By A Staff Reporter
Kathmandu, July 25: The idol placing ceremony of the Rato Machhindranath in Patan has been postponed for the second time. The idol was scheduled to be placed on the chariot on July 25 but it was postponed by the Guthi Sansthan’s Lalitpur office on Thursday.
However, the Guthi Sansthan is holding meetings with Lalitpur Metropolitan City, the people involved in the chariot construction and local representatives about holding the jatra with proper safety precautions in place.
However, when it does commence, the locals of Patan appear to be in no mood to celebrate.
“How can we celebrate the festival when we are told not to get close to people or touch the chariot?” questioned Lagankhel local Maila Kaji Maharjan. “A major part of the festival is inviting all our family members and feasting with them, but this year, we cannot organise such large gatherings,” he said.
Similarly, Amar Shrestha from Kanibahal will not be celebrating this year because he lacks money. “Jatras are very expensive affairs and because of the lockdown, my family doesn’t have the money to celebrate this year.”
Alisha Sthapit, a resident of Saugal, does not feel like it is Machhindranath Jatra at all. The weather is wet and gloomy, family gatherings will be limited, jovial crowds might not come out on the streets and everybody is worried about COVID-19. “People are not in a mental state to feel jolly and feel like the jatra has arrived,” she said.
The Rising Nepal talked to many other people around Mangalbazaar, Jawalakhel, Gabahal, Chakrabahil and most of them said their celebrations would be limited to minimum formalities and that they were not much looking forward to the chariot festival this year because of the health risks.