Lalitpur's Rato Machindranath Chariot Festival Continues with Fervor

Lalitpur. The famous chariot procession of Rato Machindranath in Lalitpur is continuing with great enthusiasm. On Saturday, the chariot was pulled from Sundhara to Chakrabahal. On Sunday, the chariot will be moved from Chakrabahal towards Lagankhel. 

A large number of devotees from Lalitpur and surrounding areas have been participating in the festival. This festival of Machindranath, worshipped as the god of rain and good harvest, is considered the longest festival in Nepal. The Rato Machindranath festival is one of the longest and most important cultural celebrations in Nepal.

 The Rato Machindranath festival is believed to have started during the reign of the Licchavi King Narendra Dev. According to mythology, there was a severe drought in the Kathmandu Valley for 12 years. Rain could not occur because Guru Gorakhnath was meditating while trapping the nine serpents (Nagas) under his seat. 

On the advice of sages and tantrics, King Narendra Dev, Tantric Bandhudatta Acharya, and Lalit Jyapu brought Gorakhnath's guru, Machindranath, to Nepal from Kamrup Kamakhya, India. Upon learning that his guru had arrived, Gorakhnath stood up to pay his respects, which freed the serpents and brought rain to the valley.

Since then, Machindranath has been worshipped as the god of rain and good harvest, and the festival has been celebrated.