Item: Stupa (Buddhist Reliquary)

An inscription along the bottom dates the creation of the work to 1776 (NS896).

Chariot Ritual (Sanskrit: bhimarata): the birthday celebration for an elder of Kathmandu, Nepal, upon reaching the age of 77 years, 7 months and 7 days.

Sanskrit: Chaitya Tibetan: Chor ten

The Chariot Ritual is a special birthday celebration. It is practiced by both Hindus and Buddhists and celebrated when an elder of Kathmandu Valley reaches the age of 77 years, 7 months, 7 days, 7 hours and 7 minutes. To commemorate this day, the Buddhists are required to commission the construction of a stupa, an architectural reliquary mound. If unable to build a full sized stupa the family can sponsor a small three-dimensional metal sculpture, a painting, or lastly a hammered metal relief sculpture.

Jeff Watt 5-2005

Publications
Publication: Selection of Works - Sculpture (RMA)

Thematic Sets
Collection of Rubin Museum (Nepalese Sculpture Masterworks)
Stupa (Chaitya): Masterworks (Sculpture)
Stupa (Chaitya): Deities
Collection of RMA: Best of Collection 2
Collection of RMA: Selected Sculpture
Nepal: Sculpture (Repousse)
Subject: Sculpture Inscriptions (Deities)
Nepal: Sculpture (All)
Collection of Rubin Museum of Art: Sculpture (Gallery 3)
Sculpture: Female
Sculpture: Repousse Main Page (Hammered Metal)
Collection of Rubin Museum of Art: Nepal
Subject: Chariot Ritual
Collection of Rubin Museum of Art: Sculpture (Gallery 2)
Nepal: Dated Art