Ankuri Mahadev Temple

Ankuri Mahadev temple is a Hindu temple located in Mahadeva, Saptari, Nepal. The place has Shiva Linga in the main temple, as well as Goddess Parvati and God Hanuman in other temples. The Shiva Linga has a dent of size of fist on the top. It is said that the place was a crematorium long ago and was an isolated place. Some cowherds from nearby villages used to go there. They brought it several times to their home, but the Shiva Ling used to return to its own place. It is also said that whoever tried to take the Shiva Linga to their home, misery befell upon them and a member of their family fell sick or died. Later the master of the cowherds heard about these and built a temple for Shiva Linga on the same place.
It is a well known site of pilgrimage for Shiva devotees and every year there are big fairs on festivals like Shivaratri and Anant Chaturdashi. It is a holy place to perform sacred yajna.

Bajrayogini Temple

Bajrayogini Temple is a famous Tantrik temple of Kathmandu valley. It is also well known as Bodhisattva(enlightement who is fulfilling the perfection to attain Buddhahood)'s temple. A very famous temple of Nepal of Bajrayogini situated in Sankhu, Kathmandu is supposed to have the greatest power of blessings. The adduced history explains that the king Mana Dev once mediated at Gun Bihar area.
After viewing the fourth century constructed water tap and artistically decorated statue in the area, it is confirm that the Bajrayogini is an ancient religious place of the Kathmandu Valley, the capital of Nepal. It was renovated during the period of Pratap Malla, a famous king of Malla regime in Nepal.
A religious book written in Newari Script about the chronological development of Bajrayogini is kept in the library of Denmark.
The Bajrayogini is 20 km North-east from the Kathmandu downtown and 2.5 km North from Sankhu, a nearby town. It was very famous since Kirat regime and named as Gun Bihar. Literally in Newari language Gun means Forests and Bihar means recreational place. Now it is called Gunbaha.
The temple of the goddess Bajrayogini is of three floored. Near the temple Dharmaghatu Chaitya is located, which is also believed older than the Swoyambhu Chaitya, according to Shidhiwar.
Bajrayogini is a goddess of red faced having three eyes, thumb and the middle finger of the right and left hands have decorated at bodily state Bajrayan tantra with a sword and amethyst work almost in full decoration with ornaments named Shree Shree Shree Prachanda Ugratara; respectively.
Around the area, there are nine caves that refer to the stone age. In one of the caves, there are two rooms. The priest, the ardent lover of the goddess goes into the cave for penance.
The Bajrayogini Fair continues from Chaite Purnima, Full Moon day that lies in March or April of the Gregorian calendar.
A very interesting story about the origination of Bajrayogini goddess written in the holy book is supposed to have brought into memory about 200 years ago. According to the book, at the starting of the Snow age and Bhadrakalpo’s age from the fork of the stone where the temple is now, a five-colored flame came out and after a long time, there a volcanic goddess. The first priest Gyanacharya Yogi who did penance in the cave, Shidikul Mahabihar and was given Bajracharya Dikshya (Super Knowledge) naming Bachashidi Bajracharya with his appointment. The present priest are generated from the ancestopr, Bachashidi Bajracharya.
Upon learning the heritage, the goddess gave order to Jog Dev Bajracharya to establish Shankharapur (conch-shell shaped town) near by the temple area to run the Fair in 1801 Kaligat Sambat. It is now called Sankhu.
It is also necessary to bring the historical, cultural legendary importance into the account in the world heritage list. Now Shree Bajrayogini Service Committee is taking care of the area with the help of Nepal government’s Department of Archeology, Trust Institutions and the public sectors. Chairman and Treasurer of the committee Mr. Govind Prasad Shrestha and Mr. Bishnu Prasad Shrestha; respectively are committed to develop the area.
Recently, District Soil Conservation Office of Kathmandu, Bagmati Integrated Watershed Management Project, Department of Soil Conservation and Watershed Management is working to conserve the area with the treatment of landslides and gullies.
The area is selected for the spot of 29th Soil Conservation Day celebration. Department of Soil Conservation and Watershed Management annually organize Soil Conservation day on 24 Shrawan to mark its establishment.

Surya Binak Temple (Bhaktapur)

On the way to Surya BinayakThis is a shrine of Ganesh, the elephant-headed God, situated in the beautiful surroundings of Bhadgaon, placed in a sylvan setting to catch the first rays of the rising sun. The view of the city of Bhaktapur is seen from here with snow-capped peaks in the background. Nestled in a thick forest, it is a good picnic spot flanked by many attractive landscapes. For an easy stroll, go down to the highway past the trolley-bus and then head up hill. From here you can photograph an unbelievable view of the city backed by the movie-like sets of gigantic Himalayan peaks. Past this about twenty minutes lies the Surya Vinayak Ganesh temple. This is an auspicious place to start your exploring around Bhaktapur, because Ganesh is worshipped before starting any new endeavor. Here the elephant headed good is known as the ‘Sun Ganesh’, because this is the first place in the Valley that the suns rays hit each the Earth morning. People come here to pray if their children are having trouble learning how to speak, or for just about any activity that requires a little luck. At the top of the hill, a steep flight of stairs leads up
Surya Binayakto the shrine itself, which is set in a shady forest. Ganesh dwells beneath a golden torana and a big white shikhara. Mounted on a pillar in front of his image is a statue of a large and very realistic looking rat, the god’s vehicle. At the top of the hill, about another five minute walk, is a shrine to Ganesh’s mother, Parvati. Surrounding the temple is a small beautiful forest. People from all over the Valley come and picnic here, especially on Tuesday, Ganesh’s auspicious day and Saturday. Don’t forget to bring Ganesh’s favorite offerings: radishes, ladoo and sesame seed balls.

Bhadra Kali Temple

Bhadrakali is according to legends a fierce form of Kali. Bhadra in Sanskrit means blessed, auspicious; fair, beautiful; good; fortunate, prosperous.Bhadrakali is the popular form of Devi worshiped in Kerala. In Kerala she is considered the auspicious and fortunate form of Kali.
She is generally considered the consort of Shiva in the form of Rudra. But there is also a story that she is the consort of Virabhadra, who was himself born of the wrath of According to Vayu Purana and the Mahabharata, she came into being by Devi's wrath, when Daksha insulted Shiva, during the great Ashvamedha Yagna (Horse-sacrifice) .According to Tantra Rahasya, she arose from the North (Uttaramnaya) face (Amnayas) of Shiva, which is blue in color and with three eyes.It is believed that Bhadrakāli was a local deity that was assimilated into the mainstream Hinduism, particularly into Shaiva mythology. Sometimes she assumes terrible aspect, and is represented with three eyes, and four, twelve or eighteen hands. She carries a number of weapons, with flames flowing from her head, and a small tusk protruding from her mouth.
Kshatriyas like the Kodavas and Nairs would ardently worship this deity. They worship certain weapons at their temples which they believe to be the weapons used by the goddess Bhadrakali.

Kasthamandap

Kasthamandap is three storied temple which is situated in the Kathmandu, which is the capital of Nepal. This temple is one of the oldest wooden buildings in the world. This temple is built in pagoda style design. It was built in the early sixteenth century by King Laxmi Narsingha Malla. The whole temple is built from just wood of a single tree, and covered with the shrine. The name of capital city is named after this temple. Once a year a huge ceremony is performed in the temple. On that day people gather around the temple, and they stay up all night. The people share the legendaries stories about the temple, and enjoy themselves with different varieties of foods. This temple is one of the major tourist attractions too. Everyone is allowed to visit inside the temple, but people are not allowed to take photographs inside the temple. The temple is open after mid day until midnight. The unique feature of Kasthamandap has made it the most noted pagoda of Nepal.

Bishranti Temple

Nuclear famies have come into being probably because of material aspects and growing tendency of individualism among people rather than spiritualism. Consumerism has given rise to heedless imitation of Western countries and the Nepalese people seem to have lost the traditional value. The concept of elderly people living peacefully with the family has become a thing of the past. People are not fully aware of its consequencess. Family cohesion is coming under the pressure of generation gap between parents and children, especially in urban areas.
In view of such developments, it had become necessary to start a crusade against these evils that is slowly creeping into the society. Keeping these facts in mind, an organisation called Bishranti Mandir for the elderly and needy people has been started.
Bishranti Mandir, the first NGO for the elderly and other needy people, is situated at the confluence of ‘Dovan’ of Tamor river, a holy and religious site of the Nepalis. It covers an area of 3.4 hectares of land, beautified by thick sub-tropical vegetation. The forest has been developed and protected through grants from Nodrik of Lions and DANIDA through Lions Club, Bishal Bazar of Kathmandu. The greenery definitely gives a pleasant feel to the surroundings. The place is warm during winter and hot in summer. The forests cover and the cool breeze coming from the river makes the place pleasant. The cool and relaxing shade of the trees indeed make this place an ideal place for the elderly people to live in.
Bishranti Mandir (literally meaning a peaceful retreat for the elderlies) is an integrated multipurpose NGO which gives priority and emphasis to religious as well as spiritual programmes. In order to encourage the involvement of the elderly in religion and spirituality, a temple of Shiva - Panchayan with facilities for Yoga practice, meditation, residential library has been established. The organisation also provides health services and vocational trainings on farming, cattle rearing and beekeeping.
Fuel wood needed for the funeral pyre to perform the last rites of the deceased is also brought to the ghat which is provided by the institution. Apart from rendering service to the aged, the Bishranti Mandir also has provisions for developing appropriate facilities as a short term rural retreat for people with hectic and tiring schedule. Overworked people, scholars in interlude, pilgrims, government officials, research students can take short or long vacations and relax in this pleasant Shangria-La. These visitors can have close interaction with the aged and also people coming from different walks of life.
Bishranti Mandir, being a local level NGO, has put forward national level activities and objectives, thereby providing assistance and training to the concerned people. It has planned to extend its activities to different parts of the kingdom. Keeping International Year for the Elderlies 1999’s concept in mind, the main activities of the Bishranti Mandir include institutional building, awareness building, development of physical facilities, income generating activities moral re-awakening and even performing the last rites of the aged.
One of the major functions of the Bishranti Mandir is to raise awareness about its obligation towards the old people and associated socio-economic problems. As an ambitious project is underway, a large amount of financial as well as human resources will be needed. Nevertheless, it has rolled up its sleeves to meet these challenges.
At present, the institution has the capacity to accommodate 70 people but it aims at providing shelter to about 200 in the near future and is also opening various branches in other parts of the country. A recently launched training provides training to the members of Bishranti Mandir, entrepreneurs in the neighbouring region and selected women groups. In addition to raising social awareness, serious efforts have been made to analyse the various factors responsible for the gradual degeneration of moral values in our society and to find ways of arresting such social evils.
Bishranti Mandir has been successful in mobilizing the support of the people for the creation of physical facilities. It has started to made the people aware of this problem of attending to the needs of the elderly citizens as the percentage of the old people is rising at an alarming rate. There are about 1000 members and the resources of the Bishranti Mandir primarily consist of membership fees.
Bishranti Mandir is definitely doing its bit to create an appropriate emotional atmosphere to creatively rehabilitate the old-age people under service strain of economic deprivation, emotional tension and attitudinal desperation. But the government has to keep the need of the helpless elderly citizens in its agenda and open homes for the aged in all areas of the country.

Jalpa Devi Temple

This temple is situated in Chintang village development committee at about 8 km far from Dhankuta Bazar. This temple is named as Jalpadevi because the godes is situated or formed in water. The temple is also caled as Chintang devi because it is situated at Chintang. The formation of Jalpadevi Temple has got a story -" In a dream of the priest of the temple Devi ordered him to put some mud of the place Ankhibhuin (Humbung Gaun) on a leaf of Mane and bring in Chintang and then to trust. When the priest came to see after some time he saw the source of water at the place where the place was barren or with out any drop of water/ At the mean time he put Sculpture (Murti) of the goddess in water and started to worship and give bali (scape) daily as a priest. Then the children of the priest is performing as a worshiper from generation to generation. At present priest Dagendra Rai is the 12 th priest.
Here is the temple without roof each of Jalpadevi and Kanyadevi. There is a big tree inside Jalpadevi temple. It is believe that the murti of devi was under the tree and the should be the source of water. There is a tradition of worshipping and giving bali(scape) regularly. There is a belief that all are desires would be fulfilled if we worship (do puja). Matured women are banned to enter inside the temple. People not only from Dhankuta but also from many far places has come to worship in this temple. It is worshipped eevery day except the new moon and sunday and it is worshiped especiallly in Baisak and Bhadra Purnima. There have been made a gravel road from Hile Bazar to visit,so surely pilgrimage feel comfortable to reach this Chhintang Devi temple.

Kathmandu Durbar Square

Marvelous ancient temple, palace courtyards and streets grace Kathmandu Durbar Square, or Hanuman Dhoka Palace Complex. The Royal complex was the residence of royalty until the last century. Even to date, many important ceremonies are held in one or the other courtyards within this complex. The coronation of the Nepalese monarch also takes place here. It is also called Basantpur Durbar because of a towering palace added to the complex by King Prithvi Narayan Shah.
The Durbar is divided into two principal chowks (courtyards). The outer chwok consists of the Kasthamandap, Kumari Ghar, and Shiva-Parvati Temple, among other important landmarks. The inner chowk consists of the Hanuman Dhoka and the principal durbar. There are other chowks such as the Nasal Chowk, Sundari Chowk and Mohan Chowk. The Durbar complex also consists of four towers -Basantpur, Kirtipur, Lalitpur, and Bhaktapur.
The palace complex is located in the heart of old Kathmandu City. It also houses two museums- one the open-air museum, and the other being King Tribhuvan Memorial Museum. Most premises of the Durbar are open for tourists, and can be visited throughout the week between office hours. Parts of the Durbar are used for national festivals, and are open only to the King and certain priests. Taleju Mandir (Temple).
The Temple of Taleju is the most famous of the three Taleju temples. Built by King Mahendra Malla, this particular shrine is situated in Trishul Chowk. The temple stands over 36.6 meters high, and rests on plinths of 12 stages.
Mul ChowkIt is shaped very much like a Buddhist monastery, or vihar. It is a square courtyard surrounded by two-storeyed quadrangle of buildings. In the center of the courtyard, there is a low post set in the ground where animals are sacrificed during Dashain.

Bhaktapur Durbar

also Bhadgaon or is an ancient Newar town in the east corner of the Kathmandu Valley, Nepal. It is located in Bhaktapur District in the Bagmati Zone. It is the third largest city in Kathmandu valley and was once the capital of Nepal during the great Malla Kingdom until the second half of the 15th century.
Bhaktapur is listed as a World Heritage by UNESCO for its rich culture, temples, and wood, metal and stone artwork.

It is the home of traditional art and architecture, historical monuments and craft works, magnificent windows, pottery and weaving industries, excellent temples, beautiful ponds, rich local customs, culture, religion, festivals, musical mystic and so on. Bhaktapur is still an untouched as well as preserved ancient city, which in fact, is itself a world to explore for tourist.
From time immemorial it lay on the trade route between Tibet/China and India. This position on the main caravan route made the town rich and prosperous: each autumn the traders from Tibet came with sheep ("changra"), fitting nicely with the main Hindu holidays, 'Mohni' (Parbatiya: Dashain; Hindi: Dussehra), when nearly everyone in Nepal sacrificed male animals to the goddess Durga. On the return trek the traders brought back to Tibet grains, sugar or Buddhist scriptures.
This prosperity fueled the cultural life: ie. the temple builders developed a Pagoda-style, spreading it through Tibet all the way to Japan. Finest of all is the five-tiered, heaven piercing Nyatapole.
The rivalry between the 3 kingdoms of the Kathmandu valley extended to include arts and architecture. Some of the fabulous pieces of work can be found in the Durbar square area which is surrounded by temples and palaces. Most of the buildings were constructed during the 15th century

Bhaktapur's main square, Durbar Square, houses the 55-window Palace which was constructed by King Jitamitra Malla and was home to royalty until 1769. It is now a National Gallery. Close by is the Golden Gate which leads into Mulchok Court which is home to the Taleju Temple. This temple, like others in the main towns of the Kathmandu Valley, is dedicated to the goddess Taleju Bhawani and includes shrines to both the Taleju Bhawani and Kumari. Entrance to the temple is restricted to Hindus and the living goddess strictly cannot be photographed.
The Durbar square is surrounded by spectacular architecture and vividly showcases the skills of the Newari artists and craftsmen over several centuries. The royal palace was originally situated at Dattaraya square and was only later moved to the Durbar square location.
The Durbar square in Bhaktapur was severely damaged by an earthquake in 1934 and hence appears very spacious than the other ones located at Kathmandu and Patan.

Bhaktapur's Nyatapola Temple

Bhaktapur is one of the three cities found in the Kathmandu Valley in Nepal not far from the capital city of Kathmandu. The name Bhaktapur means "City of devotees". Today this ancient, medieval city, from the fifteenth century, is part of the UNESCO World Heritage site, which records buildings that are of cultural and natural value universally.
In the eighteenth century Bhaktapur was known country-wide for its production of quality pottery pieces and beautiful art works, which included sculptures completed in both wood and stone. Today this reputation Bhaktapur has continues and is sustained by the tourist industry, which flourishes in this area. The city gives you a glimpse of what life was like centuries ago having changed very little since it was first formed.
Durbar Square can be found in the center of Bhaktapur and like Kathmandu contains many beautiful temples where the Nepalese people can go and pay homage to one of the many Hindu gods. At one point the square was crowded with temples and statues but with the 1934 earthquake many of these ancient buildings were destroyed and to this day have yet to be built again. In comparison to the city of Patan, the Bhaktapur Durbar Square is bigger and more neatly laid out but with many empty spaces where temples once stood.
One of the temples that are still in existence today is the Nyatapola Temple, which was built in 1702 A.D. under the rule of King Bhupatindra Malla. This beautifully sculptured building is considered one of the tallest pagodas in the country and is a lovely example of the immense workmanship that went into buildings of this type. This five-storey temple with a five-tier roof that stands just over thirty meters high can be reached by walking up a flight of steps that leads to the top of the platform. As you walk up these terraces you will notice that there are statues on either side of you, on every step.
The Nyatapola temple was built and dedicated to the goddess Siddhi Lakshmi or Siddhi Laxmi, providing the Nepalese with a place to worship her. Like so many of the other temples the image of the goddess that is contained with in the temple of Nyatapola is viewed strictly by the priests only.

Bhaktapur is one of the three cities found in the Kathmandu Valley in Nepal not far from the capital city of Kathmandu. The name Bhaktapur means "City of devotees". Today this ancient, medieval city, from the fifteenth century, is part of the UNESCO World Heritage site, which records buildings that are of cultural and natural value universally.
In the eighteenth century Bhaktapur was known country-wide for its production of quality pottery pieces and beautiful art works, which included sculptures completed in both wood and stone. Today this reputation Bhaktapur has continues and is sustained by the tourist industry, which flourishes in this area. The city gives you a glimpse of what life was like centuries ago having changed very little since it was first formed.
Durbar Square can be found in the center of Bhaktapur and like Kathmandu contains many beautiful temples where the Nepalese people can go and pay homage to one of the many Hindu gods. At one point the square was crowded with temples and statues but with the 1934 earthquake many of these ancient buildings were destroyed and to this day have yet to be built again. In comparison to the city of Patan, the Bhaktapur Durbar Square is bigger and more neatly laid out but with many empty spaces where temples once stood.
One of the temples that are still in existence today is the Nyatapola Temple, which was built in 1702 A.D. under the rule of King Bhupatindra Malla. This beautifully sculptured building is considered one of the tallest pagodas in the country and is a lovely example of the immense workmanship that went into buildings of this type. This five-storey temple with a five-tier roof that stands just over thirty meters high can be reached by walking up a flight of steps that leads to the top of the platform. As you walk up these terraces you will notice that there are statues on either side of you, on every step.
The Nyatapola temple was built and dedicated to the goddess Siddhi Lakshmi or Siddhi Laxmi, providing the Nepalese with a place to worship her. Like so many of the other temples the image of the goddess that is contained with in the temple of Nyatapola is viewed strictly by the priests only.

Nyatapol Temple

Bhaktapur is one of the three cities found in the Kathmandu Valley in Nepal not far from the capital city of Kathmandu. The name Bhaktapur means "City of devotees". Today this ancient, medieval city, from the fifteenth century, is part of the UNESCO World Heritage site, which records buildings that are of cultural and natural value universally.
In the eighteenth century Bhaktapur was known country-wide for its production of quality pottery pieces and beautiful art works, which included sculptures completed in both wood and stone. Today this reputation Bhaktapur has continues and is sustained by the tourist industry, which flourishes in this area. The city gives you a glimpse of what life was like centuries ago having changed very little since it was first formed.
Durbar Square can be found in the center of Bhaktapur and like Kathmandu contains many beautiful temples where the Nepalese people can go and pay homage to one of the many Hindu gods. At one point the square was crowded with temples and statues but with the 1934 earthquake many of these ancient buildings were destroyed and to this day have yet to be built again. In comparison to the city of Patan, the Bhaktapur Durbar Square is bigger and more neatly laid out but with many empty spaces where temples once stood.
One of the temples that are still in existence today is the Nyatapola Temple, which was built in 1702 A.D. under the rule of King Bhupatindra Malla. This beautifully sculptured building is considered one of the tallest pagodas in the country and is a lovely example of the immense workmanship that went into buildings of this type. This five-storey temple with a five-tier roof that stands just over thirty meters high can be reached by walking up a flight of steps that leads to the top of the platform. As you walk up these terraces you will notice that there are statues on either side of you, on every step.
The Nyatapola temple was built and dedicated to the goddess Siddhi Lakshmi or Siddhi Laxmi, providing the Nepalese with a place to worship her. Like so many of the other temples the image of the goddess that is contained with in the temple of Nyatapola is viewed strictly by the priests only.

Changunaryan Temple

Changu Narayan is the name of the deity enshrined in the Changu Narayan Temple, located near the Changunarayan village in Kathmandu Valley, Nepal. The temple is one of the oldest Hindu temples of the valley, and is believed to be constructed in the 3rd century. Changu Narayan is the name of Vishnu, and the Temple is dedicated to him. A stone slab discovered in the vicinity of the temple dates to the 5th century, and is the oldest such stone inscription discovered in Nepal.It is listed as one of the world heritage site by UNESCO. The Changu Narayan Temple is one of seven structures cited by UNESCO as demonstrating the historic and artistic achievements that make the Kathmandu vally World Heritage Site.

Halesi Madhav

The Haleshi temple is situated in the Khotang district of eastern Nepal . This is a small hilly area full of natural beauty. The location of the place itself is beautiful. One the other hand, the beautiful and mysterious natural caves; full of different natural images, look as if the stone carving artist have donelt carefully taking a lot of time. Here, the images are all inside the caves which themselves are mysterious.
On the other hand, this holy place is the religious destination for both the Hindus and the Budhist pilgrims. Buddhist monk Padmasambhava from Tibet meditated here a long time ago. He is believed to be the Lama (guru) of the Buddhists, who is still famous in Tibet . In the same way Hindu sage called Mirchaya Baba who is still alive 130 years of age has also meditated. Mahaguru Sankaracharya of India has also visited this place. In the same way, many Buddhists as well as the Hindus have visited here. People believe that wishes come true if one worships the god here whole heartedly. It is only the place in the eastern Nepal , which is said to the common playground for both the Buddhists and the Hindus.
Geographers claim the formation of such a natural cave in the earth takes nearly 60 million years. It shows how antique it is. It can even be a good source for research and studies.
It is the place that one should visit at least once in a life time for it bears religions, historical, methodological, archeological, cultural & natural importance.

Kal Bhairav

Bhairava sometimes known as Bhairo or Bhairon or Bhairadya, is the fierce manifestation of Shiva associated with annihilation.

He is one of the most important deities of Nepal, sacred to Hindus and Buddhists alike.
He is depicted ornamented with a range of twisted serpents, which serve as earrings, bracelets, anklets, and sacred thread (yajnopavita). He wears a tiger skin and a ritual apron composed of human bones.Bhairava has a dog as his divine vahana (vehicle).
Bhairava himself has eight manifestations, Kala Bhairava, Asitanga Bhairava, Samhara Bhairava, Ruru Bhairava, Krodha Bhairava, Kapala Bhairava, Rudra Bhirava and Unmatta Bhairava.The origin of Bhairava can be traced to the conversation between Lord Brahma and Lord Vishnu recounted in "Shiv Maha-Purana" where Lord Vishnu asks Lord Brahma who is the supreme creator of the Universe. Arrogantly, Brahma tells Vishnu to worship him because he (Brahma) is the supreme creator. This angered Shiva who in reality is the creator of all. Shiva then incarnated in the form of Bhairava to punish Brahma. Bhairava beheaded one of Brahma's five heads and since then Brahma has only four heads. When depicted as Kala Bhairava, Bhairava is shown carrying the amputated head of Brahma. Cutting off Brahma's fifth head made him guilty of having slain brahma, and as a result, he was forced to carry around the head for years until he had been absolved of the sin.
Another story of the origin of Bhairava is the tale of Sati, wife of Shiva. Sati, the daughter of the king of gods, Daksha, had chosen to marry Shiva. Her father disapproved the alliance because he perceived Shiva as an ascetic associated with animals and ghosts and a frugal lifestyle. Eventually, Daksha held a yagna (a ritualistic sacrifice) and invited all the gods, but not Sati and Shiva. Sati came to the yagna alone, where Daksha publicly spoke in a belittling manner about Shiva. Sati could not bear to hear her husband insulted and offered herself to the sacrificial pyre.
When Shiva learned of this, he destroyed the yagna and killed Daksha by beheading him. Shiva carried Sati's corpse on his shoulders and ran uncontrollably all around the world for days. Since this would eventually destroy all creation, Vishnu used his Sudarshan Chakra (divine discus) to cut Sati's body into pieces, which then fell all around. These spots where Sati's body parts fell are now known as Shakti Peethas. In the form of the frightful Bhairava, Shiva is said to be guarding each of these Shaktipeeths. Each Shaktipeeth temple is accompanied by a temple dedicated to Bhairava.

Tripura Sundari Temple

It is situated in the ancient Udaipur, believed to be one of the holiest Hindu shrines in this part of the country. Popularly known as Matabari, crowns in a small hillock and is served by the red-robed priests who traditionally, minister to the mother goddess. Considered to be one of the 51 Shakti Peethas, consists of a square type sanctum of the typical Bengali hut. It was constructed by Maharaja Dhanya Manikya Debbarma in 1501 A.D., there are two identical images of the same deity inside the temple named Chhotima, one is around 2 feet in height and the other about 5 feet in height.

Devghat Temple

Devghat is the one of the holiest places in Hindu mythology. It is on the banks of Sapta Gandaki and Krishna Gandaki Junction in Central Nepal. It is the holiest place for Hindu gods too. Various temples and caves of Hindu Gods, Goddesses, and Santas are located . Devghat has a very beautiful natural attraction due to its geography, tropical forests, wild animals, birds, climate etc. It is just 7 km from the city center of Narayangarh, 20 km from Sauraha ( another tourist city in Chitwan), 150 km southwest from Kathmandu, the capital city of Nepal. A bus service is available from Pokhara Bus park of Narayangarh, private taxies and cars can be hired from Narayangarh city. Goddess Sita cave, Bashistha Cave, Radha Krishna Temple, Galeshwor Temple, Sita Ram Temple, Laxmi Narayan Temple, Shankaracharya Temple, Bageshori Temple, Laxmi Narayan Divya Dham, Maula Kalika Mandir, Bishwa Shanti Dharmashala etc are the famous religious institution. Mahesh Sanyas Ashram, Hari Har Ashram, Sharana Gati Ashram, Galeshwor Ashram, Radha Sarbeshwor Bhajanashram, Yogi Narahari Nath Ashram are the ashrams where various religious activities are performed all over the year. In Makar Sankranti, huge mela is observed each year which is one of the largest religious mela in Nepal. Its still unanswered in history since when this mela started. Hindu pilgrims take dip at the junction of the two river. Krishna Gandaki river is famous for rare SHALIGRAM SHEELA ( holy stone), hindu devotee worship it as Lord Bishnu. Devghat is in the modern transition stage of development. It has 3 high schools, one post-graduate college, three retirement home projects, one ayurvedic health post, part of Bharatpur medical college, guest house of B P Koirala Memorial Cancer Hospital etc. Various health organizations volunteer for free health check up camps on regular basis. Historic Suspension bridge connects the Tanahun and Chitwan part of Devghat. Swami Dr Ramananda Giri, Khema Raj Keshav Sharan, Swami Aatmananda Giri, Swami Gopal Sharan Devacharya, Gyana Nanda Saraswati, Yogi Narahari Nath, Laxmi Sharan Paudel, Ruk Mini Sharan Sigdel, Dr Krishna Prasad Khanal, Pundit Bal Mukund Pokhrel, Dr Guru Prasad Subedi are the distinguished personalities of Devghatdham. Government of Nepal has established Devghat Area Development Committee for the integrated development of this area. Non- Resident Nepalese Association has established a project to construct 200 bedded retirement home in Chitwan part of Devghatdham.

Gadhi Mai Temple

Gadhimai festival is a month long Hindu festival that is held once every five years at the Gadhimai temple of Bariyapur, in Bara District, about 100 miles (160 km) south of the capital Kathmandu in southern Nepal. The event involves the world's largest sacrifice of animals – including water buffaloes, pigs, goats, chicken and pigeons – with the goal of pleasing Gadhimai, the goddess of power.About 5 million people participate in the festival, the majority of whom are Indian people from the states of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. Attending the festival in Nepal circumvents the ban on animal sacrifice in their own states.Participants believe that animal sacrifices for the Hindu goddess Gadhimai will end evil and bring prosperity.
A month before the ritual in 2009, the Nepalese government realised there would be a "severe shortage" of goats for the ritual sacrifice, as well as for the consumption of goat meat during the festival. They began a radio campaign urging farmers to sell their animals.The festival started in the first week of November 2009 and ends in the first week of December(upto makar sankranti), the fair has a custom of animal sacrifice that occurred on November 24 & 25 in the year 2009 , with the temple's head priest performing ritual sacrifice called Saptabali which includes the sacrifice of white mice, pigeons, roosters, ducks, swine and male water buffaloes. More than 20,000 buffaloes were sacrificed on the first day.It is estimated that 300,000 to 500,000 animals will be killed during the Gadhimai festival of 2009.The ritual killings were performed by more than 200 men in a concrete slaughterhouse near the temple.The festival has prompted numerous protests by animal rights activists. In 2009 activists made several attempts to stop the ritual, including Brigitte Bardot and Maneka Gandhi, who wrote to the Nepalese government asking them to stop the killings.A government official commented that they will not "interfere in the centuries-old tradition of the people.Ram Bahadur Bomjon, claimed by some of his supporters to be the reincarnation of the Buddha, said that he will attempt to stop the sacrifice at the festival, preaching non-violence and offering a blessing at the place.His promise had prompted the government to send additional forces to prevent any incident.
After the festival, the meat, bones and hides of the sacrificed animals are sold to processing and tannery companies in India and Nepal.

Gupteswor Cave in Pokhara

This Cave divided into two parts. First parts is about 40 meters long, there is a natural cave and temple of Load Shiva to visit the first you have to pay Rs 30 per person as entry fee. In this first part you are not allowed to take photos. Next parts start after temple which way goes to the down side if Devis fall, the distance about 100 meters from second entrance, from there you can see the view of Davis Fall as well as natural rocks, Electric lights are managed for the convenience of the visitor. To visit 2nd part you have to pay Rs 100 per person. This cost covers 1st part and 2nd part. So if you pay Rs 100 you can visit both parts. After the Lord Shiva temple on second parts of this Cave you are allowed to take photos. Second parts is closed during 4 month of Monsoon

Danta Kali Temple

This temple is situated in the heart of Bijapur hill about 1,572 ft. above sea level. According to the myth, a tooth of the deceased wife of Lord Shiva fell off on this spot while Shiva was outrageously traveling on the earth carrying his dead wife. So, this temple was established here in commemoration of the Lord Shiva's wife. The fallen tooth is said to be very much look alike of a human being itself., today the historical tooth is still believed to be preserved.

Dolakha Bhimsen

The famous temple Bhimeshwor temple is located in Dolakha Bazar of Dolakha district. The main statue of this temple is god Bhim. Bhimsen or Bhimeshwor or Bhim of Dolakha is noted as one of the most populer throughout the country Nepal. He is the second prince of panch pandav and notably worshiped by the traders or merchandizers as their will god. In Dolakha under the roofless temple, the idol of Bhim Sen is like a triangular in shape and rough stone. People regards this idol as Bhim Sen but it has three reincarnation as Bhim Sen himself, Goddess Bhagawati, who wants always sacrifice of animals as demon/devil and last one: God Shiva who never sacrifice the blood.
The legend relates that long, long years ago there were 12 porters coming from elsewhere stoped at this spot and they tried themselves to make three stone stove to cook rice. After for a few minutes the other part of rice had already cooked but the other one part still the same texture of rice. Not only that but when the porter shifted around the cooked rice became uncooked again when it came in contact with the triangular shape black-stone. One of the porter became so much angry and the stub the stone with "Paneu"(laddle) and then out of the cut stone came about the blood coated with milk. Later they made realized that the stone is God Bhim, and after then worshipers started. There are so many faith incidents about the Bhim sen of Dolakha. The miraculous things of Bhim sen statue of Dolakha is sweating fluid like drops of warm water. People belief that if there are any incident happened either in future or present in the while country or in Ex-Royal family, Bhim sen himself tries to protect his people from the sweat like or signs to work hard all ove the country.
From the point of view of shree Bhimeshwor Shivapuran, there was a kingdom of Bhima that was blessed by god Brahma at the side of mountain peak. The people, who lived in the Bhima's kingdom, they had to live with sarrowful life from the Bhima and they pray to god Shiva to save their life, then god Shive was came there from Gaurishanker and killed the king Bhima. According to these histry after the Bhima's death statue of god at that spot was named by Bhimeshwor.

Janaki Mandir

Janaki Mandir is a Hindu temple which is at the heart of Janakpur, Nepal. It is dedicated to goddess Sita.
It is an example of 'Hindu-Rajput' architecture. This is considered as the most important model of the Rajput architecture in Nepal.

The Janaki Mandir was built by Queen Brisabhanu Kunwar of Tikamgarh from central India in AD 1911, at a cost of Rupees 900,000. In local parlance, the temple is also called Nau Lakha Mandir or Temple of Nine Lac Rupees.
In 1657, a golden statue of the Goddess Sita was found at the very spot, and Sita is also said to have lived there. The legend had it that it was built on the holy site where Sannyasi Shurkishordas had found the images of Goddess Sita. In fact, Shurkishordas was the founder of modern Janakpur and the great saint and poet who preached about the Sita Upasana (also called Sita Upanishad) philosophy. Legend has it that King Janak performed the worship of 'Shiva-Dhanus' on this very site.

Maya Devi Mandir

Lumbini remained neglected for centuries. In 1895, Feuhrer, a famous German archaeologist, discovered the great pillar while wandering about the foothills of the Churia range. Further exploration and excavation of the surrounding area revealed the existence of a brick temple and a sandstone sculpture within the temple itself which depicts the scenes of the Buddha's birth.
It is pointed out by scholars that the temple of Maya Devi was constructed over the foundations of more than one earlier temple or stupa, and that this temple was probably built on an Ashokan stupa itself. On the south of the Maya Devi temple there is the famous sacred bathing pool known as Puskarni. It is believed that Maha Devi took a bath in this pool before the delivery. By the side of the Ashoka pillar there is a river which flows southeast and is locally called the 'Ol' river. In 1996, an archaeological dig unearthed a "flawless stone" placed there by the Indian Emperor Ashoka in 249 BC to mark the precise location of the Buddha's birth more than 2,600 years ago, if authenticated, the find will put Lumbini even more prominently on the map for millions of religious pilgrims.
Recently, several beautiful shrines have been built by devotees from Buddhist countries. A visit to Lumbini, the birthplace of Buddha, is not only for spiritual enlightenment but also for solace and satisfaction that one gets in such a calm and peaceful place.

Location of Lumbini

Lumbini is the place where the Buddha, known as the Tathagata* was born. It is the place which should be visited and seen by a person of devotion and which should cause awareness and apprehension of the nature of impermanence.' * Tathagata - One who has found the Truth.
The birthplace of the Gautama Buddha, Lumbini, is the Mecca of every Buddhist, being one of the four holy places of Buddhism. It is said in the Parinibbana Sutta that Buddha himself identified four places of future pilgrimage: the sites of his birth, enlightenment, first discourse, and death. All of these events happened outside in nature under trees. While there is not any particular significance in this, other than it perhaps explains why Buddhists have always respected the environment and natural law.Lumbini is situated at the foothills of the Himalayas in modern Nepal. In the Buddha's time, Lumbini was a beautiful garden full of green and shady Sal trees (Shorea). The garden and its tranquil environs were owned by both the Shakyas and Kolias clans. King Suddhodana, father of Gautama Buddha was of the Shakya dynasty belonging to the Kshatriya or the warrior caste. Maya Devi, his mother, gave birth to the child on her way to her parent's home in Devadaha while taking rest in Lumbini under a sal tree in the month of May in the year 642 B.C. The beauty of Lumbini is described in Pali and Sanskrit literature. Maya Devi it is said was spellbound to see the natural grandeur of Lumbini. While she was standing, she felt labor pains and catching hold of a drooping branch of a Sal tree, the baby, the future Buddha, was born.
The bas relief above depicts Maya Devi with her right hand holding on to a branch of a sal tree with a newborn child standing upright on a lotus petal, shedding an oval halo, around his head, while two celestial figures pour water and lotuses from vessels of heaven as indicated by the delineation of clouds. This nativity scene was installed by Malla Kings of the Naga dynasty from about the 11th to 15th Century in the Karnali zone of Nepal.
In 249 BC, when the Emperor Ashoka visited Lumbini it was a flourishing village. Ashoka constructed four stupas and a stone pillar with a figure of a horse on top. The stone pillar bears an inscription which, in English translation, runs as follows: "King Piyadasi (Ashoka), beloved of devas, in the 20 year of the coronation, himself made a royal visit, Buddha Sakyamuni having been born here, a stone railing was built and a stone pillar erected to the Bhagavan having been born here, Lumbini village was taxed reduced and entitled to the eight part.

Budhanilkantha

Deep below at the base of the Shivapuri Hill within the Kathmandu Valley on the northern end, lies the mystical Buddhanilkantha Temple, meaning “old blue-throat”, just 9 km away from the main city. It is at this location that you will find one of the three images of the deity Lord Vishnu or in full Vishnu (Narayan) Jalasayana which is regarded by the local people as the principal deity.
It is with the sacredness of this particular god that a deep-seated belief was created by King Pratap Malla through a prophetic dream. It was his strong belief and fear that should the King of Nepal visit the Buddhanilkantha temple, death would be imminent upon his departure. The two other images of the deity which were carved during the same time lie at two particular destinations: the Balaju Gardens where public viewing can take place and the beautiful Royal Palace in Kathmandu. It is here at Budhanilkantha Temple, however, that public viewing is not permitted.
The Deity of Lord Vishnu lies prominently at 5 meters in length inside a tank 13 meters long giving the impression of floating. It is thought that the Deity is approximately 1500 years old and is believed to have been sculpted during the Licchavi period, around about the 7th or 8th century. A fascinating feature of the Lord Vishnu Deity is his large frame carved out of a single block of stone, black in nature and foreign to the valley planes. When described he embodies many fascinating features and all symbolic in their own right. But it is through the four hands that you will find four symbols of Vishnu which are the: chakra or disc, conch-shell, lotus flower and the club. His legs are crossed with his sleeping body resting on the coils of Ananta: the cosmic serpent and his 11 hooded heads.
It is alleged in times past that a farmer and his wife occupied a farm in this area and while cultivating the land they struck the Deity and immediately afterwards blood began to filter from the ground and thus the lost deity of Budhanilkantha was recovered and placed in its rightful position. It is a common practice for the Hindus to walk down to Vishnu’s feet to touch them but it is forbidden for foreign visitors to do the same. Budhanilkantha has become the site on which Haribondhini Ekadashi takes place during late October or the beginning of November. It is the principle festival for the year in celebration of the awakening of Lord Vishnu from his long sleep; a notable time for thousands of people. Today the formidable temple of Budhanilkantha, interestingly enough, even provides a guest house, unthought-of till now.

Swsrgadwari

Swargadwari is a hilltop temple complex and pilgrimage site in Pyuthan District, Nepal commemorating the special role of cows in Hinduism. It is said to have been founded by one Guru Maharaj who spent most of his life in the vicinity herding and milking thousands of cows. According to traditional stories, some of his devotees followed him to see where he took the cows, but they never could find him.
Before he left physical body the Guru gave some of his powers to a few disciples. On the day he departed his physical body by his own wish, a number of people gathered around him at the place where he habitually meditated. The Guru left his body after bidding goodbye to his disciples and other followers. His favourite cow also died at the same instant, then the rest of the cows miraculously disappeared within a few days. There are also accounts of cows emptying their milk by themselves every day at the same time, at the place where the Guru died.

Krishna mandir

The Krishna temple on the west side of Patan's Darbar square was built in 1637. Legend says that it was built because of a dream. One night, King Siddhi Narasigh Malla dreamt that the gods Krishna and Radha were standing in front of the palace. The King ordered a temple built on the same spot. During a war with a neighboring kingdom a decade lator, the King emerged victorious after calling on Krishna to vanquish his enemies. In gratitude, the King built a replica of the temple inside the Sundari Chauk courtyard. The Krishna temple is built in the Shikhara style, imported from India. Beneath its 21 golden pinnacles are three floors. The first floor enshrines Krishna, the second Shiva, and the third Lokeshwor. Scenes from the Ramayana narrated in Newari script decorate the interior of the temple.
The temple is managed by local Brahmins and is still used.

Palanchowk Bhagawati

Palanchowk Bhagawati is one of the most beautiful and most important Goddess images in Nepal, a three feet tall finely carved on black stone and decked with Jewelry. Many pilgrims visit the temple especially on Tuesday and Saturday and animal sacrificing are also offered to the Goddess. During great Dasain festival season, people from all over make a pilgrimage to Palanchowk Bhagawati.

Muktinath Temple

Muktinath is a sacred place both for Hindus and Buddhists located in Muktinath Valley at an altitude of 3,710 meters at the foot of the Thorong La mountain pass (part of the Himalayas), Mustang district, Nepal. The site is close to the village Ranipauwa, which sometimes mistakenly is called Muktinath as well.
The Hindus call the sacred place Mukti Kshetra, which literally means the "place of salvation". It is also one of the 51 Sakthi peetams. The Buddhists call it Chumig Gyatsa, which in Tibetan means 'Hundred Waters'. For Tibetan Buddhists Muktinath-Chumig Gyatsa is a very important place of Dakinis, goddesses known as Sky Dancers and one of the 24 Tantric places. They understand the murti to be a manifestation of Avalokitesvara.

Swoyambhu

Located in a lovely little hill rock Swoyambhu Nath Stupa middle of city is one of the most fascinating architectural jewels of the world. This great Stoup is said to have been built around 250 B.C.
Generally a holy memorial site Stoup represents a typical Buddhist architecture. Its main feature the white dome is identified with a spotless pure jewel of Nirvana and a thirteen tiered golden spire in conical shape surmounted on the dome. Underneath this towering structure are a pair of all seeing eyes of Buddha painted on all four sides of the Stupa.The Stupa of Swoyambhunath stands on a typically stylized lotus mandala base-a long time ago believed to have originated from a legendary lake of Kathmandu Valley.
As the ancient legend goes Kathmandu Valley was a lake a long time ago. Right in the centre of this lake was a full blown lotus with the divine light a top. When Maha Manjushri a saint from China heard about this he came rushing all the way from China to the Valley. He cut through the southern wall hill of the valley with his divine sword. The cleft made by the sword immediately drained the entire lake water making the valley floor open for a close up view of the divine lotus light.

Gorkha Dubar

We left the office premises at about 6:45 for Gorkha. The start of the journey was solemn with very few of the hikers talking to each other until we reached Kalanki and there was this joke about the “chwank” conductor which evoked a string of joke sessions thereafter. Rajiv was the recipient of some of the funniest comments of the entire trip. We stopped for “masu chiura” at Naubise before heading further.
We reached Gorkha earlier than expected. The hike started with the tour of the “Tallo Darbar” which was recently converted to a museum. The site was absolutely breathtaking. To our surprise, the museum was clean and well managed. The museum boasted a wide array of artifacts dating back to the days of Prithvi Narayan Shah and his descendants. There were cannons, rifles, arrows, spears, the traditional “panas”, “panche baja”, chaityas and other ancient relics. There were several paintings depicting the Shah Kings and their courtiers. Some of us posed in front of the throne of Prithvi Narayan Shah for photograph just to get the feel of the era and giggled all the way about it-only to find out later that actually all of us had posed in front of the throne. There was even a torso of Ram Shah at the museum- the King famous for being just to the public and we couldn’t help but say “hami nyaya pauna Gorkha ako”. On the rear of the palace some few meters below was a garden lush with greenery. The view of the garden from above was awesome. It was like standing on top of an outdoor amphitheatre and savoring the succulence around.

Manakamana temple

Manakamana is the name of a Hindu Goddess. It is believed that the Goddess fulfils the wishes of the people. The term ‘mana’ means the ‘heart’ or ‘soul’ and ‘kamana’ means the ‘wish’.
The most popular temple of Manakamana is in Gorkha. The others are in various places like Tumlingtar. It is said that a King of Gorkha was blessed by the goddess to get victory over small kingdoms and make a big Gorkha. Manakamana of Tumlingtar is a popular place for a specific fair called Ekadashi. The temple was initially inaccessible and one had to ride on horseback for 2–3 days. Now it is easily accessible by Cable Car.

Pashupati temple

Pashupatinath temple is the biggest Hindu temple of Lord Shiva in the world located on the banks of the Bagmati river in the eastern part of Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal. The temple served as the seat of national deity, Lord Pashupatinath, until Nepal was secularized. The temple is listed in UNESCO World Heritage Sites list. Believers in Pashupatinath (mainly Hindus) are allowed to enter the temple premises. Non-Hindu visitors are allowed to have a look at the temple from the other bank of Bagmati river.