Patan’s ongoing chariot festival is one of the most dramatic and instagrammable festivals in the world
The great chariot festival of Karunamaya has begun, bringing with it the mandatory, and much anticipated, summer rain. The festival is celebrated by Valley residents and the people of Yala (Patan) with such enthusiasm that one cannot help but want to make sure the whole world knows about it, and bring them to Patan to join the festivities.
While mountaineers head for the peaks this pre-monsoon season, the rest of the country and Kathmandu sees a decrease in tourist arrivals after the spring peak. The month-long festival of Karunamaya (Bunga Dyo, Rato Machindranath, Adi Lokeswara, or whatever other names you want to call it) should be marketed to the rest of Nepal and the world. Patan could probably make a whole year’s worth of income in a month if this was properly done.
Nepal often makes international headlines for the wrong reasons: natural disasters or political upheavals.
We need to get out some good news as well. The Chariot festival is one of the most dramatic and Instagrammable festivals in the world, comparable to bull-running in Pamplona.
Patan has a lot more to offer. Jitendra Shrestha and Prakash Dhakhwa have spent a good part of their creative efforts and resources to convert their own houses into high end home-stays and helped neighbors to do the same.
Check out Cosy Nepal to see the wonderful spaces that the visitor can call their home away from home, in Patan. Newa Chen has rooms, gallery and performing spaces. The visitor can also see how the Kathmandu Valley Preservation Trust, Rohit Ranjitkar and their team of artists are restoring the monuments like Bhai Dega at the Patan Durbar Square after earthquakes of the past.
Patan today has eating places, there are enough hotels in the outskirts of the historical core area, the city has trained young people who can help guide the visitors, and has even launched an app so you can walk about Patan with the help of your phone. Patan, with the help of Lok Chitrakar, has just freshly painted the gate at Patan Dhoka with the iconic depiction of the eight Asta-matrika mother goddesses who protect the city against anything bad that could befall this ancient settlement.