"chairot procession"

#11153246

16 April 2024

Nepali devotees are lighting incense sticks and praying to Seto Macchindranath before the start of the chariot procession honoring the white god of rain and harvest in Kathmandu, Nepal, on April 16, 2024. The chariot procession, also known as Jana Baha Dyah Jatra, involves pulling a skyscraping chariot of Seto Machindranath 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 regime of Yakshya Malla, the King of Kantipur, people would bathe in a holy river and visit Swayambhunath, which was believed to grant the power to send people to heaven after death. When Yamraj, the God of Death, learned about the power of Swayambhunath, 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 heard his prayers and appeared immediately from the water, white in color with his eyes half-closed. He instructed the king to build a temple where the Kalmati and Bagmati rivers met and to organize a chariot procession so that the god 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.

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#13257747

31 January 2026

Hindu devotees gather on the street as they pray in front of Lord Muruga's silver chariot, pulled towards the Batu Caves temple on the eve of the Thaipusam Festival, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on January 30, 2026.

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#13257749

31 January 2026

Hindu devotees gather on the street as they pray in front of Lord Muruga's silver chariot, pulled towards the Batu Caves temple on the eve of the Thaipusam Festival, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on January 30, 2026.

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#13257757

31 January 2026

Hindu devotees gather on the street as they pray in front of Lord Muruga's silver chariot, pulled towards the Batu Caves temple on the eve of the Thaipusam Festival, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on January 30, 2026.

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#13257769

31 January 2026

Hindu devotees gather on the street as they pray in front of Lord Muruga's silver chariot, pulled towards the Batu Caves temple on the eve of the Thaipusam Festival, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on January 30, 2026.

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#13257781

31 January 2026

Hindu devotees gather on the street as they pray in front of Lord Muruga's silver chariot, pulled towards the Batu Caves temple on the eve of the Thaipusam Festival, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on January 30, 2026.

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#13257805

31 January 2026

Hindu devotees gather on the street as they pray in front of Lord Muruga's silver chariot, pulled towards the Batu Caves temple on the eve of the Thaipusam Festival, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on January 30, 2026.

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#13257811

31 January 2026

Hindu devotees gather on the street as they pray in front of Lord Muruga's silver chariot, pulled towards the Batu Caves temple on the eve of the Thaipusam Festival, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on January 30, 2026.

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#13257815

31 January 2026

Hindu devotees gather on the street as they pray in front of Lord Muruga's silver chariot, pulled towards the Batu Caves temple on the eve of the Thaipusam Festival, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on January 30, 2026.

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#13257818

31 January 2026

Hindu devotees gather on the street as they pray in front of Lord Muruga's silver chariot, pulled towards the Batu Caves temple on the eve of the Thaipusam Festival, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on January 30, 2026.

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#13257821

31 January 2026

Hindu devotees gather on the street as they pray in front of Lord Muruga's silver chariot, pulled towards the Batu Caves temple on the eve of the Thaipusam Festival, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on January 30, 2026.

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#13257827

31 January 2026

Hindu devotees gather on the street as they pray in front of Lord Muruga's silver chariot, pulled towards the Batu Caves temple on the eve of the Thaipusam Festival, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on January 30, 2026.

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#12842061

8 October 2025

Locals spin the traditional upside-down chariot of Lord Satya Narayan during the annual Narayan Jatra festival in Hadigaun, Kathmandu, Nepal, on October 8, 2025. Held each year immediately after the Dashain festival, the centuries-old Hadigaun Jatra, popularly known as ''Kahi Nabhayeko Jatra Hadigaun Ma,'' which translates to ''A festival found nowhere else but in Hadigaun,'' features three circular bamboo structures with the idol of Lord Narayan mounted on top. These structures rotate through the narrow streets to celebrate devotion and community spirit in the historic neighborhood of Hadigaun.

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#12842063

8 October 2025

Locals spin the traditional upside-down chariot of Lord Satya Narayan during the annual Narayan Jatra festival in Hadigaun, Kathmandu, Nepal, on October 8, 2025. Held each year immediately after the Dashain festival, the centuries-old Hadigaun Jatra, popularly known as ''Kahi Nabhayeko Jatra Hadigaun Ma,'' which translates to ''A festival found nowhere else but in Hadigaun,'' features three circular bamboo structures with the idol of Lord Narayan mounted on top. These structures rotate through the narrow streets to celebrate devotion and community spirit in the historic neighborhood of Hadigaun.

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#12842068

8 October 2025

An elderly man watches the annual Narayan Jatra procession, popularly known as ''Kahi Nabhayeko Jatra Hadigaun Ma.'' The procession features three circular bamboo structures carrying the idol of Lord Narayan, which locals rotate through the streets to honor the deity and preserve centuries-old traditions.

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#12842079

8 October 2025

Locals spin the traditional upside-down chariot of Lord Satya Narayan during the annual Narayan Jatra festival in Hadigaun, Kathmandu, Nepal, on October 8, 2025. Held each year immediately after the Dashain festival, the centuries-old Hadigaun Jatra, popularly known as ''Kahi Nabhayeko Jatra Hadigaun Ma,'' which translates to ''A festival found nowhere else but in Hadigaun,'' features three circular bamboo structures with the idol of Lord Narayan mounted on top. These structures rotate through the narrow streets to celebrate devotion and community spirit in the historic neighborhood of Hadigaun.

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