Rato Macchendranath Temple

This monumental work, one of the largest Nepalese scroll paintings (paubha) in the world, depicts the temple of Rato Macchendranath in the ancient kingdom of Patan in the Kathmandu Valley. In the center of the composition sits the Red Lord, known as either Rato Macchendranath or Red Padmapani Avalokiteshvara. In the registers above are scenes from the life story of Buddha Shakyamuni, accompanied by images of Hindu gods receiving his teachings. The many patrons and devotees are arranged in rows across the bottom registers, each in a pose of worship and wearing clothes of the time period. They are each identified by inscription.

(Description from the exhibition From the Land of the Gods: Art of the Kathmandu Valley)