Seto Machhindranath chariot being prepared (Photos)

Kathmandu — Preparations have begun to build the chariot for the Seto Machhindranath festival at Tindhara Pathshala in Jamal.

According to the Seto Machhindranath Management Committee, work has started on constructing the chariot for the procession of the deity Arya Avalokiteshvara, who is revered as the god of rain and prosperity.

As per tradition, the chariot procession is held to allow elderly residents of the Kathmandu Valley to have दर्शन (holy viewing), with the chariot taken around the city.

This year, the Seto Machhindranath festival falls on Chaitra 12, so construction of the chariot began from Tritiya (the third lunar day). The chariot is tied using cane, a process known as “Pau” in the Newari language.

Seto Machhindranath—also known as Karunamaya and Arya Avalokiteshvara—is first placed in a palanquin from Janabahal and then installed in the chariot built at Tindhara Pathshala, after which the city procession begins. On the final day, the chariot is taken to Lagan Tole, where it is circled three times around the deity’s mother, marking the conclusion of the festival.

According to legend, in ancient times, a farmer discovered the idol of Seto Machhindranath while ploughing a field in the Jamal area. When he stored it in a grain container, the supply of rice never diminished, leading people to revere the idol as a provider of abundance and install it at Janabahal.

Following that tradition, the chariot is still built at Jamal, the place where the idol was found.

There are four Machhindranath deities in the valley: the Seto Machhindranath of Jamal, Banepa and Nala; and the Rato Machhindranath of Bungamati and Chobhar.

A symbol of religious harmony, Seto Machhindranath is worshipped as Shiva by Shaivites, as Shakti by Shakta followers, and as Arya Avalokiteshvara by Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhists.