Ushnishavijaya and Celebration of Old Age (Jyatha Janko)

The Chariot Ritual (Bhimarata) is commonly performed in the Kathmandu Valley to celebrate the long life of an elder who has lived 77 years, 7 months, 7 days, 7 hours, and 7 minutes. To commemorate this day, Buddhists commission a stupa, an architectural monument for relics. If unable to build a full-sized stupa, the family may sponsor a painting (paubha) like this one.

This painting depicts the Bhimarata rite and its auspicious wishes for the elder’s future life. The key figures in this composition, starting from the top, are the Five Transcendent Buddhas. Below them are the ten astrological deities, representing the passage of time. At the center of the painting is a stupa, in the center of which is the long-life deity Ushnishavijaya (Victorious Crown Ornament Goddess) representing a continuing long life for the elder. In the lower register, the elder along with family members parade in a chariot through the city and perform religious services and offerings in front of a stupa.