We went to Bungamati the other day. It's a 10 minute drive/20 minute bike ride from our house. I looked on the internet and found this wonderful description of the place.
10km from Kathmandu to south stands a small but graceful Bungamati village which dwell hundreds of master wood carvers and sculpture producers. Visitors often encounter with smiling teeth and welcoming hand of artisans working in their house, offering their artifacts. Regardless of the rapid changes in lifestyle of the urban population and the globalized way of living, the Bungamati locals have remained untouched by modern waves and are living the life that they know best --simply rural -- from the past several centuries.
Here's another description of Bungamati (also pulled from the internet) that gives a better sense of the history of the place.
Bungamati is an ancient Newari village that 10 kilometers from Kathmandu. Dating to the 16th century this village is an important religious site. Legend has it that the Rain God ‘Machhendranath’ was brought to the valley in the form of a bee during one of the worst droughts that the valley experienced. The Rain God took up residence at the village and revealed his true form, that of Rato (Red) Machhendranath thereby blessing the drought hit valley with abundant rainfall. From then on every year in the months of April and May, his idol is carried in a chariot from Bungamati to different places in Patan . The chariot festival known as Rato Macchendranath Jatra is celebrated annually with much fanfare. There is a magnificent temple at the village square where Rato Machhendranath’s idol is kept.
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| We're fortunate to have my brother Brad in town. |
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| Someone spent a lot of time carving this 2" face. |
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| 4:47 a.m. Shivapuri National Forest. |
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