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KATHMANDU, NEPAL, June 25, 2012 (Reuters): Thousands of Nepalis threw coins and marigolds at a giant chariot over the weekend in a centuries-old ritual to appease the God of rain and assure a good harvest, as well as guaranteeing good omens for the country’s rulers. The annual two-month chariot festival for Rato Machhindranath, revered as the God of rain, has for countless generations been presided over by Nepal’s kings. The monarchy was abolished in the Himalayan country in 2008 but that hasn’t stopped the festival. These days, the president stands in. The centerpiece of the ritual in the old town of Pathan, 6 miles south of the capital of Kathmandu, came with the display of a jeweled vest said to have been given to a farmer by a serpent king more than 1,000 years ago. Lost by the farmer and claimed by a demon, legend has it that the vest has since been held by Rato Machhindranath for its rightful owner to claim in the presence of the king, or president. For the days of the festival, a statue of Rato Machhindranath is mounted on a chariot with large wheels that groan as devotees haul it through the streets. On the chariot is a 60-foot tower festooned with fir twigs. “Whoever watches the displaying of the vest becomes free from troubles, disease and hunger,” said 49-year-old Hindu priest Kamal Raj Bajracharya.

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