KIRAN PANDAY THE RED ONE: Patan's Machhindranath gets his annual makeover

Over a thousand years ago, the sage Gorakhnath took umbrage at the good people of the Kathmandu Valley when his request for alms was ignored. He gathered all the serpents of the Valley, keepers of rain, and sat on them. The ensuing drought caused much suffering, and King Narendra Dev was compelled to call upon Gorakhnath's guru, Machhindranath. When Machhindranath appeared, Gorakhnath rose to greet him, releasing the serpents, and ending the drought. Ever since, the god has been honoured in Patan every year.

As this year's Rato Machhindranath chariot is built plank by plank on the road to Jawalakhel, well might we wonder what is holding the heavens up. Who is stifling the peace process, and what will it take for the stakeholders to come to their senses and get to their feet? Last year, the chariot keeled over in Mangal Bajar, forcing devotees to painstakingly rebuild. For those dwindling voices still calling for the constitutional deadline to be met, this is a cautionary tale if there ever was one: do it properly, or be prepared to start all over again.

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Patience and hope in 2067, publisher's note, from issue #498 (16 April 2010- 22 April 2010)