The Festival 'Jatra' of Seto Macchindranath

The streets of Kathmandu where the sacred meets the everyday - this festival of Seto Machindranath takes place during March/April with the start of the Chaitya Dashain. It is a festival or Jatra as it is referred to by locals, where the idol of Seto Machindranath is kept inside a chariot which is especially made for this ocassion and the chariot procession goes through the very heart of the ancient city, through the narrow winding streets of the old street, from Durbar Marg where the Chariot is first assembled, through to Ason where it is kept for a night, which is one of the major Chowks or squares of the historic city core, to the square in front of the Jana Baha where the diety is otherwise housed. It then proceeds southwards towards the Indra-Chowk where a major ceremony takes place in full public view in front of the temple of Aakash Bhairab. The chariot is then taken to the Kathmandu Durbar Square precinct where it stays for one night near the big stone staute of Bhairab.

This is one of the major festivals of Kathmandu and every year the celebrations are carried out by the locals. There are a lot of myths and legends attached with this festival, the well being of the people and the country upon the successful completion of this chariot procession which ends at the Lagan Chowk. Thus, a ritual procession takes us through the entire city, ending at its south-most square. Originally, the extent of this procession route must have taken place within the confines of the city walls. This can be confirmed by studying the conjectural outlines of the city walls that have been drawn up by various scholars since there is hardly any physical remnant remaining of that city wall.

It is interesting to see that these streets were not just a medium of transportation within the city and part of the ancient trade route connecting Tibet to Nepal's southern neighbor but rather were very much part of the every day drama - a theater where its populace actively took part. Every Chowk or Square that this chariot route connects has a wealth of architectural, religious, social and thereby cultural significance. I have written about water spouts, stone images, stupas, temples, and other public monuments that can be found scattered throughout these squares giving it a unique character.