Kathmandu gears up for Seto Machhindranath Jatra

By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu, Mar. 25: With the chariot procession of Jana Bahal Dyah (Seto Machhindranath) approaching, a preparatory meeting of the Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) was held to celebrate the festival with great fanfare.

The meeting, chaired by Acting Mayor Sunita Dangol, discussed issues such as management of the chariot route, coordination and facilitation of religious, cultural and social activities, cleanliness, peace and security and the promotion of the festival’s dignity. The festival is held in nine wards of the metropolis. 

Acting Mayor Dangol said that the assistance provided by the metropolis for organising the festival has been increased from Rs. 1 million to Rs. 2 million, adding that this will help enhance the grandeur of the festival and ensure the comfort of devotees.

The District Administration Office will mobilise security mechanisms to ensure tight security. Chief District Officer of Kathmandu District, Ishwor Raj Poudel, said, “The Metropolitan City should take responsibility for working closely with local communities to enhance the grandeur of the festival.”

The Metropolitan City will carry out maintenance, improvement, cleaning and management of the routes along which the festival will be conducted, said Ashaman Sangat, coordinator of the Metropolitan City’s Heritage and Tourism Committee.

Shailesh Kunwar, Administrator of the Guthi Sansthan, said that efforts will be made to manage the schedule by starting the Rath Yatra on time.

Neelkaji Shakya, the main priest of Seto Machhindranath, said that kindness and unity are essential. “Peace and order are everyone’s desires. There is no alternative to working together to achieve this. This message must be conveyed to the world,” he said.

According to Sujeev Bajracharya, coordinator of the Seto Machhindranath Jatra Management Committee, the chariot procession will begin on March 26 (Chaitra 12). The idol of Seto Machhindranath will be brought from Keltol in a palanquin. It will then be specially decorated and placed on a chariot built in front of Tindhara Pathshala in Jamal.

After this, the chariot will be pulled and taken to Asan on the first day via Ratna Park and Bhotahiti. The President is scheduled to visit Asan in the evening on the same day to offer worship to Seto Machhindranath.

On the second day, in the evening, the chariot will be taken from Asan via Balkumari, Keltol, and Indrachowk to Hanumandhoka. On the third day, the chariot will be pulled from Hanumandhoka to Lagan via Chikanmugal, Jaisedeval, and Jyavahal. On the fourth day, a circumambulation of the sacred tree, considered the mother of Machhindranath, will be performed in Lagan.

On the final day, March 30, the idol will be placed on a khat from Lagan and taken to Janabahal via Jyabahal, Dya La, Yutunani, Kohiti, Bhimsensthan, Maru, Yatkha, Naradevi, Kilagh, and Bhedasingh.

The chariot procession of Seto Machhindranath begins every year on the eighth day of Chaitra Shukla Ashtami. It starts from Jamal in Kathmandu and ends in Janabahal on the full moon day of Chaitra Shukla.

Machhindranath is also worshipped as a deity who removes evil, protects from premature death, and safeguards people from unrest and insecurity. People participate in the Jatra believing that worshipping Machhindranath invites Goddess Laxmi into their homes, bringing happiness, peace, and prosperity.

According to legend, in ancient times, a farmer discovered a white statue of Machhindranath while digging a field in Jamal, Kathmandu. When the statue was placed in his storeroom, there was no shortage of food, and the household experienced happiness, peace, and prosperity. Diseases and ailments also began to disappear.

It is believed that the idol was divine and that it was not appropriate to keep it at home. Therefore, it was taken from Jamal and placed in Janabahal. Since then, the chariot procession has begun from Jamal, the place where the idol was found.

The festival of Seto Machhindranath, a deity revered by both Hindus and Buddhists, lasts for five days, from Chaitra Shukla Ashtami to the full moon. It is believed that the deity is named Seto Machhindranath because the idol is white. Other names of the deity include Karunamaya and Arya Avalokiteshwara.