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Nepal: Rato Machhindranath Returns To Bungamati After Bhoto Jatra In Lalitpur

Nepali devotees light haystacks and carry straw torches as they participate in the procession welcoming the idol of the Rato Machhindranath Festival back to Bungamati, Lalitpur, on June 20, 2026, after the completion of Bhoto Jatra in Jawalakhel. The ritual marks the final return journey of the rain deity to his temple, with fires lit along the route, especially near the Nakkhu bridge, as a symbolic gesture of devotion, purification, and protection. The procession is part of one of the longest and most significant Newar festivals in the Kathmandu Valley, where the towering wooden chariot of Rato Machhindranath is pulled through historic settlements including Pulchowk, Gabahal, Mangal Bazaar, Lagankhel, and Bungamati, requiring coordinated effort from local guthis and community groups. The festival concludes with Bhoto Jatra, the ceremonial display of the sacred jewel-studded vest (bhoto), a ritual rooted in legend. According to oral tradition, the bhoto is linked to serpent king Karkotak, who rewarded a farmer for curing the queen's eye ailment. After a dispute over ownership, the vest was entrusted to Machhindranath and has been publicly displayed each year for anyone with proof of ownership to claim it. Despite centuries of tradition, no claimant has ever successfully established ownership. (Photo by Safal Prakash Shrestha/NurPhoto)

Photo ID	#13858698
Date Taken	20 June 2026
Location	N/A
Photographer	Safal Prakash Shrestha/NurPhoto
Category	Human Interest
Copyright	© 2026 NurPhoto - Safal Prakash Shrestha/NurPhoto