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

Nepali devotees carry the palanquin of Rato Machhindranath while lighting haystacks and carrying straw torches during a procession welcoming the deity back to Bungamati, Lalitpur, on June 20, 2026, following the completion of Bhoto Jatra in Jawalakhel. The ritual marks the final return journey of the rain deity to his temple, with devotees lighting fires along the route--particularly near the Nakkhu bridge--as a symbolic gesture of devotion, purification, and protection, believed to ward off misfortune and guide the deity safely home after the extended chariot procession. The procession is part of one of the longest and most significant Newar festivals in the Kathmandu Valley, during which the towering wooden chariot of Rato Machhindranath is pulled through historic settlements including Pulchowk, Gabahal, Mangal Bazaar, Lagankhel, and Bungamati through the collective efforts of 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, serpent king Karkotak rewarded a farmer with the vest after he cured the queen's eye ailment using a herbal paste. When a dispute later arose over its ownership, the vest was entrusted to Machhindranath. Since then, it has been publicly displayed each year in the hope that its rightful owner will come forward. Despite centuries of tradition, no claimant has ever successfully proven ownership, reinforcing the bhoto's enduring mystery and sacred significance in Nepal's cultural heritage. (Photo by Safal Prakash Shrestha/NurPhoto)

Photo ID	#13858744
Date Taken	20 June 2026
Location	N/A
Photographer	Safal Prakash Shrestha/NurPhoto
Category	Human Interest
Copyright	© 2026 NurPhoto - Safal Prakash Shrestha/NurPhoto