Budhanilkantha. Say that three times fast!
This 20 foot long, 1300 year old incarnation of Vishnu is nestled in the foothills of Shivapuri on the northern edge of Kathmandu is the Sleeping Vishnu. He’ll awake again at the end of the rainy season.
He appears to be floating in a pond (”cosmic ocean”), surrounded by a concrete fence. I wasn’t allowed in, so I had to peak through the fence to get the photos. He is carved out of one piece of stone, although there are differing accounts oh who and where the statue came from. Nobody besides the priests have seen above the forehead, as it is “traditionally” covered, although some say an image of Buddha is inscribed on the crown. It is said that if the King of Nepal (now deposed) is to look on the statue he will die. Hope he doesn’t read my blog.
These were taken through the fence? They are beautiful.
Budhanilkantha Temple is located 5Km from the centre of Kathmandu Valley . It is a religious, holy and popular place which daily attracts hundreds of devotees to worship Lord Vishnu.
The temple’s name “Budhanilkantha” is the so-called Sleeping Vishnu Temple because Budhanilkantha is alleged to be a deity of Lord Vishnu (also call Narayan or Jalasayana). The deity is shown lying in a sleeping position on the bed of Sesh Naga (serpent) in the cosmic ocean. It is believed that the deity is over 1,000 years old. Budhanilkantha literally means “God of old blue-throat”.
A statue of Lord Vishnu lies with his legs crossed, as if he is floating, in a 13m (43ft) long tank in the temple grounds. In his four hands he holds the four symbols of Vishnu: the chakra (disc), club, conch-shell and lotus flower.
According to ancient history, the idol of Lord Vishnu which was found buried, had been made by the order of the King Vishnugupta of the Licchavi dynasty in the 7th or 8th century. The holy festival in this temple takes place in the months of Baishakh, Jestha and Kartik (April/May/June and Oct/Nov).
A large number of devotees visit this temple to worship Lord Budhanilkantha in Kartik (Oct/Nov) and also in the extra month of the Lunar Calendar that occurs every alternate year. Though it is a Hindu temple, it is equally popular with Buddhists also. A large number of Buddhist devotees come to Naga Panchami, a day devoted to the worship Naga or serpent god.
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