The Art of the Festival

The Art of the Festival Celebrating the Rain God of the Kathmandu Valley Opening Reception

The Art of the Festival features photographs, cultural artifacts, and works of fine art and popular culture that tell the story of the largest festival of the Kathmandu Valley. Practiced for nearly 1,400 years, this festival is devoted to a rain god who is honored by both Hindus and Buddhists and is known by many names, Buṃgadyaḥ and Rāto Matysendranāth foremost among them. People of Kathmandu from all walks of life each play their part in creating a dramatic spectacle in which hundreds of people pull the deity in a towering chariot that is as precarious as it is massive. Their success or failure is tied to the fate of the country. The photographs at the core of this exhibition were taken by Bruce McCoy Owens over the past four decades and were shown by invitation in three major exhibitions in Nepal in 2016. Like the festival itself, the exhibit is a collaborative creation, and includes stories of people in the Somerville area who share their memories,  as well as objects, that hold special meaning in connection with Nepalese festivities.

General Admission: $8; free to Museum members and visitors 12 years of age and under; Free to everyone on the first Friday of every month