Valley’s ancient Rato Machhindranath festival gets green signal amid Covid concerns

After months of postponement, authorities allow the jatra to begin, but questions regarding the procession remain.

On Friday afternoon in Pulchowk, the 32-foot towering chariot of Rato Machhindranath, caught everyone’s attention. While a group of young men pulled together vines around the huge wooden beams, others thumped adjustments to the shrine sanctum, where the rain god will be placed to signal the start of the jatra (festival) to mark the deity’s arrival in the Valley thousands of years ago.