Today marks the start of the Seto Machhindranath Chariot Festival
Seto Machhindranath chariot procession begins on Saturday, with women pulling it from Tindhara Pathshala to Ghantaghar, followed by men. Women can now participate in chariot pulling, requiring comfortable attire and not wearing valuable ornaments, ending a tradition that prohibited women from touching the chariot. The women are preparing for the 7th year of the ‘Jana Baha Dyah Jatra’ chariot procession, which was postponed due to COVID-19 lockdown. Nepal Tourism Board, Kathmandu Metropolitan City, and Seto Machhindranath Chariot Procession Committee collaborate to manage traffic, pull chariot, mobilize volunteers, and invite ambassadors to observe the festival.
On the first day of the celebration, President Ramchandra Paudel will come to worship Seto Machhindranath. He said that eight clans from the Maharjan, Manandhar, Chitrakar, and Kansakar communities worked together to construct the 32-hand-long chariot. The three-day chariot-pulling festival honors Seto Machhindranath, a highly revered god in the Kathmandu Valley. The parade passes via Jamal, Ratna Park, Bhotahiti, and Ason on the first day. It is thought that the Seto Machhindranath festival started in 595 AD. Other names for the deity include Karunamaya, Aryavalokiteshwor, Janmadyo, and Jamaleswor.
