"Religious Identity"

#13858751

20 Jun 2026

A soldier of the Nepali Army's Guruju Paltan fires a ceremonial gunshot to mark the conclusion of the Rato Machhindranath Jatra in Jawalakhel, Lalitpur, Nepal, on June 20, 2026. The gun salute is part of the traditional state ceremonies associated with Bhoto Jatra, the final ritual of the centuries-old festival dedicated to Rato Machhindranath, the rain deity revered by both Hindu and Buddhist communities of the Kathmandu Valley. The ceremonial firing occurs during the public display of the sacred jewel-studded vest (bhoto), symbolizing the official conclusion of the month-long chariot procession. Guruju Paltan, one of the oldest units of the Nepali Army with historical ties to royal and religious ceremonies, has long played a ceremonial role in major state and cultural events. The festival, believed to have originated more than 1,300 years ago, is closely linked to prayers for timely monsoon rains, agricultural prosperity, and communal well-being. Thousands of devotees gather each year in Jawalakhel to witness the Bhoto Jatra ceremony, which concludes the chariot festival before the deity is returned to his ancestral home in Bungamati.

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#13858745

20 Jun 2026

The reconstructed Rato Machhindranath Temple is seen in Bungamati, Lalitpur, Nepal, on June 20, 2026. The temple, dedicated to Rato Machhindranath, revered as the deity of rain, harvest, and prosperity in the Kathmandu Valley, was rebuilt after being destroyed in the 7.8-magnitude Gorkha earthquake of April 2015, which significantly impacted the historic Newar settlement of Bungamati and its cultural heritage. The reconstruction of the historic Shikhar-style temple took nearly a decade and involved traditional craftsmanship, archaeological documentation, and extensive participation from local communities, heritage experts, and government agencies. The idol of Rato Machhindranath, which had been housed in a temporary structure since the earthquake, was ceremonially reinstalled inside the rebuilt temple in 2025 following the completion of major reconstruction works. Bungamati is regarded as the ancestral home of Rato Machhindranath, locally known as Bungadyo, and serves as the starting and ending point of the centuries-old chariot festival, which is among the most important religious celebrations in the Kathmandu Valley. Historians trace the tradition back more than 1,300 years, with the deity revered by both Hindu and Buddhist communities as a bringer of rain, agricultural abundance, and communal well-being.

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#13858697

20 Jun 2026

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.

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#13858698

20 Jun 2026

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.

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#13858699

20 Jun 2026

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.

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#13858700

20 Jun 2026

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.

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#13858701

20 Jun 2026

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.

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#13858702

20 Jun 2026

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.

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#13858703

20 Jun 2026

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.

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#13858705

20 Jun 2026

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.

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#13858707

20 Jun 2026

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.

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#13858708

20 Jun 2026

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.

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#13858710

20 Jun 2026

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.

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#13858713

20 Jun 2026

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.

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#13858715

20 Jun 2026

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.

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#13858717

20 Jun 2026

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.

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