Gokarna Mahadev Temple

Introducing Gokarna Mahadev Temple

Only 2km northeast of Bodhnath, past the ugly suburb of Jorpati, the road to Sundarijal branches north off the Sankhu road and, after 3.5km of twists and turns, takes you to the old Newari village of Gokarna, 10km from Kathmandu. The village is notable for its fine riverside Shiva temple.

Built in 1582, the triple-roofed Mahadev (Great God) or Gokarneshwar (Lord of Gokarna) Temple (admission free) stands on the banks of the Bagmati River; its inner sanctum enshrines a particularly revered Shiva lingam. Over the temple entrance is a golden torana, with Shiva and Parvati making an appearance in the centre in the Uma Maheshwar position (where Parvati sits on Shiva's thigh and leans against him) and a figure of the Garuda above them.

The temple's great interest is the surprisingly varied collection of sculptures and reliefs all around the site, some dating back more than a thousand years. They even line the pathway down from the road to the temple courtyard.

The sculptures illustrate an A to Z of Hindu mythology, including early Vedic gods such as Aditya (Sun God), Chandra (Moon God), Indra (on an elephant) and Ganga (with four arms and a pot on her head from which pours the Ganges). Shiva appears in several forms, including as Kamadeva, the God of Love, and Vishnu appears as Narsingha, making a particularly thorough job of disembowelling a nasty demon. The god Gauri Shankar is interesting since it contains elements of both Shiva and Parvati. The Brahma figure in the southwest corner appears to have only three heads (he should have four) until you peer around the back and discover the hidden head.

The finest of the Gokarna statuary is in the small shrine house, which is in the northwestern corner of the courtyard. This 8th-century sculpture of the beautiful goddess Parvati shows her at her radiant best.

To one side of the main temple, just above the river, is the small, open, single-storey Vishnu Paduka. This relatively recent addition shelters a metal plate bearing Vishnu's footprint. Outside, set into the steps above the river, is an image of Naryan reclining on a bed of cobras, just like the images at Budhanilkantha and Balaju. To the north, behind the pavilion, is a remarkable shrine that has been almost entirely taken over by a tree that must have started as a seed on its roof. There's a spiritual message in there somewhere, we're sure…

Those who have recently lost a father often visit the temple, particularly during Gokarna Aunsi, the Nepali equivalent of Father's Day, which falls in September.

Last updated: Feb 17, 2009