Rato Machindranath Jatra
Rato Machindranath Jatra
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Rato Machindranath Jatra

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Rato Machindranath Jatra

Rato Machindranath Jatra (Nepali: रातो मच्छिन्द्रनाथको रथयात्रा), also known as Buṅga Dyaḥ Jātrā (Newar: बुंग द्यः जात्रा) is a Nepalese chariot festival which is held in Lalitpur, Nepal. It is one of the greatest religious events in the city and the longest chariot festival celebrated in the country.

The festival is dedicated to Buṅga Dyaḥ, who is also venerated as Karunamaya (Newar: करुणामय, "the compassionate one"), an aspect of the Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara and is popularly believed to bring the monsoon rains. He is also identified as an aspect of the Hindu saint Machhindranātha. More specifically, he is referred as Rato Machhindranath in Nepali, where Rato, meaning "red", is a reference to the colour of the deity's image. The chariot festival is held according to the lunar calendar, so the date is changeable. It begins on the 4th day of the bright fortnight of Bachhalā, the seventh month in the lunar Nepal Sambat calendar.

The chariot procession was instituted to celebrate the arrival of Bunga Dyah in Nepal and the end of a devastating drought. It was started when Narendra Deva was the king (640-683 AD).

Preparations for the festival begin with the construction of a 60-foot tall chariot at Pulchok at the western end of Lalitpur. When the chariot is complete, the image of Bunga Dyah from his temple is installed in it. Revellers then drag the chariot through the streets of Lalitpur on a tour that lasts a month. The chariot of Bunga Dyah is accompanied on the journey by a similar but smaller chariot of Chākuwā Dyah (चाकुवा द्यः).

The route of the chariot procession starts at Pulchok and passes through Gabahal, Mangal Bazar, Hakha, Sundhara, Chakrabahil, Lagankhel and ends at Jawalakhel. As per time-honored tradition, the chariot is pulled exclusively by women on the stretch between the localities of Iti and Thati. This part of the chariot procession is known as Yākah Misāyā Bhujyā (याकः मिसाया भुज्या).

The parade finishes at the open ground of Jawalakhel which is situated at the western side of Lalitpur. There, the festivities conclude with the ceremony of Bhoto Jatra, the display of the bhoto, a traditional Nepalese vest.

During the "Barha Barsa Jatra", that happens once in every 12 years, the chariot of the Machhindranath is constructed at Bungamati. The chariot is pulled all the way from Bungamati through Bhaisepati, Nakkhu, Bhanimandal, Jhamsikhel and to Pulchowk. The chariot is pulled from Jhamsikhel (near Ideal Model School) to Pulchowk at night. Then the chariot is pulled through the town at its normal route. After the Bhoto Jatra ceremony at Jawalakhel, the idol of Rato Machhindranath is taken back to Bungamati, where it spends the 6 months of the year.

In the past, for 12 years, there was no rainfall, and all the river dried off. To find out the solution to this problem, the King of Bhaktapur kingdom at that time went to Swayambhu to meet Tantrik. Then, the Tantrik said that Guru Gorakhnath was angry, so he was meditating on the cushion of 9 mighty serpents whose duty was the prime reason of rainfall in the valley.

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