Budhanilkantha Temple

By -




Budhanilkantha Temple lies on the northern side of Kathmandu valley, just below the Shivapuri hill. The temple is associated with the Hindu god, Bishnu. A Bishnu statue of about 3m height in a sleeping position is the main attraction for people. The statue is wholly made out of stone and depicts the god, Bishnu with his four arms sleeping on the serpent-couch.

The origin of the temple is yet unknown and unclear. But a famous myth tells that the present day temple was actually a field owned by a old guy named Nilkantha. While plouging the field, the second finger of the right feet of the statue was cut and blood started seeping out. After digging deep, the statue was excavated. The name Budhanilkantha was kept in accordance to the guy who found the statue.

The temple houses a gurukul where the students are taught Sanskrit. The daily aarati of the statue that takes place two times a day, in the morning and evening is done by the young student of the gurukul. It seems that the grown up people (even if you are a pujari) are not allowed within the premises of the statue. The temple forbids the usage of the conch shell. Another interesting fact is that the King of Nepal would never step a foot inside the temple because if he did, there is a belief that something bad would happen to the King. The belief is based on the saying that “there cannot be two King on one mountain top.” Various rituals are performed by the priests of the temple on the request of the people. The temple is crowded on major Hindu festivals. Even though the temple is mainly associated with Bishnu, small temples of various other Hindu gods like Ganesh, Laxmi, Krishna, Shiva, and Naga are all around the area.

The present day Budhanilkantha is a good place to rest. The structures around the temples had been renovated about a year or so before. The outer wall on the eastern side has been taken out, creating more space for the temples. Some of the area has been paved with marble, making the area look neat and clean. At times when I go there, I like to just sit on the iron bench under the peepal tree and try and be fully there.

~ Dhirendra Budha Chhetri

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Pharping – The Sacred Site of Asura Cave and Yangleshö

By -
Image
Pharping Azura Cave Monastery Every year Chökyi Nyima Rinpoche leads several seminars and retreats in Asura Cave monastery in Pharping. Many of us have heard that Asura Cave is a very special, yet we are often a bit unsure what exactly happened there and why it is so special. Thus I wanted to share with you, what I have found out so far.  Pharping: Pharping is a small but expanding village about 16 km southwest of Kathmandu, on a hillside above the main valley. Pharping (pronounced "Farping" by the Nepalis) is known to the Tibetans as Yangleshö and also sometimes as Phamting, as some say it is the birthplace of the Phamtingpa, the heart-­‐son of Naropa. Chatral Rinpoche explains that the 'Indian Phamting' (Tib. rgya gar pham thing ) derives its name from the presence of the great hood of the Naga king Lhakmachen or Shesha, which marks it as a site of his power. As such, learned masters of the past used to called it Phanathingu (Tib. pha na thinggu ), which
Read more

The Five Best Restaurants in Bouddha for Shedra Students

By -
Image
  Are you new to the Shedra? Not having much money to spend? Have to study a lot? Here comes a brief guide and recommendation to some nice places in Bouddha suitable for the average Shedra student, old time favorites and newly rising stars. Double Dorje 5. Double Dorje:             A cozy small restaurant, run by a sweet old Tibetan woman. It is known to tourists and is a place visited frequently by westerners since it has been recommended by various travel guides as a nice, cozy, local restaurant. Particularly in the evening in the winter, it becomes a great place to study, since unlike the other restaurants it is completely closed and inside. Thus the place stays warm and as long as there are no power cuts the ballon lamps create a warm and home-like atmosphere.             Also if you wish to spend the afternoon there, it is known for its special home-made apple pie and masala tea for a very reasonable price. For lunch and dinner two dishes became especially ch
Read more

The Hidden Story of the Golden Temple at Patan

By -
Image
There are many stories in Nepal. Because these stories are very interesting-- as last time I had shared the story about the Jacket from the Naga land -- I would like to introduce the story of the Golden Temple in Patan at this time.   When people talk about Patan, the Golden Temple will show up in everyone’s mind. The Golden Temple is one of the famous Buddhist temples in Patan. However, few people know that there was a love story, which was between a king and a queen, behind the holy Golden Temple . Once upon a time, there was a king called Marwad and he had a lovely queen called Pingala. They loved each other very much. As a return for his lovely queen, King Marwad planned to make an image of Shakyamuni as a gift to her. When the image had been finished, another king, from other country, asked for a gift as a sign of good relations with King Marwad’s kingdom. For the people’s safety in the country, Queen Pingala chose to give up the image for the peaceful relationship wi
Read more