Bungamati
| Bungamati बुङगमती Bunga:, Amarapur (Old) | |
|---|---|
| Model Village Development Committee | |
  Bungamati Location in Nepal | |
| Coordinates: 27°37′N 85°18′E / 27.62°N 85.30°ECoordinates: 27°37′N 85°18′E / 27.62°N 85.30°E | |
| Country |
 Nepal |
| Zone | Bagmati Zone |
| District | Lalitpur District |
| Population (2011) | |
| • Total | 5,720 |
| Time zone | Nepal Time (UTC+5:45) |
Bungamati, Newar Bunga, lies in Karyabinayak Municipality in Lalitpur District, Nepal. Bungamati is a Newar village on a spur of land overlooking the Bagmati River
The first stele of the Licchavi king Amshuverma was found in Bungamati and dated to 605. It contains the earliest mention of the Kailashkut Bhawan palace. The stele further shows that Bungamati had already been a famous village for agriculture, livestock and fishing.
Names
During the Licchavi Kingdom, the town was called Bugayumi. During the Malla period, it was called Bungapattan.
Temple
Bungamati is the hometown of the deity Machhindranath, regarded as the patron of the valley and his large shikhara-style temple in the center of the village square is his home for six months of the year; he spends the rest of his time in Patan. The process of moving him back and forth between Patan and Bungamati is one of the most important annual festivals in the valley.
The chowrangi around the temple is one of the most beautiful in the valley - here one can see the heart of a functioning Newar town. The Karya Binayak Temple, one of the most important temples in Nepal, is dedicated to Ganesha. The view is spectacular from the temple, which is surrounded by trees and large bamboo and overlooks the Bagmati valley to the foothills.
Machhindranath Temple
The central ritual focus of Bungamati is the Temple of Machhindranath. To the villagers, Machhindranath is known by the name “Bungadeya”; the name is derived either after the village founded at the spot where Bhairav howled “bu” (birthplace), or from the word “Bungaa:” meaning “watering place” or “spring” like the explanation of the name of the village and several residents in Bungamati offer the second derivation. Bungadeya has many important mythological, historical and contemporary ritual associations with water. Bungadeya being a primordial rain god, who was later identified with the benevolent Aryavalokiteshvara. Machhindranath is also known by the name of “Karunamaya” meaning an embodiment of love and kindness like a mother figure. While Bungamati Newa people refer to Machhindranath as Bungadeya, Newas from other parts of the valley use the name Karunamaya to refer to Machhindranath. The god of Bungamati and Patan is also identified as Raktapadmapani Lokeshvara and Aryavalokiteshvara.
The another important part of historical importance in Bungamati is the living goddess, Kumari. Generally people only know three Kumaris (in Kathmandu, Patan and Bhaktapur), but there is also one in Bungamati.
April 2015 Nepal earthquake
After the April 2015 Nepal earthquake, the city saw a massive destruction as most of its houses were made up of traditional mud and brick elements.
