<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022110915114/636bb3779c7e80680e07bb42jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="2048" height="1365"/><figcaption>All photos: BIKRAM RAI</figcaption></figure>The rain god Machindranath’s chariot procession that was stopped following a <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/police-stop-patan-chariot-pulling-citing-covid-19/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">clash between locals and police</a> on Thursday resumed on Sunday, but with restriciton on gatherings of people and enforcement of separataion of pullers and devotees.The local administration, Guthi Sansthan trust and local groups involved in the festival decided over the weekend to re-commence the centuries old jatra with safety measures. On Friday, Chyama Puja rituals were conducted amidst a curfew imposed to ensure that there was no more violence.The chariot pullers were wearing face shields, gloves and masks, maintaining distance on the ropes and devotees were not allowed to gather to watch. The festival, which was suppsoed to take place in May had to be postponed repeatedly because of the Covid-19 lockdown.The procession site starting from Pulchok where the chariot had stopped on Thursday was heavily patrolled by Armed Police Force in riot gear. A total of 438 people had gathered for the procession: 160 of them to pull the chariot, 124 volunteers, 28 musicians and 122 officials from the Jyapu Samaj.However, unlike previous years, as per the undertanding, the chariot took a shortcut to the office of Lalitpur Metropolitan City bypassing its usual stops at Gabahal, Mangalbazar, Sundhara and Lagankhel on its way to Jawalakhel.<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022110915114/636bb37a9c7e80680e07bb43jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="2048" height="1365"><figcaption></figcaption></figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022110915114/636bb37e9c7e80680e07bb44jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="480" height="321"><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022110915114/636bb37f9c7e80680e07bb45jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="2048" height="1366"><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022110915114/636bb3839c7e80680e07bb46jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="2048" height="1366"><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022110915114/636bb3869c7e80680e07bb47jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="938" height="625"><figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022110915114/636bb3889c7e80680e07bb48jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="938" height="625"><figcaption></figcaption></figure><figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022110915114/636bb38b9c7e80680e07bb49jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="2048" height="1366"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>The Machindranath chariot’s circumambulation of Patan, and its travel to and from Bungamati every 12 years is a major part of the city’s cultural calendar. The red god resides in the Machindranath temple in Bungamati, except for six months in a year when it is drawn through the streets of Patan in a chariot. Usually, the god is ceremonially installed on the chariot in mid-May and devotees believe that the chariot pulling will appease the rain god before the monsoon. This year, the festival has been delayed by five months due to the coronavirus crisis.The chariot festival is often linked to the fate of the nation, and in fact the years in which the Machindranath chariot has keeled over or caught fire have been closely followed by major political upheavals and natural calamities in Nepal.<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022110915114/636bb38f9c7e80680e07bb4ajpeg.jpg" alt="" width="938" height="625"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>Many of the faithful at the chariot this year will be praying for a speedy end to the pandemic, and a return to normalcy for the country.As if answering those prayers, Nepal has now started to register more recoveries than new cases for the second day in a row. On Sunday, a total of 1,814 people recovered from Covid-19 against 980 new cases across the country. There were 354 new cases in Kathmandu Valley of which 32 were in Lalitpur district, significantly lower than the 458 on Sunday. The recovery rate has also increased from 55% in August to 62.6%.

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The red god rises again in Patan

<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022110915110/636bb2c79c7e80680e07bb02jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1500" height="1000"/><figcaption>All photos: BIKRAM RAI</figcaption></figure>The Machindranath festival is usually supposed to be in May to ensure that the rain gods bring a timely monsoon. The chariot was built during the lockdown, but police stopped it from being pulled on Thursday to enforce the extension of the lockdown in Kathmandu Valley.Police tried to reason with members of the guthi that handles the logistics, but some of them started pelting stones at a police van. They were then tear gased and police used water cannon to disperse the crowd. Although most of the pullers were wearing masks, there was a crowd of about 200 people.<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022110915110/636bb2ca9c7e80680e07bb03jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1500" height="1000"><figcaption></figcaption></figure><figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022110915110/636bb2ce9c7e80680e07bb04jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1500" height="1000"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>Authorities have once again extended the lockdown in Kathmandu Valley by a week until 9 September to contain the rapid spread of Covid-19 in the community. All services are closed except for essentials and crowding is restricted.Roshan Dhungana of the Lalitpur Guthi Sansthan says they were unaware about the chariot procession. “It shouldn’t have happened during the lockdown, despite the government’s ban but we had no idea.”On Monday, 30 members of a prayer group that regularly chanted in front of the chariot every morning tested positive for the novel coronavirus.Neither the Guthi Sansthan or local groups were said to be aware about the chariot being pulled today, and it is not clear who authorised it. The devotees appeared to have moved the chariot since the coming month is regarded as inauspicious, and there were angry comments from a range of supporters who said the festival could not be stopped because it was a part of Patan's intangible cultural heritage.Indeed, the Machindranath chariot's circumambulation of Patan, and its travel to and from Bungamati every 12 years is a major part of the city's cultural calendar.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b9D5rISZctI&amp;feature=emb_logoPolice fought pitched battles in Pulchok for a while against protesters angry at being prevented from pulling the chariot. Several policemen, including a traffic policeman, were hurt when stone-pelting protesters attacked them.The local government has tried to stop the chariot procession because of the fear that it would make the outbreak of Covid-19 in Kathmandu worse.On Thursday, Kathmandu Valley recorded 445 more people with the virus. Nepal saw its highest total testing positive with 1,288 in the past 24 hours taking the nationwide total to 42,877. So far 24 607 people have recovered.<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022110915110/636bb2d19c7e80680e07bb05jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1500" height="1000"><figcaption></figcaption></figure><figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022110915110/636bb2d59c7e80680e07bb06jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1500" height="999"><figcaption></figcaption></figure><figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022110915110/636bb2d89c7e80680e07bb07jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1500" height="1001"><figcaption></figcaption></figure><figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022110915110/636bb2dc9c7e80680e07bb08jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1500" height="1000"><figcaption></figcaption></figure><figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022110915110/636bb2df9c7e80680e07bb09jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1500" height="1000"><figcaption></figcaption></figure><figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022110915110/636bb2e39c7e80680e07bb0ajpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1500" height="1000"><figcaption></figcaption></figure><figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022110915110/636bb2e69c7e80680e07bb0bjpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1500" height="1000"><figcaption></figcaption></figure><figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022110915110/636bb2e99c7e80680e07bb0cjpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1500" height="1000"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>The red god resides in the <a href="https://nepalitimes.atavist.com/cultural-evolution">Machindranath temple in Bungamati,</a> except for six months in a year when it is drawn through the streets of Patan in a chariot. Usually, the god is ceremonially installed on the chariot in mid-May and devotees believe that the chariot pulling will appease the rain god before the monsoon. This year, the festival has been by five months due to the coronavirus crisis.The chariot festival is often linked to the fate of the nation, and in fact the years in which the Machindranath chariot has keeled over or caught fire have been closely followed by major political upheavals and natural calamities in Nepal.Many of the faithful at the chariot this year will be praying for a speedy end to the pandemic, and a return to normalcy for the country.<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022110915110/636bb2ec9c7e80680e07bb0djpeg.jpg" alt="" width="2048" height="1365"><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022110915110/636bb2ef9c7e80680e07bb0ejpeg.jpg" alt="" width="2048" height="1365">All photos: BIKRAM RAI

Police stop Patan chariot pulling citing Covid-19

Patan’s ongoing chariot festival is one of the most dramatic and instagrammable festivals in the world<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022110710118/6368cafd9c7e80680e02f348jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1400" height="933"/><figcaption>Gopen Rai</figcaption></figure>The great chariot festival of <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/Nepali-Times-Buzz/Red-rain-god,3141">Karunamaya</a> 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 <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pamplona">Pamplona</a>.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 <a href="https://cosynepal.com/">Cosy Nepal</a> to see the wonderful spaces that the visitor can call their home away from home, in Patan. <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=12050#.Wt6lbxuFO70">Newa Chen</a> has rooms, gallery and performing spaces. The visitor can also see how the <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/Nepali-Times-Buzz/Patandurbarsquare-fitforaking-renovation,786">Kathmandu Valley Preservation Trust</a>, <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/blogs/kundadixit/2010/08/17/good-job/">Rohit Ranjitkar</a> and their team of artists are restoring the monuments like <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/Nepali-Times-Buzz/restoring-bhai-dega-temple-in-patan,4046">Bhai Dega</a> at the <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/page/Patan-town-as-a-museum-piece">Patan Durbar Square</a> 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 <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/blogs/thebrief/2014/10/05/devoted-to-painting/">Lok Chitrakar</a>, 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.At Pim Baha, <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/nation/Heritage-homes-in-Kathmandu,3400">Shailendra Shrestha</a>, who operates Taaja Pha bed and breakfast, is there to take you through at least 2,300 years of history of the neighbourhood, the Ashok Stupa and the ancient pond. Please take time out to go to the neighbourhood in the evening when the illuminated temple is reflected in the waters.The chariot festival of Karunamaya is made of numerous facets that could be of interest to the world travelers. The open spaces, historical ponds, the families and guilds that make the chariot, the various species of timber and plants/flowers involved and offered, the musical instruments, rituals and feasts.The great festival keeps Patan a united community, and this is probably the biggest value created. It is not a small task to pull the great chariot through the lanes of Patan despite all odds. People’s participation is a term much used in development literature, but if you want to see what it really means, you have to come and see for yourself. The energy, the care, respect and sense of purpose of the faithful illustrate what people working together can achieve.The legends, folklores, history and anecdotes associated with the chariot festival are also of great interest. It consists of kings, naga mythical snakes, farmers, and of course, hidden treasures. There is deceit and integrity and suspense which ensure that each year there is a really good reason to come together and rebuild the chariot and have the festival again and again.So much has changed over the last 15 centuries in Nepal, the Kathmandu Valley and Patan, but the chariot festival of Karunamaya or Bunga Dyo goes on. No disaster like the earthquake of 2015, no political changes like the end of monarchy in 2006, have disrupted the festival that is an integral part of one of Nepal’s (and world’s) truly intangible heritages.Anil Chitrakar is President of SiddharthincRead Also:<a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/Nepali-Times-Buzz/saving-the-intangible,3303">Preserving the intangible</a>, Chandani KC<a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/Nepali-Times-Buzz/old-traditions-new-meanings-kartik-nach,3355">Old traditions, new meanings</a><a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=12050">They deserved to be preserved</a>, Kunda Dixit

rato-machindranath

The red god rises again in Patan

Police stop Patan chariot pulling citing Covid-19

Marketing the intangible