As a gesture of break with the tradition, hundreds of single women, mainly widows and divorcees, pulled the chariot from the place where the coconut throwing ritual was performed a day ago to Chardobato of Thati of Lalitpur. [break]
The single women, accompanied by other women as well, pulled the 32-meter tall chariot for 100 meters from the initial destination, taking almost an hour. “There was a huge clamor and cheer,” shared Alisha Maharjan, a resident of Bagdol, who observed the procession. “It was all very riveting to watch.” She said the street of Lagankhel looked like a sea of smiling faces.
Crowds of men, who had flocked to see the procession, clapped their hands repeatedly to show their admiration for the enduring attempt. “Though the women were sweating and panting, they pulled the chariot with the full spirit. They didn´t give up,” said Shreemaya Dubal.
She further said that after the procession concluded, the women screamed as if they had pulled off a great feat.
Though the festival was dedicated for the single women, many women from Lalitpur, Bhaktapur and Kritipur districts had thronged to the spot since the early morning to participate in the procession.
“The fete is for the single women. But, we all pull the chariot,” admitted Sarita Maharjan, coordinator of Jyapu Samaj Ekal Mahila Upasamiti. Women from all age groups had participated in the rath pulling ceremony.
“The ancestors must have arranged the fete in honor of single women. But the procession has made all the women feel that a day has been dedicated for them,” she said.
Meanwhile, Laxmi Shrestha, a widow from Gwarko, said she had come to pull the chariot for the soul of her departed husband. She had lost her husband some ten months ago.
Likewise, Purna Maya Barahi, another widow attending the procession said she felt glorious after pulling the rath. “My husband died six years ago. Since then, I have been attending the procession,” she said.
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