Kathmandu
Kathmandu, the capital city of Nepal, is surely one of the world's most amazing cities, being endowed with a very large number of ancient monuments, historic temples, and other interesting spiritual sights. Here, the presence of Buddhist and Hindu deities are found side by side, and devotees have a rare opportunity to view Vaisnavism in a predominantly Buddhist milieu.
Known for its namesake, the Kathmandu Valley, this place is believed by many to be the fabled and mysterious Shangri-La. Founded by King Gun Kamdev in 723 AD, the area of Kathmandu was previously a lake, but after a hill to the south was cut open by Manjushri, the Buddhist deity of wisdom, the water poured out and the region became habitable. The origin of the present name is unclear, but one of the more likely theories is that it was named after Kastha-Mandap ("temple of wood" in Sanskrit). This pagoda was carved from a single tree that was constructed on the orders of King Laxmi Narashingha Malla in 1596.
Temples of Kathmandu
Krishna Mandir - Krishna Mandir is one of the most central and famous temples in all of Kathmandu. Six and a half years in the building, it was completed under Siddhi Narasimha Malla in 1637. The elegant shikhara-style temple ranks as one of the gems of Durbar Square. Encircled at ground floor level by an arcade, tier upon tier of small shrine-like pavilions culminate in a slender central tower. An inscription likens the temple with its 21 pinnacles to the sacred Mount Meru, the abode of the god Shiva.
The temple is noteworthy not only for the excellence of its architecture but also for its detail, the reliefs being executed with a precision rarely found in wood let alone stone. This is especially true of the scenes from the Mahabharata and Ramayana epics which, complete with Newari commentary, embellish the ledges of the first and second floors. The unusual floral decoration of the arcade echoes the Islamic architecture of northern India, as indeed does the temple as a whole. It was thought to have been modeled on the Krishna Temple at Mathura. As we noted in a recent Sun article, much of the artistic stonework of the Kathmandu area was inspired by Mathura spiritual art.
Prior to the consecration of the temple, Lord Krishna is said to have appeared to the King in a dream, instructing him to install an old religious symbol rather than a new one. But the only statue of Krsna the King could find was missing its left toe, a blemish which led him to commission a new image after all. Krishna then appeared a second time, telling the King that the missing toe was a real injury inflicted by a huntsman. So the damaged statue was duly installed. During the ceremony King Pratapa Malla and his guru arrived from Kathmandu disguised as snakes, intent on sabotaging the proceedings. They were recognized by King Siddhi Narasimha's own guru, Vishvanatha Upadhyaya, who used his magic powers to trap the snakes under his seat until the ceremony was completed. The grateful King conferred on Vishvanatha Upadhyaya the hereditary office of priest at the Krishna Temple. A priest still lives there today, on the first floor.
Known for its namesake, the Kathmandu Valley, this place is believed by many to be the fabled and mysterious Shangri-La. Founded by King Gun Kamdev in 723 AD, the area of Kathmandu was previously a lake, but after a hill to the south was cut open by Manjushri, the Buddhist deity of wisdom, the water poured out and the region became habitable. The origin of the present name is unclear, but one of the more likely theories is that it was named after Kastha-Mandap ("temple of wood" in Sanskrit). This pagoda was carved from a single tree that was constructed on the orders of King Laxmi Narashingha Malla in 1596.
Temples of Kathmandu
Krishna Mandir - Krishna Mandir is one of the most central and famous temples in all of Kathmandu. Six and a half years in the building, it was completed under Siddhi Narasimha Malla in 1637. The elegant shikhara-style temple ranks as one of the gems of Durbar Square. Encircled at ground floor level by an arcade, tier upon tier of small shrine-like pavilions culminate in a slender central tower. An inscription likens the temple with its 21 pinnacles to the sacred Mount Meru, the abode of the god Shiva.
The temple is noteworthy not only for the excellence of its architecture but also for its detail, the reliefs being executed with a precision rarely found in wood let alone stone. This is especially true of the scenes from the Mahabharata and Ramayana epics which, complete with Newari commentary, embellish the ledges of the first and second floors. The unusual floral decoration of the arcade echoes the Islamic architecture of northern India, as indeed does the temple as a whole. It was thought to have been modeled on the Krishna Temple at Mathura. As we noted in a recent Sun article, much of the artistic stonework of the Kathmandu area was inspired by Mathura spiritual art.
Prior to the consecration of the temple, Lord Krishna is said to have appeared to the King in a dream, instructing him to install an old religious symbol rather than a new one. But the only statue of Krsna the King could find was missing its left toe, a blemish which led him to commission a new image after all. Krishna then appeared a second time, telling the King that the missing toe was a real injury inflicted by a huntsman. So the damaged statue was duly installed. During the ceremony King Pratapa Malla and his guru arrived from Kathmandu disguised as snakes, intent on sabotaging the proceedings. They were recognized by King Siddhi Narasimha's own guru, Vishvanatha Upadhyaya, who used his magic powers to trap the snakes under his seat until the ceremony was completed. The grateful King conferred on Vishvanatha Upadhyaya the hereditary office of priest at the Krishna Temple. A priest still lives there today, on the first floor.
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