Seto Machhindranath Jatra Nepal

Seto Machhindranath Jatra is one of the biggest chariot festivals celebrated inside Kathmandu valley. It is a three-day-long chariot procession honouring the god of rain. It is a very vibrant festival of Nepal. The festival is also known as Jana Baha Dyah Jatra. The chariot of Seto Machindranath is pulled from place to place during these three days. Each day when the chariot reaches its terminus, a group of soldiers fires their rifles into the air.
According to the myth, during the regime of Yakshya Malla, the king of Kantipur, people used to bathe in a holy river and visit Swayambhunath which was believed to possess the power of sending people to heaven after death. Once Yamraj (God of Death) came to know the power of Swayambhunath and visited the holy temple immediately. During his return from the temple, he was captured by King Yakshya Malla and his Guru who possessed powers and demanded immortality.

As they didn’t let Yamraj escape, he prayed to Arya Awalokiteshwor (Seto Machhindranath) to free him. God heard his prayers and immediately appeared from the water. The god was white in colour with his eyes half-closed. He told the king to form a temple where Kalmati and Bagmati met and to organize chariot procession so that God could visit the people and bless them with contentment and long life. Since then, people started to celebrate this 3 days long procession to honour the god.

The Seto Machhindranath is believed to have appeared in a pond, which is in present-day known as Rani Pokhari. Nepal...............