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Machchhendranath temple
About
Machchhendranath temple. This is a good illustration of the problems now faced with theft of artifacts. The temple is now surrounded by a strong fence and each statue has its own individual fence. Statues are missing from two stands, suggesting that the temple has already fallen victim. Machchhendranath also gives his name to an annual festival when a 25 meter tall "chariot" is paraded through Patan. If you note all the wires and cables across the streets at levels much lower than 25m. you can realise what a complicated exercise this is. The parade takes place between April and June, with the chariot staying the night at different locations. The end of the parade is supposed to coincide with the onset of the monsoon rains. The wheels of the chariot are over 2m in diameter. For the rest of the year these can be seen in the building next to the Ashok Stupa (see below).
