Budhanilkantha Temple is a Hindu open air temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu. Budhanilkantha Temple is situated below the Shivapuri Hill at the northern end of the Kathmandu valley and can be identified by a large reclining statue of Lord Vishnu. The temple’s main statue of Budhanilkantha is considered the largest stone carving in Nepal
Architectural Relevance of This Shrine
The main statue is a black stone structure carved from a single block of black basalt. The statue stands 5 meters tall (around 16.4 feet) and is positioned in the middle of a recessed pool of water, which is 13 meters (42.65 feet) long. It depicts the deity reclining on the coils of the cosmic serpent Shesha.
Shrine’s Map Location and How to Go There
By Road
The nearest bus stop is Kathmandu.
By Rail
The railway station isBhikhna Thori Railway Station
By Air
The nearest airport is Tribhuvan airport Kathmandu.
Events Celebrated at This Shrine
The Budhanilkantha Temple has become the site where Haribondhini Ekadashi Mela takes place on the 11th day of the Hindu month of Kartika (OctoberNovember). Attended by thousands of pilgrims, it is the temple’s principal festival in celebration of the awakening of Lord Vishnu from his long sleep.
Extra Information About this Shrine
Origin of the statue According to one story, a farmer and his wife once struck a figure while ploughing the field, which caused it to start soaking blood into the ground. This turned out to be the figure of lost deity of Budhanilkantha, which was recovered and placed in its present position. Another legend states that the statue was sculpted and brought to its current location in Kathmandu during the reign of the seventh-century monarch Vishnu Gupta, who controlled the Kathmandu Valley under the Lichchhavi king Bhimarjuna Dev.