Seto Machindranath Jatra

Local people pulling the chariot of seto machindranath on March 25th 2019.

Every year around end of March(Chaitra Sukla Aastami), Seto Machindranath Rath jatra is celebrated. Seto Machindranath Rath Jatra is a popular traditional festival of Kathmandu Valley specially celebrated by local Newari people. The Seto Machindranath (White Machindranath) is considered as the god of rain. In the jatra, the god Seto Machindranath’s statue is carried in a small chariot up to Jamal Tindhara. The statue is then moved to a wider chariot, driven around the core area of Kathmandu city. The chariot is driven across areas including Ason, Hanumandhoka, Jaisideval and Lagan.

On the first day of the Jatra, a huge crowd of devotees pushes the chariot up to Ason. The chariot is pulled off from Ason to HanumanDhoka the next day. It reaches Lagan on the third day. The chariot is then pulled around a tree in the place which is known as Maa Seema and the temple of the mother of Seto Machindranath. The statue of Seto Machindranath is brought back to its original location, the temple at Jana Bahal after one or two days. The statue is transferred in the small Chariot. This Jatra continues until the full moon day (Purinima) and ends.

Moreover, there is another Machindranath Jatra called the “Rato Machindranath Jatra” (Red) is quite different from that of Seto Machindranath Jatra which is celebrated by local Newari people at Patan.