"300-year history"

#12506360

26 June 2025

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM - JUNE 26, 2025: Art handlers look at a painting by Giovanni Antonio Canal, called Il Canaletto, titled ''Venice, the Return of the Bucintoro on Ascension Day'', circa 1732, (estimate on request; in excess of GBP20 million), originally owned by Britain's First Prime Minister, Sir Robert Walpole, and hung at 10 Downing Street, during a photocall at Christie's auction house in London, United Kingdom on June 26, 2025. The masterpiece will lead Christie's Old Masters Evening Sale in London on 1 July 2025, having only appeared at auction twice in its 300-year history, in 1751 and 1993.

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#12434115

1 June 2025

The living goddess of Lalitpur is carried to Jawalakhel to observe the Bhoto Jatra procession on June 1, 2025. The chariot procession of Rato Machhindranath, observed for at least one to four months, ends with the showing of the 'Bhoto,' expecting the rightful owner to come and claim it. Historians claim that the chariot procession of Machindranath starts around 1,300 years ago. According to legend, shortly after the procession starts, the queen of the serpent king Karkotak develops an eye ailment. While searching for a healer, Karkotak mistakes a farmer working in the fields for a physician and brings him to Taudaha, a wetland on the outskirts of Kathmandu. Frightened, the farmer prays to Machhindranath and rubs his hands on the soil to make an herbal paste. He offers it to Karkotak as medicine, and the paste cures the queen's eyes. Grateful, Karkotak rewards the farmer with a jewel-studded vest (bhoto) and returns him to the human world. The farmer begins wearing the bhoto while working in his fields. One day, a ghost in human form steals the vest. The farmer searches everywhere but cannot find it. Later, while attending the Machhindranath chariot festival, he sees the ghost wearing the same vest and claims it as his. When the ghost refuses to return it, a dispute breaks out. People summon Karkotak to resolve the conflict. In the end, because neither party can prove ownership, they entrust the bhoto to Machhindranath. Since then, devotees follow the tradition of displaying the bhoto after the chariot procession, hoping that someone with valid proof of ownership will come forward. Each year, they display the sacred vest on an auspicious date. According to legend, no one succeeds in proving ownership of the bhoto so far.

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#12434119

1 June 2025

An elderly woman performs rituals in front of the Rato Machhindranath chariot ahead of the Bhoto Jatra procession in Lalitpur, Nepal, on June 1, 2025. The chariot procession of Rato Machhindranath is observed for at least one to four months and ends with the showing of the 'Bhoto,' expecting the rightful owner to come and claim it. Historians claim that the chariot procession of Machindranath started around 1,300 years ago. According to legend, shortly after the procession started, the queen of the serpent king Karkotak developed an eye ailment. While searching for a healer, Karkotak mistook a farmer working in the fields for a physician and brought him to Taudaha, a wetland on the outskirts of Kathmandu. Frightened, the farmer prays to Machhindranath and rubs his hands on the soil to make an herbal paste. He offers it to Karkotak as medicine, and the paste cures the queen's eyes. Grateful, Karkotak rewards the farmer with a jewel-studded vest (bhoto) and returns him to the human world. The farmer begins wearing the bhoto while working in his fields. One day, a ghost in human form steals the vest. The farmer searches everywhere but cannot find it. Later, while attending the Machhindranath chariot festival, he sees the ghost wearing the same vest and claims it as his. When the ghost refuses to return it, a dispute breaks out. People summon Karkotak to resolve the conflict. In the end, because neither party can prove ownership, they entrust the bhoto to Machhindranath. Since then, devotees follow the tradition of displaying the bhoto after the chariot procession, hoping that someone with valid proof of ownership will come forward. Each year, they display the sacred vest on an auspicious date. According to legend, no one has succeeded in proving ownership of the bhoto so far.

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#12434121

1 June 2025

An elderly woman performs rituals in front of the Rato Machhindranath chariot ahead of the Bhoto Jatra procession in Lalitpur, Nepal, on June 1, 2025. The chariot procession of Rato Machhindranath is observed for at least one to four months and ends with the showing of the 'Bhoto,' expecting the rightful owner to come and claim it. Historians claim that the chariot procession of Machindranath started around 1,300 years ago. According to legend, shortly after the procession started, the queen of the serpent king Karkotak developed an eye ailment. While searching for a healer, Karkotak mistook a farmer working in the fields for a physician and brought him to Taudaha, a wetland on the outskirts of Kathmandu. Frightened, the farmer prays to Machhindranath and rubs his hands on the soil to make an herbal paste. He offers it to Karkotak as medicine, and the paste cures the queen's eyes. Grateful, Karkotak rewards the farmer with a jewel-studded vest (bhoto) and returns him to the human world. The farmer begins wearing the bhoto while working in his fields. One day, a ghost in human form steals the vest. The farmer searches everywhere but cannot find it. Later, while attending the Machhindranath chariot festival, he sees the ghost wearing the same vest and claims it as his. When the ghost refuses to return it, a dispute breaks out. People summon Karkotak to resolve the conflict. In the end, because neither party can prove ownership, they entrust the bhoto to Machhindranath. Since then, devotees follow the tradition of displaying the bhoto after the chariot procession, hoping that someone with valid proof of ownership will come forward. Each year, they display the sacred vest on an auspicious date. According to legend, no one has succeeded in proving ownership of the bhoto so far.

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#12434133

1 June 2025

A member of the Rato Machhindranath Trust displays the jewel-studded vest, locally called Bhoto, during the Bhoto Jatra procession in Lalitpur, Nepal, on June 1, 2025. The chariot procession of Rato Machhindranath, observed for at least a month to four months, ends with the showing of the 'Bhoto,' expecting the rightful owner to come and claim it. Historians claim that the chariot procession of Machindranath starts around 1,300 years ago. As the legend goes, shortly after the procession starts, the queen of the serpent king Karkotak develops an eye ailment. While searching for a healer, Karkotak mistakes a farmer working in the fields for a physician and brings him to Taudaha, a wetland on the outskirts of Kathmandu. Frightened, the farmer prays to Machhindranath and rubs his hands on the soil to make an herbal paste. He offers it to Karkotak as medicine, and the paste cures the queen's eyes. Grateful, Karkotak rewards the farmer with a jewel-studded vest (bhoto) and returns him to the human world. The farmer begins wearing the bhoto while working in his fields. One day, a ghost in human form steals the vest. The farmer searches everywhere but cannot find it. Later, while attending the Machhindranath chariot festival, he sees the ghost wearing the same vest and claims it as his. When the ghost refuses to return it, a dispute breaks out. People summon Karkotak to resolve the conflict. In the end, because neither party can prove ownership, they entrust the bhoto to Machhindranath. Since then, devotees follow the tradition of displaying the bhoto after the chariot procession, hoping that someone with valid proof of ownership will come forward. Each year, they display the sacred vest on an auspicious date. According to legend, no one succeeds in proving ownership of the bhoto so far.

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#12434135

1 June 2025

A member of the Rato Machhindranath Trust displays the jewel-studded vest, locally called Bhoto, during the Bhoto Jatra procession in Lalitpur, Nepal, on June 1, 2025. The chariot procession of Rato Machhindranath, observed for at least a month to four months, ends with the showing of the 'Bhoto,' expecting the rightful owner to come and claim it. Historians claim that the chariot procession of Machindranath starts around 1,300 years ago. As the legend goes, shortly after the procession starts, the queen of the serpent king Karkotak develops an eye ailment. While searching for a healer, Karkotak mistakes a farmer working in the fields for a physician and brings him to Taudaha, a wetland on the outskirts of Kathmandu. Frightened, the farmer prays to Machhindranath and rubs his hands on the soil to make an herbal paste. He offers it to Karkotak as medicine, and the paste cures the queen's eyes. Grateful, Karkotak rewards the farmer with a jewel-studded vest (bhoto) and returns him to the human world. The farmer begins wearing the bhoto while working in his fields. One day, a ghost in human form steals the vest. The farmer searches everywhere but cannot find it. Later, while attending the Machhindranath chariot festival, he sees the ghost wearing the same vest and claims it as his. When the ghost refuses to return it, a dispute breaks out. People summon Karkotak to resolve the conflict. In the end, because neither party can prove ownership, they entrust the bhoto to Machhindranath. Since then, devotees follow the tradition of displaying the bhoto after the chariot procession, hoping that someone with valid proof of ownership will come forward. Each year, they display the sacred vest on an auspicious date. According to legend, no one succeeds in proving ownership of the bhoto so far.

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#12434136

1 June 2025

A member of the Rato Machhindranath Trust displays the jewel-studded vest, locally called Bhoto, during the Bhoto Jatra procession in Lalitpur, Nepal, on June 1, 2025. The chariot procession of Rato Machhindranath, observed for at least a month to four months, ends with the showing of the 'Bhoto,' expecting the rightful owner to come and claim it. Historians claim that the chariot procession of Machindranath starts around 1,300 years ago. As the legend goes, shortly after the procession starts, the queen of the serpent king Karkotak develops an eye ailment. While searching for a healer, Karkotak mistakes a farmer working in the fields for a physician and brings him to Taudaha, a wetland on the outskirts of Kathmandu. Frightened, the farmer prays to Machhindranath and rubs his hands on the soil to make an herbal paste. He offers it to Karkotak as medicine, and the paste cures the queen's eyes. Grateful, Karkotak rewards the farmer with a jewel-studded vest (bhoto) and returns him to the human world. The farmer begins wearing the bhoto while working in his fields. One day, a ghost in human form steals the vest. The farmer searches everywhere but cannot find it. Later, while attending the Machhindranath chariot festival, he sees the ghost wearing the same vest and claims it as his. When the ghost refuses to return it, a dispute breaks out. People summon Karkotak to resolve the conflict. In the end, because neither party can prove ownership, they entrust the bhoto to Machhindranath. Since then, devotees follow the tradition of displaying the bhoto after the chariot procession, hoping that someone with valid proof of ownership will come forward. Each year, they display the sacred vest on an auspicious date. According to legend, no one succeeds in proving ownership of the bhoto so far.

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#12434113

1 June 2025

The idol of Lord Rato Machhindranath is installed in a newly built temple in Bungmati, Lalitpur, Nepal, on June 1, 2025, after completing the Bhoto Jatra procession. The chariot procession of Rato Machhindranath is observed for at least a month to four months and ends with the showing of the 'Bhoto,' expecting the rightful owner to come and claim it. Historians claim that the chariot procession of Machhindranath started around 1,300 years ago. According to legend, shortly after the procession starts, the queen of the serpent king Karkotak develops an eye ailment. While searching for a healer, Karkotak mistakes a farmer working in the fields for a physician and brings him to Taudaha, a wetland on the outskirts of Kathmandu. Frightened, the farmer prays to Machhindranath and rubs his hands on the soil to make an herbal paste. He offers it to Karkotak as medicine, and the paste cures the queen's eyes. Grateful, Karkotak rewards the farmer with a jewel-studded vest (bhoto) and returns him to the human world. The farmer begins wearing the bhoto while working in his fields. One day, a ghost in human form steals the vest. The farmer searches everywhere but cannot find it. Later, while attending the Machhindranath chariot festival, he sees the ghost wearing the same vest and claims it as his. When the ghost refuses to return it, a dispute breaks out. People summon Karkotak to resolve the conflict. In the end, because neither party can prove ownership, they entrust the bhoto to Machhindranath. Since then, devotees follow the tradition of displaying the bhoto after the chariot procession, hoping that someone with valid proof of ownership will come forward. Each year, they display the sacred vest on an auspicious date. According to legend, no one has succeeded in proving ownership of the bhoto so far.

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#12434114

1 June 2025

Municipal cleanliness staff wash the ground ahead of the Bhoto Jatra procession, which marks the end of the months-long Rato Machhindranath chariot procession in Lalitpur, Nepal, on June 1, 2025. The chariot procession of Rato Machhindranath is observed for at least one month to four months and ends with the showing of the 'Bhoto,' expecting the rightful owner to come and claim it. Historians claim that the chariot procession of Machhindranath started around 1,300 years ago. According to legend, shortly after the procession started, the queen of the serpent king Karkotak developed an eye ailment. While searching for a healer, Karkotak mistook a farmer working in the fields for a physician and brought him to Taudaha, a wetland on the outskirts of Kathmandu. Frightened, the farmer prays to Machhindranath and rubs his hands on the soil to make an herbal paste. He offers it to Karkotak as medicine, and the paste cures the queen's eyes. Grateful, Karkotak rewards the farmer with a jewel-studded vest (bhoto) and returns him to the human world. The farmer begins wearing the bhoto while working in his fields. One day, a ghost in human form steals the vest. The farmer searches everywhere but cannot find it. Later, while attending the Machhindranath chariot festival, he sees the ghost wearing the same vest and claims it as his. When the ghost refuses to return it, a dispute breaks out. People summon Karkotak to resolve the conflict. In the end, because neither party can prove ownership, they entrust the bhoto to Machhindranath. Since then, devotees follow the tradition of displaying the bhoto after the chariot procession, hoping that someone with valid proof of ownership will come forward. Each year, they display the sacred vest on an auspicious date. According to legend, no one has succeeded in proving ownership of the bhoto so far.

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#12434116

1 June 2025

The living goddess, Kumari of Patan, Nihira Bajracharya, watches the Bhoto Jatra procession in Jawalakhel, Lalitpur, on June 1, 2025. The chariot procession of Rato Machhindranath is observed for at least a month to four months and ends with the showing of the 'Bhoto,' expecting the rightful owner to come and claim it. Historians claim that the chariot procession of Machindranath started around 1,300 years ago. According to legend, shortly after the procession started, the queen of the serpent king Karkotak developed an eye ailment. While searching for a healer, Karkotak mistakes a farmer working in the fields for a physician and brings him to Taudaha, a wetland on the outskirts of Kathmandu. Frightened, the farmer prays to Machhindranath and rubs his hands on the soil to make an herbal paste. He offers it to Karkotak as medicine, and the paste cures the queen's eyes. Grateful, Karkotak rewards the farmer with a jewel-studded vest (bhoto) and returns him to the human world. The farmer begins wearing the bhoto while working in his fields. One day, a ghost in human form steals the vest. The farmer searches everywhere but cannot find it. Later, while attending the Machhindranath chariot festival, he sees the ghost wearing the same vest and claims it as his. When the ghost refuses to return it, a dispute breaks out. People summon Karkotak to resolve the conflict. In the end, because neither party can prove ownership, they entrust the bhoto to Machhindranath. Since then, devotees follow the tradition of displaying the bhoto after the chariot procession, hoping that someone with valid proof of ownership will come forward. Each year, they display the sacred vest on an auspicious date. According to legend, no one has succeeded in proving ownership of the bhoto so far.

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#12434117

1 June 2025

The living goddess, Kumari of Patan, Nihira Bajracharya, watches the Bhoto Jatra procession in Jawalakhel, Lalitpur, on June 1, 2025. The chariot procession of Rato Machhindranath is observed for at least a month to four months and ends with the showing of the 'Bhoto,' expecting the rightful owner to come and claim it. Historians claim that the chariot procession of Machindranath started around 1,300 years ago. According to legend, shortly after the procession started, the queen of the serpent king Karkotak developed an eye ailment. While searching for a healer, Karkotak mistakes a farmer working in the fields for a physician and brings him to Taudaha, a wetland on the outskirts of Kathmandu. Frightened, the farmer prays to Machhindranath and rubs his hands on the soil to make an herbal paste. He offers it to Karkotak as medicine, and the paste cures the queen's eyes. Grateful, Karkotak rewards the farmer with a jewel-studded vest (bhoto) and returns him to the human world. The farmer begins wearing the bhoto while working in his fields. One day, a ghost in human form steals the vest. The farmer searches everywhere but cannot find it. Later, while attending the Machhindranath chariot festival, he sees the ghost wearing the same vest and claims it as his. When the ghost refuses to return it, a dispute breaks out. People summon Karkotak to resolve the conflict. In the end, because neither party can prove ownership, they entrust the bhoto to Machhindranath. Since then, devotees follow the tradition of displaying the bhoto after the chariot procession, hoping that someone with valid proof of ownership will come forward. Each year, they display the sacred vest on an auspicious date. According to legend, no one has succeeded in proving ownership of the bhoto so far.

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#12434118

1 June 2025

The living goddess, Kumari of Patan, Nihira Bajracharya, watches the Bhoto Jatra procession in Jawalakhel, Lalitpur, on June 1, 2025. The chariot procession of Rato Machhindranath is observed for at least a month to four months and ends with the showing of the 'Bhoto,' expecting the rightful owner to come and claim it. Historians claim that the chariot procession of Machindranath started around 1,300 years ago. According to legend, shortly after the procession started, the queen of the serpent king Karkotak developed an eye ailment. While searching for a healer, Karkotak mistakes a farmer working in the fields for a physician and brings him to Taudaha, a wetland on the outskirts of Kathmandu. Frightened, the farmer prays to Machhindranath and rubs his hands on the soil to make an herbal paste. He offers it to Karkotak as medicine, and the paste cures the queen's eyes. Grateful, Karkotak rewards the farmer with a jewel-studded vest (bhoto) and returns him to the human world. The farmer begins wearing the bhoto while working in his fields. One day, a ghost in human form steals the vest. The farmer searches everywhere but cannot find it. Later, while attending the Machhindranath chariot festival, he sees the ghost wearing the same vest and claims it as his. When the ghost refuses to return it, a dispute breaks out. People summon Karkotak to resolve the conflict. In the end, because neither party can prove ownership, they entrust the bhoto to Machhindranath. Since then, devotees follow the tradition of displaying the bhoto after the chariot procession, hoping that someone with valid proof of ownership will come forward. Each year, they display the sacred vest on an auspicious date. According to legend, no one has succeeded in proving ownership of the bhoto so far.

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#12434123

1 June 2025

Members of the ethnic Newa community don traditional dress and perform a ritualistic dance in front of the Rato Machhindranath chariot ahead of the Bhoto Jatra procession in Lalitpur, Nepal, on June 1, 2025. The chariot procession of Rato Machhindranath is observed for at least a month to four months and ends with the showing of the 'Bhoto,' expecting the rightful owner to come and claim it. Historians claim that the chariot procession of Machindranath starts around 1,300 years ago. As the legend goes, shortly after the procession starts, the queen of the serpent king Karkotak develops an eye ailment. While searching for a healer, Karkotak mistakes a farmer working in the fields for a physician and brings him to Taudaha, a wetland on the outskirts of Kathmandu. Frightened, the farmer prays to Machhindranath and rubs his hands on the soil to make an herbal paste. He offers it to Karkotak as medicine, and the paste cures the queen's eyes. Grateful, Karkotak rewards the farmer with a jewel-studded vest (bhoto) and returns him to the human world. The farmer begins wearing the bhoto while working in his fields. One day, a ghost in human form steals the vest. The farmer searches everywhere but cannot find it. Later, while attending the Machhindranath chariot festival, he sees the ghost wearing the same vest and claims it as his. When the ghost refuses to return it, a dispute breaks out. People summon Karkotak to resolve the conflict. In the end, because neither party can prove ownership, they entrust the bhoto to Machhindranath. Since then, devotees follow the tradition of displaying the bhoto after the chariot procession, hoping that someone with valid proof of ownership will come forward. Each year, they display the sacred vest on an auspicious date. According to legend, no one succeeds in proving ownership of the bhoto so far.

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#12434127

1 June 2025

Members of the ethnic Newa community don traditional dress and perform a ritualistic dance in front of the Rato Machhindranath chariot ahead of the Bhoto Jatra procession in Lalitpur, Nepal, on June 1, 2025. The chariot procession of Rato Machhindranath is observed for at least a month to four months and ends with the showing of the 'Bhoto,' expecting the rightful owner to come and claim it. Historians claim that the chariot procession of Machindranath starts around 1,300 years ago. As the legend goes, shortly after the procession starts, the queen of the serpent king Karkotak develops an eye ailment. While searching for a healer, Karkotak mistakes a farmer working in the fields for a physician and brings him to Taudaha, a wetland on the outskirts of Kathmandu. Frightened, the farmer prays to Machhindranath and rubs his hands on the soil to make an herbal paste. He offers it to Karkotak as medicine, and the paste cures the queen's eyes. Grateful, Karkotak rewards the farmer with a jewel-studded vest (bhoto) and returns him to the human world. The farmer begins wearing the bhoto while working in his fields. One day, a ghost in human form steals the vest. The farmer searches everywhere but cannot find it. Later, while attending the Machhindranath chariot festival, he sees the ghost wearing the same vest and claims it as his. When the ghost refuses to return it, a dispute breaks out. People summon Karkotak to resolve the conflict. In the end, because neither party can prove ownership, they entrust the bhoto to Machhindranath. Since then, devotees follow the tradition of displaying the bhoto after the chariot procession, hoping that someone with valid proof of ownership will come forward. Each year, they display the sacred vest on an auspicious date. According to legend, no one succeeds in proving ownership of the bhoto so far.

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#12434128

1 June 2025

Members of the ethnic Newa community don traditional dress and perform a ritualistic dance in front of the Rato Machhindranath chariot ahead of the Bhoto Jatra procession in Lalitpur, Nepal, on June 1, 2025. The chariot procession of Rato Machhindranath is observed for at least a month to four months and ends with the showing of the 'Bhoto,' expecting the rightful owner to come and claim it. Historians claim that the chariot procession of Machindranath starts around 1,300 years ago. As the legend goes, shortly after the procession starts, the queen of the serpent king Karkotak develops an eye ailment. While searching for a healer, Karkotak mistakes a farmer working in the fields for a physician and brings him to Taudaha, a wetland on the outskirts of Kathmandu. Frightened, the farmer prays to Machhindranath and rubs his hands on the soil to make an herbal paste. He offers it to Karkotak as medicine, and the paste cures the queen's eyes. Grateful, Karkotak rewards the farmer with a jewel-studded vest (bhoto) and returns him to the human world. The farmer begins wearing the bhoto while working in his fields. One day, a ghost in human form steals the vest. The farmer searches everywhere but cannot find it. Later, while attending the Machhindranath chariot festival, he sees the ghost wearing the same vest and claims it as his. When the ghost refuses to return it, a dispute breaks out. People summon Karkotak to resolve the conflict. In the end, because neither party can prove ownership, they entrust the bhoto to Machhindranath. Since then, devotees follow the tradition of displaying the bhoto after the chariot procession, hoping that someone with valid proof of ownership will come forward. Each year, they display the sacred vest on an auspicious date. According to legend, no one succeeds in proving ownership of the bhoto so far.

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#12434129

1 June 2025

Members of the ethnic Newa community don traditional dress and perform a ritualistic dance in front of the Rato Machhindranath chariot ahead of the Bhoto Jatra procession in Lalitpur, Nepal, on June 1, 2025. The chariot procession of Rato Machhindranath is observed for at least a month to four months and ends with the showing of the 'Bhoto,' expecting the rightful owner to come and claim it. Historians claim that the chariot procession of Machindranath starts around 1,300 years ago. As the legend goes, shortly after the procession starts, the queen of the serpent king Karkotak develops an eye ailment. While searching for a healer, Karkotak mistakes a farmer working in the fields for a physician and brings him to Taudaha, a wetland on the outskirts of Kathmandu. Frightened, the farmer prays to Machhindranath and rubs his hands on the soil to make an herbal paste. He offers it to Karkotak as medicine, and the paste cures the queen's eyes. Grateful, Karkotak rewards the farmer with a jewel-studded vest (bhoto) and returns him to the human world. The farmer begins wearing the bhoto while working in his fields. One day, a ghost in human form steals the vest. The farmer searches everywhere but cannot find it. Later, while attending the Machhindranath chariot festival, he sees the ghost wearing the same vest and claims it as his. When the ghost refuses to return it, a dispute breaks out. People summon Karkotak to resolve the conflict. In the end, because neither party can prove ownership, they entrust the bhoto to Machhindranath. Since then, devotees follow the tradition of displaying the bhoto after the chariot procession, hoping that someone with valid proof of ownership will come forward. Each year, they display the sacred vest on an auspicious date. According to legend, no one succeeds in proving ownership of the bhoto so far.

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