Temple will miss Buddha Jayanti for first time in years

KATHMANDU: “Monday is Buddha Purnima. For the first time, we will not celebrate the birth of Gautam Buddha,” said Ishwarratna Buddhacharya, a priest at Swayambhunath, Nepal’s most ancient and revered Buddhist site.
“Look at the devastation here. This place has become unsafe for big gatherings,” the 60-year-old priest said, showing the damage by the quake. He and Rajyalaxmi Shrestha, a member of Nepal’s constituent assembly, said the celebrations would be shifted to a venue outside the temple.Pratapur and Anantapur, the two temples that flanked the stupa with 13 eyes on the eastern side, lie in ruins.
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“Pratapur was built by King Pratap Malla (16th century) to end drought in Kathmandu. Anantpur is dedicated to his consort,” said Ishwarman. The quarters of all Buddhacharyas have collapsed. Swayambhunath’s Buddhacharyas, all Newars, are descendants of four brothers who came as priests centuries ago.
Temples like Shantipur, Karma Raja Mahavira, Manjushri and Bhajan Ghars are also damaged. Despite the destruction, daily rituals have not stopped.