From Karunamaya to Matsyendranath: The Many Names of the Valley’s God

The ancient city of Patan and the nearby ancient village of Bungamati have two separate temples dedicated to the patron deity of the Kathmandu Valley. During Uttarayan, the deity is kept in Patan for about six months, and during Dakshinayan, it is kept in Bungamati for another about six months. The routine during this period follows its cyclical movement, coinciding with the north and southward journey of the sun. Uttarayan and Dakshinayan are two six-month periods of the Sanatani calendar, which mark the sun’s apparent northward and southward motions. These two periods represent the sun’s journey from Capricorn to Cancer and back from Cancer to Capricorn. Uttarayan, which begins around December 21–22, is considered the northward phase when light and positivity increase. Dakshinayan, which begins around June 21–22, is considered the southward phase when daylight decreases.

During his month-long Rath Jatra, during his stay in Patan, he rides a chariot and circles the city of Patan through the narrow streets during Rath Ratra. To a modern tourist, he is the nightly Matsyendranath. To the devotee in the inner sanctum, he is the Bodhisattva of compassion. To the inhabitants of the Kathmandu Valley, with their unwavering faith for the past 1400 years, he is the Bungadi deity of the Bungmati. The transition between these names is not merely a matter of translation; it is a linguistic map of conquest, cultural shifting, and the "Sanskritization" of Nepal’s indigenous history. Through the meticulous research that I have gone thorough, we can now trace this evolution using 18th-century paintings and the long-forgotten journals of Italian missionaries.

The "Smoking Gun" of 1712

The story of the transition is reflected in the Paubha (Scroll) - a traditional Newar devotional scroll - from 1712 AD. This image is what historians call a "smoking gun." The gun shots on the air take place during the chariot festival and the transfer of the Bungadyoh from one temple to another. Before the Gorkhali conquest unified Nepal, the Vajrayana Buddhist traditions of the Newars in the Kathmandu Valley dominated the religious landscape.

In this masterpiece from 1712, the deity is depicted through a Buddhist lens as Padmapani Lokeshwar. The Scroll shows a Vajracharya priest performing anusthan (Abhishek ritual). He carries the vajra (thunderbolt) and ghanti (bell), the finest tools of Buddhist ritual. The Scroll clearly shows that the deity is a Bodhisattva, and his primary patrons are Buddhists.

At that time, the name "Matsyendranath" was not pronounced in the local language. Instead, people used to call him "Bungadyoh" or "Karunamaya". In the local dialect, this revered deity is still called by this name.

The Capuchin Chronicles: Hearing "Bogha"

A group of Italian Capuchin missionaries, including Father Marco della Tomba and Giuseppe del Teja, visited the valley and saw the Newars painting scrolls. In their journals, they referred to the revered god of Patan as "Bogha". Although "Bogha" may sound foreign to the locals now, to linguists, it is a clear transcription of Bungadyoh.

The Capuchins paid special attention to the fact that Bungadyoh was not sacrificed. They had seen that Hindu festivals in the Kathmandu Valley were a time of sacrifice. But they were struck by one particular characteristic of "Bogha" that was not sacrificed. Father Marco della Tomba noted, "Non volendo victime di animali" - he did not want any animal to be sacrificed. In a valley where many gods were appeased by sacrifice, Bungadyoh remained a purely vegetarian god. For the missionaries, this was the defining evidence of his identity. They classified Bungadyoh as a "Buddha", seeing his non-violence (ahimsa) as the core of his being.

The Great Pivot: From Bungadyohh to Matsyendranath

In 1768/69, linguistic encroachment took a new turn. After the Gorkhali conquest of the valley, the Shah dynasty sought to consolidate its power by integrating the indigenous deities of the valley with the wider Hindu traditions of the Indian subcontinent. Thus, the word Nath was incorporated into Buddhist culture. Nath was incorporated into the huge chaitya in Bouddha  to become Bouddhanath, while Swayambhu was also renamed Swayambhunath.

Matsyendranath was not a Bodhisattva of compassion, but a famous Hatha Yoga guru and disciple of Shiva in India. The compassionate deity of Bungamati was re-identified as Rato Matsyendranath. This transition was not a sudden one but a subtle "re-branding". By the time British writers such as Brian Hodgson and Daniel Wright arrived in the Kathmandu Valley in the 19th century, the name "Matsyendranath" had become an official administrative title.

The following table, compiled from my comments, illustrates this dramatic shift in the "foreigner's lens":

Era Source Primary Name Used Theological Association

Malla (Pre-1768) Capuchin Records Bogha (Bungadyohh) Identified as Budho (Buddha)

Early Shah (19th C.) British Residents Matsyendranath Identified as a Hindu Saint/Yogi

Modern Scholarly Art Historians Karunamaya / Lokeshvara Bodhisattva of Compassion

Early "anthropologists" of the valley

Although the British formalized the Hindu story, other European travelers had provided glimpses of the multifaceted nature of the deity before them. Perhaps the first to recognize the dual appeal of the deity was the Jesuit priest Ippolito Desideri. He visited the Kathmandu Valley in 1721.

Although the local population was divided between "legitimate priests" (Vajracharyas and Shakyas) and "Brahmins" (Hindus), as Desideri noted, both groups united to worship the idol of Bungadyoh during the Chariot Festival. He used words that reflected "compassion." "Compassion" was not a communal label but focused on the compassionate nature of the figure.

In his description of the 1740s, Father Cassiano da Macerata referred to Bungadyoh's chariot as a technical marvel. He was amazed by the nearly 60-foot-tall chariot (rath). He described the Mahasnan (bathing) ritual. Although he compared it to Christian baptism, he correctly identified the figure of Bungadyoh as the "rain god" essential to the existence of the valley. Like his ancestors, he called the god "Boga".

Why the right name matters

(1712 Paubha Bungadyoh scroll)

Today, when we look at the 1712 Paubha (scroll), we are not only looking at a taste of art, we are also looking at a snapshot of that era. The shape of this scroll is seen as the primary lens through which the Buddhist identity of the valley is seen in reality. The transition to the name Matsyendranath represents a political bridge. It allowed the new ruling class to maintain its claim to the deity while keeping the tribal rituals intact.

Today, during the Bungadyoh Rath Jatra, you will still see Vajracharya and Shakya priests leading the rituals. You will see the native Jyapu farmers of the valley praying for rain. Although they use the name “Matsyendranath” in the presence of officials, he remains Bungadyoh in his community in Bungmati.

As empires change and names evolve, the “rain god” always remains Bungadyoh. Bungadyoh is a vegetarian protector, a beacon of compassion, and the true, unwavering, unwavering deity of the Kathmandu Valley.

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