Changu Narayan Temple, near Bhaktapur

Changu Narayan Temple (photo: Hannelore Sengenberger).

Changu Narayan is a pagoda-style Hindu temple dedicated to Vishnu in his incarnation as Narayan. It is one of the oldest temples in Nepal, but because it is a bit off the beaten track, it is seldom visited by tourists.

History

Originally built in the early 4th century during the Licchavi dynasty, Changu Narayan was rebuilt around 1700 after the temple was destroyed by a fire.

All of the stone carvings in the temple courtyard were done between the 5th and 13th century, which makes this one of the single-greatest concentrations of ancient art in Nepal.

Though the temple is quite beautiful, especially the repoussé doors and front facade, Changu Narayan is not known for its temple but for the stone statues, bas-relief carvings, and inscriptions that are scattered around the temple courtyard.

Facing the entrance to the main temple is a large stone statue of a kneeling Garuda, upon whom Vishnu is said to ride. This statue dates from the 5th century. Behind the statue is an inscription stone from the same century that has provided a great deal of information about the Licchavi period in the Kathmandu Valley's history. Also in front of the temple's main entrance, in an ornate little cage, are small statues of King Bupathindra Malla and his queen.

To the right of the temple entrance, there are several smaller shrines and a platform with only a carved stone atop it. This bas-relief carving, which has had its upper-right corner broken off, depicts two different incarnations of Vishnu.

At the bottom of the stone, Vishnu is shown reclining on a bed of snakes, the same pose that is depicted in the large statue of Budhanilkantha. Above this, a 10-headed standing Vishnu is depicted. The detail in this 5th- or 6th-century stone carving is amazing.

Near the famous double Vishnu is a stone depicting another incarnation of Vishnu, the half-man, half-lion Narsimha. In the northeast corner of the courtyard is an important bas-relief that you might recognize. It depicts Vishnu riding on the back of Garuda and is the model for the image on the back of the Nepali 10-rupee note.

Perched on a ridge in the eastern part of the Kathmandu Valley, the gilded roofs of the temple shine in the sun due north of Bhaktapur. Though you can get to Changu Narayan by a car (a taxi from Bhaktapur will cost around Rs300/$4.55 for the round trip), it is much more interesting to walk from Bhaktapur.

The walk takes about 2 hours and is easy except for the last steep climb up to the temple. To find the trail, head north from Bhaktapur's Durbar Square and aim for the temple on the ridge. Along the way people will point you in the right direction.

Source: Frommers.com Online-Only Guide

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