{"id":1238,"date":"2022-04-29T12:20:38","date_gmt":"2022-04-29T12:20:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.alphaadventuretreks.com\/blog\/?p=1238"},"modified":"2022-04-29T12:22:14","modified_gmt":"2022-04-29T12:22:14","slug":"rato-machindranath-temple","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.alphaadventuretreks.com\/blog\/rato-machindranath-temple\/","title":{"rendered":"Rato Machindranath Temple"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u2b50<\/span>\u2b50<\/span>\u2b50<\/span>\u2b50<\/span>\u2b50<\/span><\/p>\n\n\t\n<\/svg>\n<\/span>\n\n\n\t\n<\/svg>\n<\/span><\/span>\n\n\t\n<\/svg>\n<\/span>\n\n\n\t\n<\/svg>\n<\/span><\/span>\n\n\t\n<\/svg>\n<\/span>\n\n\n\t\n<\/svg>\n<\/span><\/span>\n\n\t\n<\/svg>\n<\/span>\n\n\n\t\n<\/svg>\n<\/span><\/span>\n\n\t\n<\/svg>\n<\/span>\n\n\n\t\n<\/svg>\n<\/span><\/span>Rating: 5 out of 5.<\/span><\/div>\n\n\n

The Rato Machhendranath Temple<\/a> is located in a huge courtyard known as Ta Baha, about 400 meters south of Patan’s (Lalitpur’s) Darbar Square<\/a>. The temple celebrates Machhendranath (also known as Matsyendra), an influential early 10th century yogi who recognized the god Shiva as his teacher and practiced in the Indic regions of the time. It was built in 1673 on the foundations of earlier temples that had stood here since the 15th century. The temple is a towering Newar-style pagoda with three layers of declining roofs in its physical structure. Sheet metal (possibly copper) covers the roof surfaces, which are supported by 20 struts on the first and second levels, and twelve struts on the upper level. Avalokitevara is shown in a variety of stances on each of the 52 struts, typically with one or more extra sets of arms. There are miniature vignettes depicting scenarios from Buddhist hells, such as boiling alive, on the bottom registers of the struts, beneath Avalokitevara’s feet. Other vignettes are of a gentler tone, with lesser deities supporting Avalokitevara on pedestals. The front-facing side (here, the north) is adorned with a huge variety of pots and pans mounted to tables, seemingly defying gravity, as is the case with many Newar pagodas.<\/a> A lengthy pataka strip hangs from the temple’s top to practically ground level in front of it, allowing Machhendranath\/Avalokitevara to descend to earth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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