Forgot your password?
Festival Of Rato Matsyendranath In Patan
By KTM Metro Reporter
May 10, 2013: following the auspicious moment and day a group of astrologers have ascertained, priests are going to ceremoniously install Rato Matsyendranath in the inner sanctum of the spire like chariot built at Pulchok in Patan today. Similarly, deity Minnath also will be installed in another similar but a little bit shorter chariot next to the chariot of Rato Matsyendranath.
On the coming Monday: the most auspicious day called Achaya tritiya, volunteers will pull both the chariots through the narrow alleys in Patan. Deity Minnath leads Rato Matsyendranath. Before Rato Matsyendranath was brought to Nepal to break the 12-year long draught, people celebrated the festival of Minnath only. The festival of pulling the chariots lasts a month or more.
Kathmanduites had already celebrated the festival of Seto Matsyendranath, pulling the chariot from Jamal to Lagan in Kathmandu in April. It is only for a few days precisely for three days but it could last longer if something goes wrong on the way.
People in Dolakha also have the festival of pulling the chariot of Matsyendranath. They had stopped it for some years. Currently, they have started off the festival again. People in Dolkha believe that Matsyendranath made a first stop in Dolkha on the way to the Kathmandu Valley.
Only Bhakatapur has no tradition of the festival of the chariot pulling. It has no Matsyendranath, too.
The Kathmandu Valley has three Matsyendranaths. Most renowned Matsyendranath is in Patan. He resides six months in Patan, and another six months in Bungamati. Matsyendranath has majestic temples in Patan and Bungamati. The second one is in Kiritpur. The third one is in Kathmandu. The fourth one is Nala of the Kavre district. The fifth is in Dolkha.
However, Matsyendranath in Kirtipur and Nala have had no tradition of going out of their respective temple.
Rato Matsyendranath is the rain god. At the final stage of the festival, Rato Matsyendranath stays at Lagankhel for a few days for celebrating the festival of hurling a coconut from the top of the spire. Then, only women pullers bring the chariot to the Podetole. From there, the chariot is pulled to Jawalakhel on the auspicious time and day. On the fourth day of the Chariot reaching Lagankhel, a festival of showing a vest encrusted with jewels is displayed. Thereafter, the festival ends. Rato Matsyendranath travels on a portable shrine carried by devotes on shoulders to Bungamati for the winter stay. After the festival, monsoon starts in Nepal.
