Seto Machindranath Jatra is one of the most important festivals held in Kathmandu. It is a three-day chariot festival honouring the god of rain. Every year, towards the end of March (Chaitra Sukla Ashtami), Rath Jatra is celebrated. Machindranath Rath Jatra is a popular cultural celebration that is largely attended mainly by local Newari people. During the Jatra, the idol of Seto Machhindranath is then transported to a bigger chariot and driven through the city centre of Kathmandu. The chariot is driven through Ason, Hanumandhoka, Jaisideval, and Lagan. Another name for this celebration is Jana Baha Dya Jatra. When the chariot arrives at its destination each day, a squad of soldiers salute the God by shooting with their guns in the air.
There are several myths about this festival’s origin. For many, the festival merely signifies the end of winter and the start of the spring and rainy seasons. Locals at Jana Bahal, the shrine where Seto Machindranath’s idol is kept, have their own stories. One of the best known stories concerns Yamaraj, the deity of death, and his journey to Swayambhunath.
Yamaraj had heard a lot about Swayambhunath and its magical abilities, and decided to pay a visit so that he, too, might ascend to heaven. As he was returning, the king, with the help of his tantric priest, caught the god of death and demanded that he make him immortal in exchange for his freedom. Yamaraj, a mortal deity, informed the monarch that he couldn’t give anybody that ability. The king refused to let him leave. Yamaraj sought Lord Arya Awalokiteshwor, a Bodhisattva manifestation, to rescue him from the king.
The lord emerged from the pond nearby, white in colour, and told the King that neither Yamaraj nor he could offer him immortality. The lord also instructed him to construct a temple near the confluence of the Kalmati and Bagmati rivers and said that everyone who enters and worships in the temple will live a long life. The lord is said to have promised the king, who had no choice but to release Yamaraj.
The god instructed the king to organise a rath yatra every year for three days beginning on Chaitra Shukla Ashtami so he could visit. Every year since then, the procession has started from the exact spot where the lord first showed himself to king Yaksha Malla.
This festival is not just a parade of people with wooden structures and idols of god. It highlights Nepal’s rich cultural legacy and is a must-see for anyone interested in Nepali customs and culture.
Compiled By: Rebika Bishokarma
Photos By: Ayush Maharjan
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