Narasingha Jatra

Photo By : Abhas Dharananda Rajopadhyaya

Abhas D. Rajopadhyaya

Kathmandu, August 15.

The traditional Narsingh Yatra (procession) of Lalitpur has been observed this Tuesday. The procession is held by the person who gets the turn of the Upakarma Guthi, a religious undertaking of Rajopadhyaya Brahmans of the Kathmandu Valley.

In the procession, along with Narsingh, Laxmi and Saraswati were taken throughout the city. Starting from Gabahal, the procession went to Pimbahal, Ashok Hall, Palakhu, Kumbheshwor, Kobahal, Mangal Bazar, Sundhara, Ikubahal, Mahabouddha, Tangal, Tichhu Galli, Haugal, Ikhalakhu, Purnachandi and at the night, back again to Gabahal, where it ended.

According to the tradition of son-in-law of the person who gets the turn of the guthi to be made Narsingh, this time Dakshinkali-4 resident Suresh Rajopadhyaya became Narsingh, whereas Chikanmugal resident Saurabh and Prayas Dharananda Rajopadhyaya went throughout the procession as Laxmi and Sarswati respectively.

In the procession, the devotee Prahlad has to fold the hands in form of Namaste carrying a dhoop and walk from back, facing the God Narsingh.

The jatra was observed along with various traditional instruments, the hymn singers' team, six pairs of apsaras (heavenly angels) and other devotees.

The Upakarma Guthi's turns comes to the indigenous Rajopadhyaya Brahmins of the Kathmandu Valley, with each city hosting three different of such guthis. Lalitpur's Upakarma Guthi only observes the Narsingh Jatra on the Panchami (5th day) day between Gaijatra and Krishnastami in the Gula month of Nepal Sambat calendar. This year Gabahal resident Ekyananda Rajopadhyaya had his turn, and the next year Pyanga-Tha resident Tribikram Jwalananda Rajopadhyaya would have his.