Seto Machhindranath Jatra concludes

By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu, Mar. 30: Seto Machhindranath Jatra has concluded, with the circumambulation of the sacred tree considered the mother of Machhindranath in Lagan on Sunday evening.

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

The five-day festival began on the eighth day of Chaitra Shukla Ashtami and concludes on the full moon day of Chaitra Shukla. The chariot procession starts from Jamal in Kathmandu and ends in Janabahal. Seto Machhindranath is worshipped as the god of rain and prosperity.

The procession was a grand display of Kathmandu’s cultural heritage, with devotees actively participating in the Jatra. The festival is observed across nine wards of the metropolis.

Seto Machhindranath is also revered as a deity who removes evil, protects from premature death, and safeguards people from unrest and insecurity. 

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 not appropriate to keep 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. Other names of the deity include Karunamaya and Arya Avalokiteshvara.