Bhoto Jatra, held on the final day of the Rato Machchhindranath chariot festival, was observed in Lalitpur on Sunday afternoon.
A jewel-studded bhoto (vest) was displayed to the public amid a special ceremony held at Jawalakhel on Sunday, the fourth day of the arrival of the chariots of Rato Machchhindranath, also known as Bunga Dyah, and Chakuwa Dyah from Thati Tole in Lalitpur.
President Ram Chandra Paudel, Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, ministers, and high-ranking government officials attended the ceremony.
The president and other dignitaries also received tika and prasad from the Kumari of Lalitpur on the occasion.
A large crowd had gathered at Jawalakhel to view the jewel-studded vest, which was sealed in a cloth bag. A representative of the Guthi Sansthan displayed the vest to the crowd, marking the end of this year’s Rato Machchhindranath chariot festival.
The idol of Rato Machchhindranath will be taken back to Bungmati on a khat (palanquin) on Sunday itself.
The chariot festival of Rato Machchhindranath is the longest chariot festival in the Kathmandu Valley. It is believed to have started during the reign of Lichchhavi king Narendra Dev to celebrate the arrival of Rato Machchhindranath in Nepal and the end of a drought.
Rato Machchhindranath is revered as the god of rain and good harvest.
