Only Rs 12.84 for famous Kumari Jatra

Paltry Guthi allocation for Indra Jatra

Bishnu Prasad Aryal
Kathmandu, September 2

The Guthi Corporation, main operating committee, provides only Rs 12.84 for the Kumari Chariot pulling festival, which begins tomorrow,on the very day of the Indra Jatra that started yesterday. This amount was fixed some 300 years ago.

“The corporation provides only Rs 12.84 for the expenses of Kumari chariot pulling in the Indra Jatra festival,” said Uttam Shakya, member of the Indra Jatra Management Committee. “This is surprising amount in the present time, which was fixed in Nepal Era 877 while Jaya Prakash Malla was king of Kathmandu,” he added. It is Nepal Era 1129 this year.

However, Hari Prasad Joshi, chief of the Guthi Corporation, Kathmandu, said that it was not true. “We spend at least Rs 800,000 in the festival that is celebrated for eight days beginning yesterday,” he added. The chariot pulling will go different thoroughfares of Basantapur area and end on September 8.

Indra Jatra, who is believed God of rain in the Newar community both Hindus and Buddhists, is celebrated, coinciding with the living goddess Kumari chariot pulling. The festival began yesterday by erecting lingum and it ends tomorrow when the chariot pulling of Kumari begins tomorrow.

KATHMANDU: President Dr Ram Baran Yadav will be present at the Indra Jatra festival tomorrow. As the chariot pulling of Kumari begins on right time, the Indra Jatra ends, according to the Guthi Corporation. President Yadav and Prime Minister Madhav Kumar will attend the function at Basantur at 4:30 PM, said Hari Prasad Joshi, chief at GC. -- BPA

According to the legend, Indra, king of gods, descended in Kathmandu from heaven many years ago. He entered in a garden of local in Kathmandu in this season and started picking up flower of Parijat ( perfumed white flower). Meanwhile, people caught without knowing him. Later as they came to know him, he was released. The chariot pulling of Kumari began form the Indra Jatra for his salvation from his sin of picking flower without permission.

It was very unreasonable to allocate such a minimal amount for the chariot pulling, said Shakya. “The Corporation might allocate that amount of about Rs 1 million for various festivals,” he added. “On the other hand, the government last year cut all the budget given to the different 10 trusts.”

Shakya informed that the Ministry of Culture provided Rs 365,000 to the ten Guthi Khala: for the festival. Joshi also complained that the government did not provide any amount to them for the Indra Jatra and the Kumari festival.

Joshi also lambasted the government for failing to pay all of the 60 Manes (assistants in the festivals) since 2006. Their allowance was fixed ranging from Rs 220 to Rs 375 each person some 20 years ago. “It has not been reviewed yet once,” said Joshi.

The Manes were all set to disrupt the festival owing to the non-payment to them, according to the Corporation. “We convinced them not to disrupt this time after we talked to the Ministry of Finance to manage pay them immediately. However, the ministry is yet to decide on the matter,” said Joshi.

Dev Raj Joshi, assistant administrator of the Hanumandhoka Durbar Square Conservation Programme under the Kathmandu Metropolitan City said that the preparation for the festival was complete. “The festival will run smoothly as its calendar,” he added.