LALITPUR, The Lalitpur District Administration Office advised Jyapu Samaj Yala, a local Guthi, and the locals involved in the annual Rato Machindranath Jatra to postpone this year's festival until the end of the Covid-19 pandemic. The festival, the main attraction of which is the cart procession, was scheduled to start from Pulchowk on Wednesday. The organizers of the festival decided to organize the festival after the government eased the lockdown in mid-June.
The festival is the longest chariot festival in Nepal, which starts just before the beginning of the monsoon, to calm down the rain and grain god Rato Machindranath. The local administration of Laltipur directed the Guthi to cancel the festival, claiming that it was against the government's decision. The Cabinet meeting on June 10 announced that it would ease the lockdown, but restricted all kinds of social and cultural activities.
"The government has already announced a ban on large gatherings. And with the cases of Covid-19 increasing rapidly in the Kathmandu Valley, the festival has to be postponed until the pandemic is over, "said Chief District Officer Narayan Prasad Bhatta. As of Tuesday, Kathmandu Valley registered 264 cases of cornavirus infection—174 in Kathmandu, 48 in Lalitpur and 42 in Bhaktapur.
This is the second time that the annual Rato Machindranath Festival is canceled within a year. Earlier, the festival was cancelled on April 10, as the country was still locked up. After the lockdown was relaxed, the festival was rescheduled. Padma Rajan Bhuju, the president of the Guti who is organizing the festival, said there is still doubt about the resumption of the festival.
"If the cases had not increased this way in the Valley, we would have started a cart procession. The festival would have given hope to people who are already in trouble because of the lockdown, "Bhuju said.
The annual chariot festival, which attracts thousands of people, culminates in Jawalakhel in the form of Bhoto Jatra, another popular festival..
People from eight locations in Lalitpur — Natol, Gabahal, Mekhabahal, Kusunti, Kayanni, Walmaya, Dhaugol and Sachhi Chhe — usually lead the Machhindranath chariot procession. Most people have been saddened by the postponement of the festival.
"In Machindranath, we still have great confidence. The lockdown that has been going on for almost four months has troubled us, "said Kumar Baharai, who is also the leading cart manufacturer. "This is such an unfortunate situation that in this difficult time, we can not pray to the rain god for better food and grain."
The Rato Machindranath festival was initiated by King Narendra Dev of Lichhavi. Historians claim the festival was commissioned by the King to appease the god of rain. In addition to the Rato Machindranath Festival, several other Kathmandu Valley festivals, including Bisket Jatra, Bhaktapur Tongue Piercing Festival and Seto Machindranath Jatra, were also postponed this year due to the pandemic.
