Changunarayan

The Changu Narayana temple lies 20 km away to the east of Kathmandu, on the top of a hillock, and is surrounded by an evergreen lusty forest all around it with a typical traditional Nepalese settlement on its close suburb. The 1541m high hillock, upon which the temple rests, had also been used as a forest-hill-fort in the past.

During Lichhavi period it was not named as Changunarayan. It was then called Dolasikhar Swami. It was called so because the hill at which the temple is located is called Dolashikar and it is regarded as the guru so the name Dolashikar Swami is given. Since our childhood we were taught that the king Man Dev Malla had built Changunarayan temple but it is completely erroneous. The founder is believed to be Hari Dutta Verma who had built Changunarayan temple along with three other temples at the four cardinal directions of the Kathmandu valley, dedicated to the Hindu God Narayan. Changunarayan is also famous by the name of Champaknarayan and Garudnarayan. The three storied and two roofed temple of Changunarayan is the finest example of the Nepalese temple architectural design built in the “popular Nepalese style” on a one tired brick-stone platform. Its top roof is made out of gilded copper sheets while the lower one is having a traditional tiled roof. On the struts of the two-tiered Changu Narayan Temple, are the ten incarnations in which Narayan destroyed evil-doers. A sixth-century stone statue shows the cosmic form of Vishnu, while another statue recalls his dwarf incarnation when he crushed the evil king Bali. Apart from the pillar inscription of Mana Deva, there are stone slab inscription of Niripechha, Siva Deva-Amsuvarma, Abhaya Malla, Jaya Rudra Malla, Jayasthiti Malla. The temple of Goddess Chhinnamasta, Kileswor Mahadeva, Laxmi Narayan, Natyeswora, Yatu Maju, Kanti Bhairava and several sattalas (public rest houses) are some which were built in different historical times by different persons. Among them, the sculpture of the seated Garuda in anjali mudra, now placed beside a broken base of a stone pillar, is considered to be the oldest. It is believed that the remaining part of the pillar, which is now found being erected on the northern corner of the main shrine, was shifted here from its original place when it was broken.

The sculpture of Garuda was originally mounted on that pillar which also contains the inscription engraved by king Mana Deva in 464 AD using the Lichhavi script. Apart from this, the stone sculptures of Garudanarayan, vishworupa, Trivikram, Shreedhara and Narasingha are the other available finest specimens of sculptural arts executed in different times of the Lichhavi period.

The main Jatra of this temple is celebrated in the month of Baisakh however we had been hearing wrong that the Jatra takes place during the month of Magh. This is the rare temple found in Nepal where both Hindus and Buddhists alike offer their reverences. Asadh Sukla Ekadasi, Krisna Janmaastami and Haribodhani Ekadasi are some of the important events observed here every year in which a great number of devotees pour here from far and wide places take active participation on them by offering worship to the Lord. This tradition has been continuing since very long. Twice in every year, the main idol of the temple is taken to the Hanuman Dhoka Royal Palace of Kathmandu in August-September and December and January respectively in order to follow an age long tradition.