Budhanilkantha Temple

बुढानिलकण्ठ

Budhanilkantha Temple, located in Budhanilkantha, Nepal, (Nepali: बुढानीलकंठ मन्दिर) (literal: "Old Blue Throat") is a Hindu open air temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu. Budhanilkantha Temple is located at the base of the Shivapuri Hill 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.^[1]

Location

Budhanilkantha temple, also known as the Narayanthan Temple, is situated on the southern side of Kathmandu. Though the temple is named Budhanilkantha, its name does not come from the Buddha; Budhanilkantha stands instead for “Old Blue Throat”. The statue symbolizes Lord Vishnu, who is regarded as one of the 'Trimurtis', along with Brahma and Shiva.

Deity

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.^[2]

Origin of the statue

According to one story, a farmer and his wife once struck a figure while plowing 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.

Budhanilkantha Temple Compound

Festivals

The Budhanilkantha Temple has become the site where Haribondhini Ekadashi Mela takes place on the 11th day of the Hindu month of Kartika (October–November). Attended by thousands of pilgrims, it is the temple's principal festival in celebration of the awakening of Lord Vishnu from his long sleep.^[3]

The Legend of the Nepal Monarchy

A legend states that King Pratap Malla (1641–1674) had a prophetic vision. This vision resulted in him believing that kings of Nepal would die if they visited the Budhanilkantha Temple. Nepali monarchs after King Pratap Malla have never visited the Temple in fear of the prophecy.^[4]

References

1. "Budhanilkantha, Nepal - Lonely Planet". lonelyplanet.com. Retrieved 2015-09-14.
2. "Buddha Nilakantha Temple Nepal ~ Blog on vishnu temples". divyadesamyatra.blogspot.com. Retrieved 2015-09-14.
3. "Budhanilkantha". sacredsites.com. Retrieved 2015-09-14.
4. "Budhanilkantha". Places of Peace and Power.

Coordinates: 27°46′41″N 85°21′44″E / 27.7781°N 85.3622°E