On the first day of the festival, Paaneju priests of the Newar community in Bungmati VDC of Lalitpur district, placed the idol of Rato Machchhindranath inside the sacred chamber of the chariot constructed with wood and bamboo brought from the forests of Makawanpur, Nuwakot and Godawari.[break]
“The wood used in the chariot bears religious importance,” says Dil Kumar Barahi, one of the locals involved in the chariot-making. “That is why we need to bring it from certain forests only. We cannot use wood from just any forest.”
The most fascinating part of this festival is the pulling of the chariot in procession, accompanied by a smaller chariot, that of Meennath.
Rato Machchhindranath is a deity revered by Hindus and Buddhists alike in Lalitpur and beyond. On the fourth day of the festival, the chariots will be pulled right through the inner city of Lalitpur, making ritual stops at localities such as Gabahal, Sundhara and Lagankhel.
Devotees from all parts of the city get their chance to pull the chariots.
On Friday, until just hours before the Rato Machchhindranath festival began, locals were busy completing the chariot. Those involved in the construction have to adhere to certain rules.
They are not allowed, for instance, to have physical relations with their wives or eat food cooked with garlic in the course of the festival.
The history of the Rato Machchhindranath, who is also worshipped as Padampani Lokeshwar, Avalokiteshwar, Aryavalokiteshwar and Karunamaya, is more than 1,400 years old. The deity is considered the god of plenty.
Legend has it that the Valley was suffering from a long drought and famine because Gorakhnath, a disciple of Machchhindranath, sat sulking atop the snake deities, who are responsible for the rains.
To get Gorakhnath to stand up and free the snakes, his guru Machchhindranath was brought over from Assam. When he saw Machchhindranath in front of him, Gorakhnath promptly stood up out of reverence for his guru, thus releasing the serpents and ending the prolonged drought. The Rato Machchhindranath Jatra culminates at Jawalakhel with the Bhoto Jatra, which has its own legend.
Related story
Rato Machhindranath's chariot procession begins today
