The Oriental Mystic Machhendranath's Rath Jatra

The Oriental Mystic Machhendranath's Rath Jatra

•Kuber Chalise


Nepalis honour one of the greatest oriental mystic Machhendranath celebrating his chariot festival for almost two months in Patan, starting from the first day of Baisakha to almost Asadh, according to the lunar calendar.
The festival of Rato-Machhendranath – the God, as it is commonly said, of rain and harvest, is celebrated for the peace and prosperity of the countrymen.
Though the festival is celebrated in Patan, a city south of the Kathmandu, the whole valley in a way or other is involved in this festival believed to have started in the 11th century.
The longest festival, the Rathjatra – pulling the chariot of Machhindranath – concludes in pulchowk after the ceremonious Bhoto showing 'Bhoto Jatra'- the vest of Nagaraj – the Serpent king, amid a huge crowd in the presence of King, other dignitaries, diplomats and the virgin Goddess Kumari. After the Bhoto Jatra, Machandranath is taken back to his temple in Bungmati, a small village in the southern part of Kathmandu valley.
The Machhendranath chariot festival is related to his deciple Yogi Gorakhanath. Once, Gorakhanath the mystic hathyogi, visited this mythological valley of Kathmandu. As per the tradition of the Yogis he went door-to door for alms. But unknown to his identity nobody in the valley took notice of him. This might have happened because of the harvesting season as everyone was busy, though we now do not have the proof what time of the year he came to Kathmandu. Due to the rude behaviour of the valleyites, in great wrath he then sat in samadi on the serpents Naag –the cause of rain.
As a result there was a great famine. The then King Narendra Dev consulted all the noblemen for the solution. The great Tantrik of those days Acharya Bandhudatta suggested the king to invite Machhindranath, the Guru of Gorakhanath, as he was reincarnated as a prince in Kaamroop, an Indian province. Once Machhendranath would arrive Gorakhanath then must stand up to greet his guru and the serpents could be freed and it would rain.
King Narendra Dev then visited Kaamroop with Acharya Bandhudatta and a Lalit Jyapu - a farmer. They together brought Machhendranath to this valley.
Knowing that his Guru Machhindranath was in Kathmandu, Gorakhanath stood up to greet him, the Serpents – Naag were freed and there came the rain.
Though mythical the story sounds but during the festival some rituals are performed only by the descendents of King Narendra Dev and some only by the descendents of Acharya Bandhudatta. Despite the rituals, certain traditions that are followed during the festival till date has direct links to the past incidents and the historians also have confirmed the existence of these great mystics Machhendranath and the Gorakhanath, in the 11th century.
The only controversy in the history is, which King Narendra Dev brought Machhendranath to Kathmandu, as there are three kings by the same name in the history. Most of the historians agree that in the period of the third King Narendra Dev, there was a great famine in Kathmandu and he must be the one to bring Machhendranath to Kathmandu.
The cultural history of Nepal is mainly dependent on three leading cultures, the Vedic culture, Bouddha culture and the Khas – Indo Aryan culture. The Hindu Shaibas and the Buddhist Bajranyani together worship Machhindranath. No wonder the Gurus after a long time are worshipped as the God while according to the tradition Guru, parents and God are equal.
Shaibas practice the Tantra, Yog sadhanas and Hathyoga and so do the Vajrayani Buddhists. But Hindus worship Machhendranath as the Lord Shiva and the Buddhists as the God Karunamaya Lokeshwor. The difference is therefore in only the name.
The Guru of Nath cult of Shaibas was Guru Aadinath, who is called the incarnation of Lord Shiva himself. The disciples of Guru Aadinath were Machhindranath and Gorkhanath.
The nine Natha Yogis and the 84 Siddhas are described in the ancient Hindu as well as Buddhists scriptures. Among them Machhendranath, Minnath and the Gorakhanath are the deities popularly known to Nepalis.
Nath Siddha cult believes in the Yoga sadhanas, thereby awakening of the Kundalini and achieving immortality.
The chariot of the Rato Machhendranath, built in Shikhar style, is therefore a metaphorical representation of the seven Chakras that are imagined in a human body. And pulling of chariot is thus symbolic. The chariot reprents a Yogi who is trying to awaken his Kundalini by piercing into each one of the charkas upward to Sahasrar, the thousand-petalled crown imagined by Yogis on top of a human head that is the source of immense power, for the immortality.