Photo Essays
2 MIN READ
The painstaking work needed to get the Rato Machindranath on the road has already been done. But the festival will only take place once the government and Lalitpur’s locals agree on the jatra date
The rains have already come this year. But the god who brings the rains has remained stuck in Pulchowk. In most years, the Rato Machindranath chariot would have already done the rounds of Lalitpur by the seventh month of the Nepali lunar calendar. But this year, although the chariot has been built and the artisans have readied the chariot for the Rato Machindranath festival, the god still remains stuck in stasis. The people of Lalitpur would like to pull the chariot, but the government is worried about large throngs of people congregating in the middle of the Covid crisis. The festival date has been postponed twice already. There is now talk that the chariot will finally trundle through Lalitpur’s streets on the first day of Bhadau.
In this photo feature, I document the tireless work done by Lalitpur’s artisans in getting Machindranath ready to shower this town with blessings--blessings we so desperately need.
:::::::::::
Laxmi Prasad Ngakhusi Photographer Laxmi Prasad Ngakhusi has been documenting the Kathmandu Valley for over 15 years.
Interviews
10 min read
During my time, writing was considered almost sinful. But I still wrote.
COVID19
News
4 min read
A daily summary of all Covid19 related developments that matter
Features
COVID19
6 min read
With Covid-19 cases exploding across the country, soon-to-be mothers are becoming more anxious with each passing day.
COVID19
Features
2 min read
Tourism entrepreneurs, workers cautiously welcome the country’s opening up again
Week in Politics
9 min read
The week in politics: what happened, why does it matter, what does it mean?
Interviews
11 min read
A 1963 interview with writer and critic Krishna Chandra Singh Pradhan
Books
5 min read
Dalit: A Quest for Dignity raises important questions about photography and politics
Features
6 min read
Queer — A celebration of art and activism is not only a documentation of Nepal’s queer community’s celebrations and struggles but also a form of resistance.