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Bhoto Festival At Jawalakhel
BY KTM Metro Reporter in Kathmandu
On June 27, 2009, the festival of displaying a Bhoto from the balcony of the chariot to Lord Matsyendranath has been held at Jawalakhel. Living Goddess Kumari of Patan has presided over the festival. President Ram Baran Yadav, Vice-president Permananda Jha, Prime Minister Madhav Nepal and other ministers have watched the festival.
The festival of taking Lord Matsyendranath on a spire like chariot around Patan has continued since the time of Licchavi King Narendra Deva of Bhaktapur. A legend has it that King Narendra Deva of Bhaktapur, Tantric priest Bandhu Datta Acaju of Kathmandu and porter Rathan Chakra of Patan have brought Matsyendranath from Kamarupa: present-day Assam of India to remedy the 12-year drought in Nepal.
The festival of displaying the Bhoto has been held since the time of another Licchavi King Gunakamdeva. Another legend has it that the Naga king has presented the Bhoto means a vest to a healer for healing the eye ailment of his queen. The vest is embroidered with jewels. A bhut means a human spirit hanging around has stolen it from the healer. At the time of the festival of Matsyendranath, the bhut is watching the festival wearing the vest embroidered with jewels. The healer recognizes his vest and claims it. Nobody could settle the dispute over the ownership of the jewel-studded vest. So, they take it to King Gunakamdeva. The king also could not judge to whom it belongs to; so, he decided to keep it with Matsyendranath and display it once a year.
After the completion of displaying the Bhoto, President Ram Baran Yadav received the blessing from Matsyendranath and then from the Living goddess Kumari. Then, he took the salute presented by the Nepal Army and then returned back to his residence.
