Rato Machhindranath chariot construction begins in Lalitpur

By A Staff Reporter

Lalitpur, Apr. 7: The Guthi Sansthan of Lalitpur has begun assembling and structuring the chariot of Rato Machhindranath at Pulchowk, Lalitpur, from Saturday, April 4.

This year, the chariot procession of the Rato Machhindranath festival will fall on April 21, four days after the idol of Rato Machhindranath is placed on the 48-foot chariot on April 18.

Construction of the chariot for Patan’s famous Rato Machhindranath Jatra is in full swing at the shrine in Pulchowk, Lalitpur. 

The chariot, made entirely of wood, is built to stand 48 feet tall on four wheels representing the four Bhairavs of the city: Kundi, Harisiddhi, Lubhu, and Tika Bhairav.

Construction of the holy carriage usually begins in mid-April after the idol of the god of rain and good harvest receives a ritual bathing ceremony. This year, the ritual took place on April 3, said Dil Kumar Barahi, leader of the Barahi Da Guthi. 

Different castes of the Newar community are involved in the chariot-building process. In total, 32 castes from the Newar community take part in the process. The Barahis craft the Dhamma, and Chitrakars (traditional artists) paint images and icons of various divinities on it.

The construction of the four wheels of the Rato Machhindranath chariot was completed on March 13. The new wheels were built in the traditional style to replace the damaged ones.

Two wheels of the chariot were completely destroyed by fire during the Gen-Z protest. As per tradition, all four wheels must be rebuilt if even one becomes damaged or non-functional, said Barahi.

The four new wheels will be pulled to Pulchowk from Gahachhe near the Banglamukhi Temple on March 11 and attached to the chariot the following day, he added.  

According to religious and cultural beliefs, the wheels of the Rato Machhindranath chariot are generally constructed once every 12 years. However, there is also a tradition of rebuilding them mid-cycle in case of accidental damage or disasters.

He further said that a completely new chariot of Rato Machhindranath will be built next year, as a new one is constructed every 12 years. In other years, the chariot is built at Pulchowk, but during the 12-year cycle, it is constructed at Rato Machhindranath temple premises of Bungamati, he added.

The bathing ritual of Rato Machhindranath was performed on April 3, and the following day, the process of assembling and structuring the chariot began at Pulchowk. 

Machhindranath, the deity of good harvest and prosperity, will be placed on the 48-foot chariot at Pulchowk, Lalitpur, on April 18 and the chariot-pulling procession will begin on April 21.

Lachhuna Sharma Kafle, Chief of the Lalitpur Guthi Sansthan, said that Rs. 10 million has been allocated for the repair and maintenance of both the Rato Machhindranath and Minnath chariots. The construction of the Minnath chariot will begin in a few days, even though work on the Rato Machhindranath chariot has already started.