About the Festival
The Rato Machchhindranath Jatra, also known as Bunga Dyah Jatra, is a vibrant festival held in Lalitpur, Nepal. It honors the deity Machchhindranath, who is revered as Raktalokiteshwor, Karunamaya, and the god of rain and giver of grains. The word “Rato” means red, which refers to the deity’s image. Buddhists also revere this god as Bodhisattva Padmapani Lokeshwor or Avalokiteshwor.
The festival begins on the fourth day of the bright fortnight of Bachhala, the seventh month of the Nepal Sambat calendar, which corresponds to Baisakh in the Bikram Sambat calendar and May in the Gregorian calendar. The origins of this festival date back to around 897 AD, during the reign of King Narendra Dev of the Lichchhavi dynasty. It is believed to have started to celebrate the arrival of Machchhindranath and the end of a long, devastating drought. The preparations for the festival begin with the construction of a 32-foot-tall chariot at Pulchowk. The idol of Machchhindranath is then installed in the chariot, which is dragged through the streets of Lalitpur for a month. This grand procession is accompanied by a smaller chariot of Chakuna Dyah (Minanath), a form of Lord Shiva. Before the procession starts, the committee responsible for organizing the festival offers a cow to a priest. The chariot’s route includes Pulchowk, Natole, Gabahal, Mangal Bazar, Hakha, Sundhara, Chakrabahil, Lagankhel, and Jawalakhel. Along the way, people throw water from their homes to cool down the chariot pullers. At the end of each day, three rounds of bullets are fired. At Lagankhel, a coconut is thrown from the top of the chariot, and whoever catches it is believed to have an auspicious year. A unique part of the procession, known as Yakah Misaya Bhujya, involves women exclusively pulling the chariot between the localities of Iti and Thati.
The festival culminates at Jawalakhel with the Bhoto Jatra ceremony, where a jewel-studded black vest, or Pwaklo in Newari, is displayed. (In Newari, Bhoto has sleeves whereas, Pwaklo means vest.) After both chariots arrive at Jawalakhel, astrologers decide on a date for the Bhoto Jatra ceremony. In the presence of the king (now the president), a government official climbs onto the chariot and holds the vest from all sides for everyone to see. The Kumari of Patan, the living goddess, also observes this ceremony from a special rest house. This ritual marks the end of the festival, after which the idol is taken back to Bungmati, where it is kept for six months. Once every 12 years, the chariot is constructed at Bungmati and follows a special route through Bhaisepati, Nakkhu, Bhanimandal, Jhamsikhel, and Pulchowk before joining its usual path.
The Rato Machchhindranath Jatra is more than just a festival; it is a profound expression of faith, culture, and community. The event brings together people from different walks of life, celebrating the enduring spirit of the gods and the rich traditions of the Kathmandu Valley. This festival is a must-see, offering a unique glimpse into the heart of Nepali culture.
Myths and Legends
According to legends, many years ago Nepal Mandal (modern day Kathmandu Valley) faced a severe drought that lasted for twelve long years. Desperate for a solution, King Narendra Dev of Bhaktapur (capital of Nepal) sought the help of the Tantrik high priest Bandhudutta Acharya in Swayambhunath, Kathmandu. The Tantrik revealed that the drought was caused by the powerful Guru Gorakhnath. Gorakhnath, angered by the citizens’ refusal to give him alms and recognize him, had taken the serpents, who are responsible for rain, and made them his seat for meditation.
The Tantrik proposed a solution: they needed to bring Machchhindranath (reincarnation of god of compassion), who was the king of a daitya kingdom in Assam, to the Kathmandu Valley. Machchhindranath was Gorakhnath’s teacher, and only his presence could convince Gorakhnath to free the serpents. With this plan in mind, King Narendra Dev, Bandhudutta Acharya, a farmer from Yala (old new name of Lalitpur) named Lalit Jyapu, and Ratanchakra embarked on a journey to Assam. They were joined by Karkotak Nagaraj, the king of serpents, who promised to protect them from supernatural threats.
Reaching Assam, they faced the challenge of bringing Machchhindranath back. Being of royal lineage, he could not be easily taken. The Tantrik summoned four Bhairabs and tasked them with retrieving Machchhindranath. Near Assam, Bandhudutta performed intricate rituals and recited powerful mantras to awaken Machchhindranath from his meditation. Despite his mother’s attempts to keep him, Machchhindranath transformed into a black bee and flew into the golden vessel of Bandhudutta.
The Bhairabs successfully brought Machchhindranath back to the Kathmandu Valley and released the bee near the Nakkhu River. When Guru Gorakhnath saw his teacher, he stood silently in respect, freeing the serpents and ending the drought. Rainfall blessed the valley once more, but a new dilemma arose: where to enshrine Machchhindranath?
King Narendra Dev, Bandhudutta Acharya, and Lalit Jyapu sought the wisdom of the King of Yala. He cunningly decided to enshrine Machchhindranath in Yala. During this pivotal moment, a Bhairab appeared and let out a resounding cry of “Bu,” which means “home” in Newari. Taking it as a divine sign, they enshrined the golden vessel within the newly constructed Temple of Rato Machchhindranath in Yala. Yala, then, started being called Lalitpur as well.
Historicity of Machchhindranath
Some have proposed a historical and scientific explanation for the legend of Machhindranath. They say that Machchhindranath was an agriculture scientist and botanist and also a king of Assam and as was normally done in those era, the people deified the experts and Machchhindranth was no exception.
In Nepal Mandal had been facing a series of bad harvests and famine for a long time. The seeds were hollow and contained no edible parts. The then King Narendra Dev needed a solution and went to the tantrik high priest of Swayumbhu who was an expert on farming of the time. He knew about Machchhindranth’s reputation.
The king, tantrik and a farmer named Lalit went with them as porter. After meeting with Machhindranath, the latter decided to give the trio his knowledge and also the foods suitable for cultivaton in the valley. His mother did not approve of this yet, Machchhindranath continued sharing his expertise and better technological knowledge of farming and agriculture. He told king and the tantrik that if his teachings yield positive result, the greatest credit goes to the farmers.
His techniques were implemented in the valley. The harvest yield was 10 times larger than before. The rulers and the people decided to build the temple in his honour. The disagreement arose between the city dwellers regarding the site of construction: Kathmandu (the tantrik’s city), Bhaktapur (the king’s city) or Lalitpur (the farmer’s city). The tantrik and the king, however, decided Yala (Newari name of Lalitpur) was the right place as Machchhindranath himself had said the farmers deserved the greatest credit and hence, they convinved the dwellers of the respective cities to contribute for the construction of the temple.
Machchhindranath may have taught the Newars to farm in steep places by building terraces, planting pits and better conservation of seeds. This can be inferred by looking at the fact that these practices started during the reign of Narendra Dev.
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