Bhudanilkantha Temple

LORD VISHNU`S DEITY AT THE BHUDANILKANTHA TEMPLE

Bhudanilkantha Temple is located on the Northern part of Kathmandu city about 8km from the city. Bhudanilkantha Temple is found deep below the base of Shivapuri hill and means “old blue throat”. Bhudanilkantha Temple is a Vishnu enshrinement for Hindus and the Lord Vishnu lies conspicuously at five meters long on the Bhudanilkantha Temple.

On the four hands of Vishnu are a Chakra which symbolizes the mind, and he has a mace, an invertebrate shell and a lotus seed. While non Hindus are allowed to enter the premises of the Bhudanilkantha Temple, they are not allowed to get into the area where the sculpture of Lord Vishnu is located. The Vishnu deity is believed to be about one thousand years old.

THE BHUDANILKANTHA TEMPLE CELEBRATION

The main celebration of the year at the Bhudanilkantha Temple is held during the time when Lord Vishnu who lies on the cosmic ocean awakens on the Haribodhini Ekadashi day which takes place in October and November. Many others God temples can be seen in and around the environs of the Bhudanilkantha Temple. Every day, a huge number of people go to the Bhudanilkantha Temple particularly the Nepalese and Indian people and this number increases during the festival’s celebration.

THE DEITY LOST, RECOVERED AND RETURNED TO BHUDANILKANTHA TEMPLE

There was a time when the Bhudanilkantha Temple deity was lost for a little while and later, a farmer discovered the deity because it is believed that blood begun to ooze from the ground as the farmer struck it with his plough. The Bhudanilkantha Temple deity was then returned to his rightful place at the Bhudanilkantha Temple. The temple is also known as the mystical Bhudanilkantha Temple or the Narayansthan temple. Vishnu’s sleeping statue at the Bhudanilkantha Temple has continued to consistently attract travelers and faithful mostly from India and Nepal.