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Chariot Procession Of Seto Macchindranath, Hindu God Of Rain And Harvest Starts In Nepal

A local musical band is playing hymns before the formal start of the chariot procession of Seto Macchindranath in Kathmandu, Nepal, on April 16, 2024. The procession, which honors the god of rain and is also known as Jana Baha Dyah Jatra, features a towering chariot of Seto Machindranath being pulled from place to place over the course of three days. Each day, when the chariot reaches its destination, a group of soldiers is firing their rifles into the air. According to myth, during the reign of Yakshya Malla, the King of Kantipur, people would bathe in a holy river and visit Swayambhunath, believed to grant the power to send people to heaven after death. When Yamraj, the God of Death, learned of Swayambhunath's power, he visited the holy temple. Upon his return, he was captured by King Yakshya Malla and his Guru, who demanded immortality. Unable to escape, Yamraj prayed to Arya Awalokiteshwor (Seto Machhindranath) for freedom. The god, appearing white with half-closed eyes, emerged from the water and instructed the king to build a temple at the confluence of the Kalmati and Bagmati rivers and to organize a chariot procession so that he could visit the people and bless them with contentment and long life. Since then, the three-day-long procession has been celebrated to honor the god. (Photo by Subaas Shrestha/NurPhoto)

Photo ID	#11153245
Date Taken	16 April 2024
Location	N/A
Photographer	Subaas Shrestha/NurPhoto
Category	Religion and Belief
Copyright	© 2026 NurPhoto - Subaas Shrestha/NurPhoto

local musical band hymns chariot procession Seto Macchindranath Kathmandu April 16 2024 god of rain Jana Bāhā Dyah Jātrā skyscraping chariot terminus soldiers rifle fire Yakshya Malla King of Kantipur holy river Swayambhunath heaven Yamraj God of Death temple immortality Arya Awalokiteshwor water deity white color half-closed eyes Kalmati river Bagmati river temple construction blessing contentment long life annual celebration three-day event Subaas Shrestha NurPhoto cultural tradition Nepalese festival historical myth religious ceremony