KUMARI RATH JATRA

During Indra Jatra, the rath or the chariot of Kumari is also drawn. This being the dominating feature of that festival, Indra Jatra itself is sometimes considered as Kumari Rath Jatra.

The origin of Kumari Rath Yatra is described in the Chronicles as follows. Formerly kings of Kathmandu had had direct consultation with Kumari on political and various other issues, but once when king Trailokya Malla was playing at dice with her, goddess Kumari noticed a stolen glance of the former’s daughter and since then refused to be seen anymore. The saddened king was later assured by Kumari that she would incarnate time to time as a daughter of someone in the Shakya clan. The practice of choosing a virgin girl and two young boys from amongst the children of Shakyas as the incarnations of goddess Kumari and gods. Ganesh and Bhairav came into being. However, the practice of drawing their chariots started of late during the reign of king Jaya Prakash Malla some two and half centuries ago.