Rato Machhindranath chariot procession to resume

By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu, May 8: The chariot procession of Machhindranath, revered as the rain god, is set to continue on June 17. At present, the chariot remains stationed at Thati Tole in Lalitpur.

Lachhuna Sharma Kafle, Chief of Patan Guthi Sansthan, said that the chariot was stopped at Thati Tole after passing through various places such as Gabahal, Mangalbazar, Sundhara, and Lagankhel in Lalitpur city.

Kirti Kiran Joshi and Purna Mangal Joshi, two astrologers, fixed the auspicious date to resume the chariot procession of Rato Machhindranath and Minnath from Thati Tole to Jawalakhel.

Sitting at Sorakhutte Pati in Mani Mandap, Machhindranath’s astrologers determined the auspicious day for pulling the chariot to Jawalakhel, she said.

The chariots of Rato Machhindranath and Minnath have remained at rest since April 30 after both chariots were pulled by women on the morning of April 30 in Lagankhel to Thati Tole.

The chariots passed through various places such as Mangalbazar, Sundhara, Lagankhel, and Gabahal before finally reaching Thati Tole.

During the month-long procession, women are allowed to pull the chariot on only one occasion, a day known as the “Women’s Festival.”

Before the chariots reached Thati Tole, the coconut-dropping event and the women-led chariot pulling were celebrated.

As per tradition, only women are allowed to pull the chariot after the annual coconut-throwing festival during the Rath Yatra.The Bhoto Jatra will be held four days after the chariots reach Jawalakhel, Kafle said.

The chariot procession of Rato Machhindranath, which takes place every year in Lalitpur, is known as the oldest and longest jatra in the Kathmandu Valley.

This year’s jatra will end after the Bhoto exhibition ceremony before the head of state.The chariots will remain at Thati Tole until June 16. Devotees are currently offering prayers there, she said.

The procession begins with the placement of the Machhindranath idol inside the sanctum of the chariot, which has four large wooden wheels. The chariot and its wheels are prepared at Pulchowk.

Many people visit Patan to celebrate the festival and worship the idol of Machhindranath during the procession. Residents of Patan invite relatives to join in the celebrations, which conclude at Jawalakhel.

According to historians, the festival was introduced by Narendra Deva, an ardent devotee of Rato Machhindranath (also known as Karunamaya), in 879 A.D.

The chariot stands about 50 feet tall, forming a towering structure that makes this four-wheeled chariot a fascinating sight.