Bungh Dyo Jatra - The Annual Chariot Festival of Rato Machindranath of Patan (Bungh Dyo or the Deity from Bungh)

The much anticipated annual chariot festival of Rato (Red) Machindranath is here. The Rato Machindranath of Patan is worshiped in a variety of incarnations; to the Buddhists he is the tantric edition of Avalokiteshwor, Shaivites worship him as an incarnation of Shiva, some cults worship him as Kali, Tara, Lokeshwor, Karunamaya, or Matsyendranath, whereas some believe him to be Biranchinarayan. Even with all these names and incarnations the Rato Machindranath of Patan is most popularly known as ‘Bungh Dyo’ among its worshipers; the deity who is brought to Patan every year from the settlement of Bungamati, 5 kilometers away.

A shlok mentioned in the essay ‘Biranchinarayan’ (Manandhar, J.B., 2046 B.S. “Biranchinarayan”, Kathmandu: pp.120) can be translated as follows:

‘The one who is worshiped as Vishnu by Vaisnavites, Shiva by Shaivites, Shakti by Shaktas (followers of the Mother Goddess – Shakti), Surya by Shauryas (followers of the sun god – Surya), Brahma by Brahmans, Matsyendranath by Saints, Lokeshwor by the Vedics, and, Karunamaya by the Buddhists; I pray daily to such a deity’

The chariot of Matsyendranath at Lagankhel, Patan (2008) along with the smaller chariot of Min-Nath

The chariot festival of Bungh Dyo, travels through the streets of Patan, accompanied by a smaller chariot of Min-Nath. The chariot of Machindranath or Bungh Dyo consists of a square wooden shrine, covered in gilt, placed centrally at a wooden platform. The shrine along with the wheels and the beams are preserved from the previous years, but the other requirements such as poles, green boughs, streamers, vines, ropes and canes are assembled every year. The four large wheels, each with three painted eyes, represent four Bhairavs from the four places in the valley, the main beam of the chariot, called ‘Dhaima’ in Newari, represents the Karkotak Naag, the pulling ropes also represent the naags (serpents). It is said that the chariot of Rato Machindranath is constructed with representations of all the deities in some form or the other. Other images that are place in the chariot are of a Horse – the vahana of Surya, a Bull – vahana of Shiva, a Garuda – Vahana of Vishnu, and a Swan – vahana of Brahma. The number 32 plays an important role in the chariot construction, it is said that one revolution of the wheels (circumference) of the chariot measures 32 hands (32 haat).