Jana Baha Dyah Jatra
सेतो मच्छिन्द्रनाथको रथयात्रा
BuddhistNewar
Dates
| 2083 BS | Date to be announced | Date to be announced |
| 2084 BS | Date to be announced | Date to be announced |
Jana Bahā Dyaḥ Jātrā (Nepali: जन: बहा: द्य जात्रा also known as सेतो मच्छिन्द्रनाथको रथयात्रा) is the chariot procession of Jana Baha Dyah, the Bodhisattva of Compassion, which is held annually in Kathmandu. It begins on the 8th day and ends on the 10th day of the bright fortnight of Chaulā (चौला), the sixth month in the lunar Nepal Era calendar.
The Buddhist deity is known in Sanskrit as Aryavalokitesvara (Sacred Avalokiteśvara), and also White Machhendranath or White Karunamaya and Guanyin by Chinese. It is believed that the annual procession was begun to provide the townspeople who were unable to visit his temple a sight of the image.
नेपालीमा
सेतो मच्छिन्द्रनाथको रथयात्रा वर्षा र सहकालका देवता मानिने आर्याअवलोकितेश्वरको मुर्तिको रथयात्रा गरी मनाइने जात्रा हो । काठमाडौँ उपत्यकाका बृद्धबृद्धालाई दर्शन गराउन रथलाई नगर परिक्रमा गराउने चलन छ । करुणामय र आर्याअवलोकितेश्वरको नामबाट पनि चिनिने सेतो मच्छिन्द्रनाथलाई जनबहालबाट नगरपरिक्रमा गराई जमल/ दरबार मार्गमा बनाइएको रथमा प्रतिस्थापन गराइएपछि नगर परिक्रमा गर्ने प्रचलन छ । अन्तिम दिन लगनटोलस्थित मच्छिन्द्रनाथकी आमालाई तीन पटक परिक्रमा गराएपछि रथयात्रा सम्पन्न हुन्छ ।
Observed by: Nepalese
History
There is a tradition that the image of Jana Baha Dyah housed in the temple at Jana Baha, Kel Tol was retrieved from Jamal, hence the chariot procession starts from there. Chronicles show that the festival was well established in the 17th century, but may have originated in the 6th century or earlier. One legend is that the Karunamaya was found in the fields by a Jyapu (farmer in Newa Community) at Jamal the exact spot where the Chariot is made.
The procession
During the festival, the image of Jana Bāhā Dyah is removed from his temple at Jana Baha and carried in a portable shrine to Durbar Marg where the actual procession begins. There it is installed in a car built in the shape of a tower on wheels. The chariot is 35 ft high. When the image is placed on the chariot, a group of musicians from the Kansakar caste play a short fanfare on their long trumpets to announce the installation. At the same time, the Guruju Paltan, a ceremonial guard of honor consisting of soldiers dressed in ancient uniforms, performs a feu de joie with their muskets. Crowds then pull the chariot through central Kathmandu accompanied by musical bands. The journey is performed in three stages to permit devotees to make oblations. Worshippers bring trays of offerings and light rows of butter lamps to honor the deity wherever the chariot stops. Sweet marjoram flowers (मूस्वां) are special offerings on the occasion.
