditionally performed in Vajreshwori Temple four days after Dudu Chya Chya by Amalkot Kachahari. After concluding Vajreshwari Jatra, the actual Vatsleshwari Jatra begins and lasts for three days. 

Deshodwar puja is also performed in Vatsaleshwari Temple. On the last day of the festival, Vatsaleshwori is worshipped by sacrificing he-buffalo in tantric method. 

Vajreshwari is worshipped only after worshipping Vatsaleshwari on the same day. It is customary to divide the head of he-buffalo sacrificed in Vatsaleshwari into eight parts in the Dabali in front of Bhimsen Temple.  Vatsaleshwari is believed to be wife of Pashupati.

On the day of Chairtra Shukla Dwitiya, Vatsaleshwori Jatra concludes with Sindoor Jatra. The khat of Vatssleshwori is carried playing the musical instruments towards Jayabageshwori, Nawalitole, Sifal gorund and knocked on the wall of Bhadarkhal three times. After that, the khat is brought to the western main gate of Pashupatinath Temple and it knocks the gate twice. Later, the khat is kept in the Dabali in front of Jayabageshwori and Pashupatinath’s main Bhatta performs a worship of Vatsaleshwori. 

Naxal Bhagawati is awaited before the khat of Vatsaleshwori is taken to Mitrapark. Vatsaleshwori is worshiped as the sister of Naxal Bhagawati. 

A legend has it that once Naxal Bhagawati visited Pashupatinath area at the invitation of Pashupatinath. She asked Pashupatinath about Vastsaleshwori as she did not see her sister. Pashupatinath said that her sister had gone somewhere in rage after he jokingly told she ate whatever she found. 

Pashupatinath asked Naxal Bhagawati to remind her sister not to do so. Then, Naxal Bhagawati went to Amalkot to meet her sister. This is why the khat is taken o Amalkot. 

It is still customary the khat of Naxal Bhagwati is taken to Vatsaleshwori’s khat for three times. After completing this, khat of Naxal Bhagawati it taken to Naxal and Vatsaleshwori’s to Chandravinayak. 

In the end, the khat of Vatsleshwori is kept in the Dabali on the west side of Kulananda Jha Sattal. 

The jatra ends by distributing prasad of Vatsaleshwori and performing a Sindoor Jatra (by throwing vermillion powder).