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Leaflet | © OpenStreetMap, © CARTO
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Oku Bāhāḥ (1114 CE) || ओकु बाहा
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Mahābuddha Mandira (1601 CE) || महाबुद्ध मन्दिर
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Lũ Hiti (Sundhārā) || लुँ हिति
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Tana Bāhāḥ || तन बाहाः
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Lāchi Phalcā (late 17th cent. CE) || लाछि फल्चा
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Nāmasaṅgīti Phalcā (early 18th cent. CE) || नामसङ्गीति फल्चा
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Guitaḥ Caitya 2 || गुइत: चैत्य २
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Cīdhã Bahī (Licchavi period?) || चीधँ बही
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Bhinchẽ Bāhāḥ (ca. 1430 CE) || भिन्छेँ बाहा:
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Pinchẽ Bāhāḥ (1669 CE) || पिन्छेँ बाहाः
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Dupāt Capāḥ (1670 CE) || दुपाः चपाः
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Siddhilakṣmī Mandira (built before 1652 CE) || सिद्धिलक्ष्मी मन्दिर
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Yachu Bāhāḥ (ca. 1630 CE) || यछु बाहाः
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Ubāhāḥ Bahī (before 1391 CE) || उबाहा: बही
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Oku Bāhāḥ (1114 CE) || ओकु बाहा
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Jyābā Bahī (ca. 1652 CE) || ज्याबा बही
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Mūla Coka (1666 CE) || मूल चोक
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Taṅgaḥ Bāhāḥ (built before 1125 CE) || तङ्ग: बाहा:
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Taḥ Bāhāḥ (ca. 1427 CE) || त: बाहा:
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Amitābhamahāmaṇḍala Caitya (17th cent. CE) || अमिताभमहामण्डल चैत्य
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Hakha Bāhāḥ (c. 12th cent. CE) || हख बाहा:
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Naka Bahī (before 1658 CE) || नक बही
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Jyo Bāhāḥ (at least 17th cent. CE) || ज्यो बाहा:
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Misā Hiti (probably built during the Licchavi period) || मिसा हिति
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Oku Bāhāḥ (1114 CE) || ओकु बाहा:
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Following the Buddha – The Phudyaḥ (Dīpaṅkara) Yātrā of the Pañcadāna Festival in Patan

Curated by Christiane Brosius and Nutan Sharma (2020/21 CE)

The Dīpaṅkara Buddha, or ‘Maker of Light’, is said to predate the historical Gautama Buddha, and is often equated with the first Buddha. Pañcadāna (lit. ‘five offerings’) is a festival in which the initiated Śākya and Vajrācārya males have to manifest their monastic status by going from house to house to collect alms from at least seven houses. In the historic city of Patan, this festival is known as Yala (Patan) Pañcadāna. It is celebrated on the 8th lunar day of the bright fortnight of the Śrāvaṇa month according to the lunar calendar; in 2020, that day fell on July 28.

On the day of Pañcadāna, initiated male lay devotees offer alms to the Vajrācārya priests and Śākya householder monks. Of central importance is Phudyaḥ – a approximately 60 cm high gold-plated copper icon of the Dīpaṅkara Buddha. The icon of the deity is carried from house to house, and from monastery to monastery, by the Śākyas of the Ukubahāḥ monastery. When the deity visits the selected places, it is worshipped with gifts (dāna). Offerings are mainly rice grains, wheat grains, salt, fruits, money and the likes.

The Phudyaḥ Yātrā continues from morning until late evening. The icon of Phudyaḥ, usually kept in the Ukubāhāḥ monastery, is cleaned one day before and on the next day, in the morning on the very day of the procession, it is displayed in the northern wing of the monastery with its ornaments and full decorations. At that time, local residents, mainly Śākyas of the locality, come to offer their pūjā and alms to the deity. After that the yātrā begins its traditional route.

The route can be divided into two parts. The first circumambulation with 10 stops starts and ends in Ukubāhāḥ in the morning. Even upon returning to its home monastery, the icon of the deity does not enter the vihāra. It remains outside while participants are allowed to enter the monastery to have their lunch1. The second circumambulation with 15 stops – from noon to evening – takes a different route 2
1. This part seems to be dedicated to the Guitanakiṃ with whom the Dipaṅkara Buddha accepted the first dāna according to the above-mentioned legend. ↩
2. This part seems to be dedicated to the King Sarvānanda of the legend with whom the Dipaṅkara Buddha accepted the second dāna, as this second route of the jātrā goes through the royal palace of Patan.↩
Michaels, Axel. “From Syncretism to Transculturality: The Dīpaṅkara Procession in the Kathmandu Valley.” In South Asian Festivals on the Move, edited by Ute Hüsken and Axel Michaels, 317–42. Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz, 2013..