However, till date Machhendranath is worshipped to welcome monsoon, because legend has it that his arrival brought an end to the longest drought that had come over the valley.[break]
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The story goes: Lord Gorakhnath, a disciple of Lord Machhendranath, got very angry at the valley denizens for having neglected him. So he captured all the nine Nagas (responsible for bringing the rain to the valley) and, seated on them, he started praying to his Guru Machhendranath.
The severe drought started taking its toll on all the people and the then King of Bhaktapur, Narendra Dev, sought out to his Jyotishis (astrologers) to find the solution to the calamity that had befallen them.
The Jyotishis pointed out that the rain gods or Nagas, imprisoned by Lord Gorakhnath, had to be freed. For that, Machhendranath had to be brought to the valley so that Gorakhnath would let go of his seat while paying respect to his Guru and would also pardon the valley people.
The trio of King Narendra Dev from Bhaktapur, Tantrik (Shaman) Bandhudatt Acharya from Kathmandu and Lalit Jyapu from Patan set off to invite Lord Machhendranath who had been born as the 108th son of King Yakshya of Assam.
“But to bring Machhendranath from Kamaru Kamekshya, the then Assam, was not an easy task at all,” puts in Shakya. They had to face a lot of obstacles on their way. First was an arrogant Karkotak Naga, a supernatural serpent, who refused to step out of their way. With a clever trick, the trio captured this snake in a jar and later Karkotak too joined them and helped them out in their mission.
In Assam, they performed many tasks to win the heart of the king, queen and the people and they persuaded them to let them take their prince away. However, they would not give in.
Finally, through some tantric rituals, the trio planned and captured the soul of Machhendranath in the form of a bumblebee in a consecrated jar and took it to Kathmandu.
“After their arrival, Gorakhnath stood up to greet his Guru and all the Nagas flew away into the sky and at last, there was rain,” Shakya concludes the story.
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This year the Rato Machhendranath Jatra was delayed for almost a month as Mal Mas or leap year is considered to be inauspicious and the festival kicked off only on May 17 from Pulchowk.
The chariot of Minnath, an ancestral God of Patan, leads the way to welcome the guest God Machhendranath till Gabahal on the first day. From there onwards, the home god gives way to the guest and politely follows the Machhendranath chariot as it tours around the city making its way through Mangal Bazaar, Lagankhel and then Jawalakhel.
Every year the procession marks the arrival of monsoon. Grateful farmers from around the valley, especially Bhaktapur, bring in their crops to Lord Machhendranath as their offering for providing them with rain and blessing them with a fertile land.
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Machhendranath Jatra in recent times also seems to have been associated with the belief in blessing fertility to women. On the occasion where a coconut is dropped from the top of the Machhendranath chariot amidst the crowd in Lagankhel, the belief is one who catches the coconut is blessed with a son. The next morning women pull the chariot from Lagankhel till Tangal chowk in hopes of being blessed with children.
The event where women pull the chariot was initially a single ladies affair (Yaka Misaa Bhujya) according to Shakya. The festival granted an opportunity for the single/widowed women, alike, to celebrate and be merry in festivity.
“But because Machhendranath or Karunamaya was such a likeable god, people believed that by worshipping him, they would be blessed with children, equally as likeable. So even married women started taking part in the affair,” adds Shakya.
However, Rosa Chitrakar, a cultural expert, quotes from the book “Karunamaya” by Father John Locke that the women pulling the chariot actually signified women trying to lure the guest god to reside in Kathmandu and not return to Assam.
Traditionally, only women of the Pode tole pulled the chariot from Lagankhel. It is believed that the beautiful single women from the area had seduced Machhendranath. The practice continues with them pulling the chariot into their area where it resides for the longest duration till an auspicious date is set for its final journey to Jawlakhel. From there, the deity is taken back to its resting place.
“It’s a well known fact that Cherapunji in Assam is one of the places that receive the most rainfall. So, technically speaking, Machhendranath, who was brought from Assam, is believed to have brought in the charm to the valley as well,” informs Chitrakar, “And people wanted Machhendranath to stay here so that the charm would never fade.”
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Legends and myths support Rato Machhendranath as the deity who brings monsoon. And the timing of the Jatra supports the myth as it falls exactly before monsoon hits the valley.
Usually the festival falls in April/May and according to the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology, the normal onset of monsoon in Nepal is June 10. Reportedly, monsoon in Nepal lasts for approximately 106 days in the months of June to September and the average rainfall in Kathmandu valley is about 1,085 mm.
With the Jatra on full swing and monsoon approaching, Keshav Das Shrestha, senior divisional meteorologist says it is still too early to forecast the rains this year.
“However, we can say the scorching heat is reasonable for now, as only after the heat, monsoon will arrive. Eventually we will see some pre-monsoon activities like thunderstorms and strong winds coming.”
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