Lalitpur Patan Rato Machhendranath temple is located at Patan in Nepal. The shrine is dedicated to Machhendranath or Matsyendra) – a 10th century Hindu saint who was a direct disciple of Mahadev Shiva. Some people worship him as an incarnation of Shiva. He is worshipped for rains and good harvest.
The temple was built in 1673 CE. The temple celebrates the famous Rato Machindranath Jatra. The murti worshipped in the temple is only kept for six months here. It is kept from August to December in another temple.
The temple is noted for its architecture. The shrine is a three-storied pagoda style temple with three roofs. The entire temple is filled with various kinds of sculptures including that of gods and goddess and animals. There are also huge stone figurines on the premises of the temple complex. Several metal figurines are housed in small hanging protective cages outside the shrine. The shrine is also noted for metal art work.
The chariot used for the annual jatra is can be seen in front of the temple.