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Bhaktapur

Til Mahadev Narayan Temple

  • Address
    • Taumadhi Tole in Taumadhi Tole

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Lonely Planet review for Til Mahadev Narayan Temple

It's easy to miss Taumadhi Tole's third interesting temple, as it is hidden away behind the buildings on the southern side of the square. You can enter the temple's courtyard through a narrow entrance through those buildings, or through an arched entrance facing west, just to the south of the square.

This double-roofed Vishnu temple has a Garuda kneeling on a high pillar in front, flanked by pillars bearing Vishnu's sankha and chakra symbols. Some of the temple's struts also depict Garudas. A lingam in a yoni (female equivalent of the phallic symbol) stands inside a grilled structure in front and to one side of the temple. A plaque to the lower right of the door depicts the goddess Vajrayogini in characteristic pose with her left leg high in the air.

Despite the temple's neglected setting it is actually an important place of pilgrimage as well as one of the oldest temple sites in the town: an inscription indicates that the site has been in use since 1080. Another inscription states that the image of Til Mahadev installed inside the temple dates from 1170.