Rato Machhindranath brought to Tabaha from Bungamati

By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu, Nov. 28: Rato Machhindranath, the god of rain, was brought from Bungamati to Tabaha (Machhindrabahal) in Patan on Wednesday.

As per the tradition, Machhindranath is kept for six months in Patan and six months in Bungamati.

After completing the puja at a special site selected by the Guthi leaders, the Guruju ko Paltan performed its ritual performance. Then the priests, accompanied by musical band and local devotees, brought Machhindranath to Patan, carrying the idol on a khat.

According to legend, Gorakhnath was once denied donations by the people of Kantipur. Angered, he sat on the Navanag at Pashupati in Mrigasthali.

It is believed that Gorakhnath’s meditation had suppressed the serpents, causing the drought. With Machhindranath’s arrival, Gorakhnath rose, freeing the serpents and bringing rainfall. In celebration, locals began the chariot procession, originally known as Jawalakhel Jatra—linked to offerings of rice.

On June 1, 2025, after Bhoto Jatra, the final day of the month-long Rato Machhindranath Jatra, the idol of Rato Machhindranath was taken back to Bungamati and kept there for six months.

The month-long Rato Machhindranath Jatra concluded on Sunday, June 1, 2025, with the celebration of Bhoto Jatra, one of Nepal’s oldest and most significant chariot festivals.

From this year, the idol of Rato Machhindranath has been placed at the newly reconstructed Shikhar-style temple—returning to its original home 10 years after it was displaced by the devastating 2015 earthquake.