Private Temple of Bista Family (Kathmandu)

Nepal / Kathmandu / Kathmandu
 Shiva temple  Add category
 Upload a photo
This is a Mahadev (shivlinga/phallus) temple built by Phatte Nidhi Bista in 2003BS after the approval from the first elected Mayor of Nepal's history, Lt. Janak Lal Sharma. The design has been approved by a British engineer who was assigned by the British Raj in India under a special agreement to run the technical aspects of the modern municipality. Late Phatte Nidhi Bista (took samadhi in 2018 BS) erected the temple in his private property instead of anything private in order to avoid the prying eyes on the female members of his family from the ruling Ranas. Reportedly the then autocratic familial Rana prime ministers and their family members were womanizers. Currently there are two shops facing east and west. Both are watch shops. Actually, the approved design allows to have shops on all sides except the south where lies the main entrance of the temple.

And most interestingly, this temple is a lively manifestation of the age-old communal harmony and co-existence in Nepal. Although it is a Hindu temple, but has given refuge to several Muslim brothers and sisters just in its premises. Most of them indulge in the glass beads trade which is an inevitable part of marriage (of all faiths) in Nepal. About 200 meters away from the temple lies the first settlement of Muslims in the Hindu/Buddhist-dominated Himalayan country (allowed to settle by King Nara Malla who was pleased with a Hakim- a Unani doctor who cured his piles).

It locates at the very center of the downtown Kathmandu.
Nearby cities:
Coordinates:   27°42'21"N   85°18'34"E

Comments

  • A relevant photo posted at https://ssl.panoramio.com/photo/82217825
This article was last modified 8 years ago