According to Dil Kumar Barahi, who has been leading the chariot and the Machhindranath construction team since very long, the coconut throwing ceremony observed on Tuesday has much to do with a preference for son as the one who catches the coconut is believed to be blessed with a son.
“This belief draws many people to this place on the coconut throwing day. Though fewer people believe in the notion these days,” he said. “Son is preferred in the Newar community just as strongly as in other communities,” he laughed. [break]
“Of course, the coconut throwing event is associated with the desire for son, but it is such a fun. The huge crowd on all sides of the chariot keep waiting for the coconut to be dropped, but the thrower fools them by making his target unpredictable,” Barahi added.
Bhakta Raj Rai, chief of Lalitpur Guthi office, stated that the fight for the coconut some times gets out of control and they have ensured huge police presence to prevent possible stampede. “In lack of good arrangement to control the crowd, many people may get injured while trying to catch the coconut,” he said. "Foreigners who love to see our culture and the people from Kathamndu, Lalitpur, Bhaktapur and many other places attend the program with great exceiment."
Rai informed that this particular day is every important in terms of security reasons due to maximum crowd.
The Rato Machhindranath Jatra which started on Monday is the most popular among the chariot pulling festivals of the Valley and held to venerate the god of rain.
The Machhindranath legend says that the procession once rescued the Kathmandu Valley from severe drought. It is believed that the Lichhavi King Narendra Dev brought the idol of Rato Machhindranath from Assam in India to rid his country of the drought.
The chariot consists of a large wooden edifice of about 32m height and 4.5m in diameter. The edifice built in the mountain structure houses various reincarnations of Rato Machhindranath and other Hindu deities. The locals start preparations for the festival one month in advance.
In Newar culture, the building of chariot is the sole responsibility of Jyapu community. As per the local tradition, the chariot should be built with wood and the use of nails or any other metal hooks are completely prohibited. Making of the Rato Macchhindranath chariot is a centuries-old affair.
The month-long procession concludes after the chariot crosses the Bungamati River in Lalitpur where another festival called Bhoto Jatra is held.
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