Rato Machhindranath, the god of rain and contemporaries, will be taken to the temple of Patan from Bungmati today. Machhindranath is to be rehabilitated in the afternoon as per the custom of keeping it for six months in Bungmati, and six months in Patan.
As per the auspicious day that was decided in the meeting on November 25, preparations are being made to bring Machhindranath to Patan this afternoon, said Kirti Kiran Joshi, an astrologer associated with Machhindranath Guthi. He said, "On this auspicious day, the god will be transferred in the afternoon on a chariot."
Kamal Raj Bajracharya, the chief priest of Machhindranath, said that they have been eating pure food and following the necessary rules for four days to bring Machhindranath to Patan. He said, "We worship Bhairavnath and Kumari as well as Machhindranath a few days before we bring Macchindranath to Patan." Similarly, Bajracharya informed that four days ago, Machhindranath's decoration and pooja were also performed.
Yagya Ratna Shakya, president of the 32 Paneju Association, said that eight priests, namely Paneju, would bring Machhindranath to Patan with the participation of some security personnel and citizens from the Kathmandu Valley.
The festival holds great importance to the citizens of Kathmandu Valley. According to the legend, Gorakhnath, who had once come in form of a beggar, was not appeased by the people of Kantipur. Angered by this, he made the legendary serpent, Naga of Mrigasthali in Pashupatinath, his stead. Due to this, there was a drought for 12 years in Kantipur. Therefore, the citizens took Goraknath's teacher, Machhindranath to Kantipur to let him go of the Naga. It is said that King Narendra Dev of Bhaktapur, King Bandhudatta Bajracharya of Kathmandu, and farmer Lalit Rathchakra of Lalitpur brought Machhindranath from Kamarukamaksha of India to Nepal.
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