Film Study of Classical Buddhism in the Kathmandu Valley
odd: label: General
content: Local Numbers: HSFA 1986.13.40
name: label: Collection Creator
content: National Anthropological Film Center (U.S.)
label: Collection Creator
content: Johnson, Barbara
label: Collection Creator
content: Dorjee, Ragpa
label: Collection Creator
content: Reinhard, Johan
setName: label: See more items in
content: National Anthropological Film Center films of Nepal
physdesc: label: Extent
content: 28 Film reels (color sound; 20,511 feet, 16mm)
unitdate: label: Date
content: 1979
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Human Studies Film Archives
objectType: label: Type
content: Archival materials
label: Type
content: Film reels
scopecontent: label: Scope and Contents
content: Full film record created for the National Human Studies Film Center (aka National Anthropological Film Center), Smithsonian Institution. Research film project documents the annual Rato Machhindranath festival in May-September 1979, during which devotees pull a chariot to ensure rainfall for crop growth. Footage documents crowds of people both observing and pulling the chariot, offerings of rice water and butter lamps, receiving tika, and Jyapu religious dances. The chariot is drawn through locales including Sundhara and Nakhu Bazaar; the festival ends with a large worship service and prayer. Other footage includes families engaging in everyday agricultural activities such as threshing, sweeping, harvesting, and preparing for rain.