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Changu Narayan
Kathmandu Valley
2005
A beautiful 11th of 12th century image of Vishnu in the form of the
man-lion, Narasimha, can be seen beside the temple. He is in the act of
tearing apart a demon on his knees
This
page:
Changu Narayan
More pages:
Bungamati, Khokana & Kirtipur
Namobuddha &
Panauti
The main temple, rebuilt around 1700, stands in a quiet
quadrangle of rest houses and pilgrims' shelters.
The oldest temple in the valley is the Changu Narayan Temple,
located 22 km from Kathmandu and a 25-minute drive from Bhaktapur city.
The original temple was built in the 4th century during the time of the
Lichhavi rulers and is perched on a hill overlooking the nearby city.
Much of it was rebuilt in the 18th century.
This temple is known for its beauty, location and age. It is a Vishnu
temple. One of the oldest Lichhavi period stone inscriptions is also
found here. A Vishnu image with ten heads and ten arms is another
fine example of stone carving from the 5th century. The struts of the
two-tiered temple depict the ten incarnations in which Narayan destroyed
evildoers. A 6th century stone statue shows the cosmic form of Vishnu,
while another recalls the dwarf incarnation in which he crushed the evil
King Bali. Garuda, the steed of Vishnu, kneels before the temple. The
statue of Vishnu astride his steed is a popular favorite.
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Tamang
villages between
Telkot and Changu Narayan
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The hike to the Changu Narayan temple complex and then on
to Bhaktapur is a very enjoyable day hike. The route passes
through small villages and farmlands that are almost always
bustling with activity as the farmers work their fields.
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To
begin the hike, get on a bus from Bhaktapur towards Nagarkot.
Get off the bus at Telkot half-way to Nagarkot. From Telkot it
is one and a half hours' pleasant walk to Changu Narayan. The
walk follows the saddle of a ridge with great views of the
valley on one side and the Himalayas on the other.
From the
temple it is another 1 ½ hours down to Bhaktapur. |
NB: Klik på billedet for forstørrelse / Click on photos to
enlarge
Changu Narayan
has the finest collection of ancient statues outside the
National Museum
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Probably dating from the sixth
century, Changu Narayan's celebrated statue of Garud
kneels before the temple, looking human but for a pair of wings
and a cobra scarf.
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At the northwest corner of the
compound, the twelfth- or thirteenth-century Vishnu
Vaikunthanata - reproduced on the Nepalese ten-rupee note -
shows a purposeful Vishnu riding Garud |
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The
eighth-century Vishnu Trivikranta Murti, Vishnu of the
Three Strides, illustrates a much-loved story in which the god
reclaimed the universe from the demon king Bali. Disguised as a
dwarf (another of his ten incarnations), Vishnu petitioned Bali
for a patch of ground where he could meditate, which need only
be as far as the dwarf could cover in three strides; when Bali
agreed, Vishnu grew to his full divine height and bounded over
the earth, sky and heavens. |
Wooden struts
and decorations of the main temple
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Kathmandu Valley
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Turmeric/
Gurkemeje |
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This
page:
Changu Narayan
More pages:
Bungamati, Khokana & Kirtipur
Namobuddha &
Panauti
Last update January 07
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