Let’s Go – signal for starting to pull the chariot
It’s been a few years since I last took photos on the first day of the Rato Machhindranath chariot pulling festival. This year, my kids were excited to see the event — especially since they had been watching the chariot being built on their way to and from school.
I took them with me and brought my camera along, though I wasn’t sure if I’d get the chance to take any pictures. My kids are still small, and I couldn’t leave them alone while I looked around for a good spot to shoot from.
Luckily, my daughter’s friend from our neighborhood was there with her aunt. I asked her to keep an eye on my kids for a while so I could walk around and capture some moments from the festival.
This year, the crowd seemed a bit smaller than in previous years. Even the number of photographers felt less — I hardly saw any familiar faces from my photography circle who usually cover the event.
I ended up climbing the wall of the police station in front of LABIM Mall and managed to take a few photos as the chariot procession began.
Here are a few glimpses from the day:
