"local documentation"

#13903326

29 Jun 2026

The reconstructed Rato Machhindranath Temple is seen in Bungamati, Lalitpur, Nepal, on June 29, 2026. Dedicated to Rato Machhindranath, locally known as Bungadyo and revered as the deity of rain, harvest, and prosperity in the Kathmandu Valley, the historic Shikhar-style temple was rebuilt after being destroyed in the 7.8-magnitude Gorkha earthquake of April 2015, which severely damaged the historic Newar settlement of Bungamati and its cultural heritage. The nearly decade-long reconstruction combined traditional craftsmanship, archaeological documentation, and extensive collaboration among local communities, heritage experts, and government agencies. The idol of Rato Machhindranath, which had been housed in a temporary shrine 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 and serves as the starting and ending point of the centuries-old Rato Machhindranath chariot festival, one of the Kathmandu Valley's most significant religious celebrations. Historians trace the tradition back more than 1,300 years, with the deity revered by both Hindu and Buddhist communities as a symbol of rainfall, agricultural abundance, and communal well-being.

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#13903327

29 Jun 2026

The idol of Rato Machhindranath is seen inside the reconstructed Rato Machhindranath Temple in Bungamati, Lalitpur, Nepal, on June 29, 2026. Revered locally as Bungadyo, Rato Machhindranath is worshipped by both Hindu and Buddhist communities as the deity of rain, harvest, prosperity, and communal well-being in the Kathmandu Valley. The historic Shikhar-style temple was rebuilt after being destroyed in the 7.8-magnitude Gorkha earthquake of April 2015, which severely damaged the centuries-old Newar settlement of Bungamati and its cultural heritage. The reconstruction took nearly a decade and combined traditional craftsmanship, archaeological documentation, and extensive collaboration among local communities, heritage experts, and government agencies. Following the completion of major reconstruction works, the idol, which had been housed in a temporary shrine since the earthquake, was ceremonially reinstalled inside the rebuilt temple in 2025. Bungamati is regarded as the ancestral home of Rato Machhindranath and serves as the starting and ending point of the centuries-old Rato Machhindranath chariot festival, one of the Kathmandu Valley's most important religious celebrations. Historians trace the tradition back more than 1,300 years, making the temple a significant symbol of Nepal's living cultural and religious heritage.

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#13903328

29 Jun 2026

The idol of Rato Machhindranath is seen inside the reconstructed Rato Machhindranath Temple in Bungamati, Lalitpur, Nepal, on June 29, 2026. Revered locally as Bungadyo, Rato Machhindranath is worshipped by both Hindu and Buddhist communities as the deity of rain, harvest, prosperity, and communal well-being in the Kathmandu Valley. The historic Shikhar-style temple was rebuilt after being destroyed in the 7.8-magnitude Gorkha earthquake of April 2015, which severely damaged the centuries-old Newar settlement of Bungamati and its cultural heritage. The reconstruction took nearly a decade and combined traditional craftsmanship, archaeological documentation, and extensive collaboration among local communities, heritage experts, and government agencies. Following the completion of major reconstruction works, the idol, which had been housed in a temporary shrine since the earthquake, was ceremonially reinstalled inside the rebuilt temple in 2025. Bungamati is regarded as the ancestral home of Rato Machhindranath and serves as the starting and ending point of the centuries-old Rato Machhindranath chariot festival, one of the Kathmandu Valley's most important religious celebrations. Historians trace the tradition back more than 1,300 years, making the temple a significant symbol of Nepal's living cultural and religious heritage.

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#13903329

29 Jun 2026

The idol of Rato Machhindranath is seen inside the reconstructed Rato Machhindranath Temple in Bungamati, Lalitpur, Nepal, on June 29, 2026. Revered locally as Bungadyo, Rato Machhindranath is worshipped by both Hindu and Buddhist communities as the deity of rain, harvest, prosperity, and communal well-being in the Kathmandu Valley. The historic Shikhar-style temple was rebuilt after being destroyed in the 7.8-magnitude Gorkha earthquake of April 2015, which severely damaged the centuries-old Newar settlement of Bungamati and its cultural heritage. The reconstruction took nearly a decade and combined traditional craftsmanship, archaeological documentation, and extensive collaboration among local communities, heritage experts, and government agencies. Following the completion of major reconstruction works, the idol, which had been housed in a temporary shrine since the earthquake, was ceremonially reinstalled inside the rebuilt temple in 2025. Bungamati is regarded as the ancestral home of Rato Machhindranath and serves as the starting and ending point of the centuries-old Rato Machhindranath chariot festival, one of the Kathmandu Valley's most important religious celebrations. Historians trace the tradition back more than 1,300 years, making the temple a significant symbol of Nepal's living cultural and religious heritage.

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#13903330

29 Jun 2026

The idol of Rato Machhindranath is seen inside the reconstructed Rato Machhindranath Temple in Bungamati, Lalitpur, Nepal, on June 29, 2026. Revered locally as Bungadyo, Rato Machhindranath is worshipped by both Hindu and Buddhist communities as the deity of rain, harvest, prosperity, and communal well-being in the Kathmandu Valley. The historic Shikhar-style temple was rebuilt after being destroyed in the 7.8-magnitude Gorkha earthquake of April 2015, which severely damaged the centuries-old Newar settlement of Bungamati and its cultural heritage. The reconstruction took nearly a decade and combined traditional craftsmanship, archaeological documentation, and extensive collaboration among local communities, heritage experts, and government agencies. Following the completion of major reconstruction works, the idol, which had been housed in a temporary shrine since the earthquake, was ceremonially reinstalled inside the rebuilt temple in 2025. Bungamati is regarded as the ancestral home of Rato Machhindranath and serves as the starting and ending point of the centuries-old Rato Machhindranath chariot festival, one of the Kathmandu Valley's most important religious celebrations. Historians trace the tradition back more than 1,300 years, making the temple a significant symbol of Nepal's living cultural and religious heritage.

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#13903331

29 Jun 2026

The idol of Rato Machhindranath is seen inside the reconstructed Rato Machhindranath Temple in Bungamati, Lalitpur, Nepal, on June 29, 2026. Revered locally as Bungadyo, Rato Machhindranath is worshipped by both Hindu and Buddhist communities as the deity of rain, harvest, prosperity, and communal well-being in the Kathmandu Valley. The historic Shikhar-style temple was rebuilt after being destroyed in the 7.8-magnitude Gorkha earthquake of April 2015, which severely damaged the centuries-old Newar settlement of Bungamati and its cultural heritage. The reconstruction took nearly a decade and combined traditional craftsmanship, archaeological documentation, and extensive collaboration among local communities, heritage experts, and government agencies. Following the completion of major reconstruction works, the idol, which had been housed in a temporary shrine since the earthquake, was ceremonially reinstalled inside the rebuilt temple in 2025. Bungamati is regarded as the ancestral home of Rato Machhindranath and serves as the starting and ending point of the centuries-old Rato Machhindranath chariot festival, one of the Kathmandu Valley's most important religious celebrations. Historians trace the tradition back more than 1,300 years, making the temple a significant symbol of Nepal's living cultural and religious heritage.

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#13903332

29 Jun 2026

The idol of Rato Machhindranath is seen inside the reconstructed Rato Machhindranath Temple in Bungamati, Lalitpur, Nepal, on June 29, 2026. Revered locally as Bungadyo, Rato Machhindranath is worshipped by both Hindu and Buddhist communities as the deity of rain, harvest, prosperity, and communal well-being in the Kathmandu Valley. The historic Shikhar-style temple was rebuilt after being destroyed in the 7.8-magnitude Gorkha earthquake of April 2015, which severely damaged the centuries-old Newar settlement of Bungamati and its cultural heritage. The reconstruction took nearly a decade and combined traditional craftsmanship, archaeological documentation, and extensive collaboration among local communities, heritage experts, and government agencies. Following the completion of major reconstruction works, the idol, which had been housed in a temporary shrine since the earthquake, was ceremonially reinstalled inside the rebuilt temple in 2025. Bungamati is regarded as the ancestral home of Rato Machhindranath and serves as the starting and ending point of the centuries-old Rato Machhindranath chariot festival, one of the Kathmandu Valley's most important religious celebrations. Historians trace the tradition back more than 1,300 years, making the temple a significant symbol of Nepal's living cultural and religious heritage.

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#13903334

29 Jun 2026

The reconstructed Rato Machhindranath Temple is seen in Bungamati, Lalitpur, Nepal, on June 29, 2026. Dedicated to Rato Machhindranath, locally known as Bungadyo and revered as the deity of rain, harvest, and prosperity in the Kathmandu Valley, the historic Shikhar-style temple was rebuilt after being destroyed in the 7.8-magnitude Gorkha earthquake of April 2015, which severely damaged the historic Newar settlement of Bungamati and its cultural heritage. The nearly decade-long reconstruction combined traditional craftsmanship, archaeological documentation, and extensive collaboration among local communities, heritage experts, and government agencies. The idol of Rato Machhindranath, which had been housed in a temporary shrine 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 and serves as the starting and ending point of the centuries-old Rato Machhindranath chariot festival, one of the Kathmandu Valley's most significant religious celebrations. Historians trace the tradition back more than 1,300 years, with the deity revered by both Hindu and Buddhist communities as a symbol of rainfall, agricultural abundance, and communal well-being.

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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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#13744052

24 May 2026

SHANGHAI, CHINA - MAY 24: A woman watches a live state television (CCTV) broadcast of the Shenzhou-23 crewed spacecraft launch inside a room in Shanghai, China, on May 24, 2026. The Shenzhou-23 mission lifted off aboard a Long March-2F carrier rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, carrying three astronauts to the Tiangong space station for a historic mission that includes a year-long in-orbit residency.

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#13744082

24 May 2026

SHANGHAI, CHINA - MAY 24: A woman watches a live state television (CCTV) broadcast of the Shenzhou-23 crewed spacecraft launch inside a room in Shanghai, China, on May 24, 2026. The Shenzhou-23 mission lifted off aboard a Long March-2F carrier rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, carrying three astronauts to the Tiangong space station for a historic mission that includes a year-long in-orbit residency.

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#13744087

24 May 2026

SHANGHAI, CHINA - MAY 24: A woman watches a live state television (CCTV) broadcast of the Shenzhou-23 crewed spacecraft launch inside a room in Shanghai, China, on May 24, 2026. The Shenzhou-23 mission lifted off aboard a Long March-2F carrier rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, carrying three astronauts to the Tiangong space station for a historic mission that includes a year-long in-orbit residency.

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#13744088

24 May 2026

SHANGHAI, CHINA - MAY 24: A woman watches a live state television (CCTV) broadcast of the Shenzhou-23 crewed spacecraft launch inside a room in Shanghai, China, on May 24, 2026. The Shenzhou-23 mission lifted off aboard a Long March-2F carrier rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, carrying three astronauts to the Tiangong space station for a historic mission that includes a year-long in-orbit residency.

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#13744090

24 May 2026

SHANGHAI, CHINA - MAY 24: A woman watches a live state television (CCTV) broadcast of the Shenzhou-23 crewed spacecraft launch inside a room in Shanghai, China, on May 24, 2026. The Shenzhou-23 mission lifted off aboard a Long March-2F carrier rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, carrying three astronauts to the Tiangong space station for a historic mission that includes a year-long in-orbit residency.

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#13744096

24 May 2026

SHANGHAI, CHINA - MAY 24: A woman watches a live state television (CCTV) broadcast of the Shenzhou-23 crewed spacecraft launch inside a room in Shanghai, China, on May 24, 2026. The Shenzhou-23 mission lifted off aboard a Long March-2F carrier rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, carrying three astronauts to the Tiangong space station for a historic mission that includes a year-long in-orbit residency.

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#13744103

24 May 2026

SHANGHAI, CHINA - MAY 24: A woman watches a live state television (CCTV) broadcast of the Shenzhou-23 crewed spacecraft launch inside a room in Shanghai, China, on May 24, 2026. The Shenzhou-23 mission lifted off aboard a Long March-2F carrier rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, carrying three astronauts to the Tiangong space station for a historic mission that includes a year-long in-orbit residency.

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