Shiva Temple


If you take the road leading southeast from the bottom of the town square for 2km, you’ll pass a playing field and the turn-off to the Kali Temple. Just beyond this junction, a Ganesh shrine marks the path down to a picturesque little Shiva temple at the bottom of a gorge, with a stream trickling by.

The temple enshrines a four-faced lingam topped by a metal dome with four nagas arching down from the pinnacle. You are liable to find holy men dispensing spiritual advice. Note the statues of a Malla royal family in the courtyard.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby attractions

1. Kali Temple

0.49 MILES

If you don’t mind a steep 30-minute climb, you can head up a series of switchbacks on concrete steps to reach this modern hilltop temple (also called …

2. Ganesh Temple

0.59 MILES

This small temple is dedicated to Ganesh, the Hindu god easily recognised by his elephant head. Ganesh is widely revered as the deity of intellect and…

3. Hari Siddhi Temple

0.67 MILES

This triple-roofed temple in the centre of the Old Town is dedicated to Hari Siddhi, the Hindu goddess best known for killing two giants that attacked…

4. Vishnu Temple

0.68 MILES

This three-tiered Vishnu temple is guarded by two very different Garudas, a man-bird that serves as the mount of Vishnu in Hindu mythology.

5. Gita Temple

0.76 MILES

This modern Hindu temple is dedicated to the Bhagavad Gita, a 700-verse scripture in Sanskrit that is part of the Mahabharata epic.

6. Bhagwati Shiva Temple

0.76 MILES

This three-tiered temple dedicated to Shiva is built in the Newari style; 'Bhagwati' is an honorific title for female Hindu deities.

7. Chandeshwari Temple

2.28 MILES

This popular pilgrimage spot is noted for its enormous mural of Bhairab; you may see a sacrifice on feast days. Chandeshwari is one of the many…

8. Mother of Chandeshwari Temple

2.47 MILES

This small satellite of the nearby Chandeshwari Temple is dedicated to the mother of Chandeshwari, one of the fearsome incarnations of Parvati.