Sacred Place
Rato Machhindranath Temple
The home shrine of Rato (Red) Machhindranath, identified with Avalokiteshvara as Karunamaya, in Bungamati, Kathmandu Valley — center of one of Nepal's most significant annual chariot festivals.
- Type
- Temple
- Location
- Bungamati, Lalitpur, Bagmati Province, Nepal
History & Significance
Bungamati (Bunga) is the traditional home village of Rato Machhindranath, whose image is carried each year in an elaborate, months-long chariot procession (Rato Machhindranath Jatra) between Bungamati and Patan — among the longest-running and most significant public religious festivals in the Kathmandu Valley, observed by both Newar Buddhist and Hindu communities.