Nepali Mandir

Nepali Mandir
नेपाली मंदिर

Nepali Mandir exterior
Nepali Mandir
नेपाली मंदिर
Temple location on Varanasi district map
Name
Devanagari नेपाली मंदिर
Tamil நேபாளி கோவில்
Bengali নেপালি মন্দির
Geography
Coordinates 25°18′35″N 83°00′46″E / 25.309821°N 83.012859°E / 25.309821; 83.012859Coordinates: 25°18′35″N 83°00′46″E / 25.309821°N 83.012859°E / 25.309821; 83.012859
Country  India
State Uttar Pradesh
District Varanasi
Location Lalita Ghat, Varanasi
Elevation 78.161 m (256 ft)
Culture
Primary deity Lord Shiva
Important festivals Mahashivratri
Nag Panchami
Architecture
Architectural styles Pagoda
History and governance
Date built 1843
Creator Rana Bahadur Shah &
Girvan Yuddha Bikram Shah Deva
(King of Nepal)

Nepali Mandir (Hindi: नेपाली मंदिर), also known as (a.k.a Kanthwala Mandir and Mini Khajuraho) (Kanthwala in Hindi means wooden), is one of the oldest and most famous temples in the holy city of Varanasi. This temple has great religious importance in Hinduism and is dedicated to the Lord Shiva. Constructed in the 19th century A.D by the King of Nepal, the temple is made of terracotta, stone and wood and is replica of the Pashupatinath Temple in Kathmandu.[1][2][3][4][5]

History

King of Nepal, Rana Bahadur Shah took exile in Varanasi from 1800 to 1804 and titled himself as "Swami Nirgunanda". During his exile, he decided to build a replica of Pashupatinath Temple in Varanasi. Construction of the temple commenced during his exile / stay in Varanasi. During the construction, Shah moved back to Nepal. On April 25, 1806, Rana Bahadur Shah was stabbed to death by his stepbrother, Sher Bahadur Shah. His son Girvan Yuddha Bikram Shah Deva completed the project 20 years after the deadline. The land was later transferred to Rana Bahadur Shah by Kashi Naresh in the year 1843. The temple, adjacent area, Lalita Ghat and a dharamshala, belongs to the Nepal government.[1][2][3][4][5]

Construction

The mandir is made of terracotta, stone and wood and took three decades to complete. The wood is termite proof. It is constructed in Nepali style of architecture and is surrounded by tamarind and ficus religiosa (peepal) trees. The temple has Pagoda style architecture, maily carved out of wood. It has sculptures similar to ones displayed in Khajuraho Group of Monuments and hence it is also called "Mini Khajuraho".[1][2][3][4][5]

Location

Nepali Mandir is located on Lalita ghat in Varanasi. It is 3.8 kilometers South-East of Varanasi Junction railway station and 100 meters South-West of Manikarnika Ghat.[6]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Nepali Mandir". ixigo.com. Retrieved Aug 2015. Check date values in: |access-date= (help)
  2. 1 2 3 "A piece of Nepal in Varanasi". The Times of India. Retrieved Aug 2015. Check date values in: |access-date= (help)
  3. 1 2 3 "This ghat of Goddess Lalita". The Times of India. Retrieved Aug 2015. Check date values in: |access-date= (help)
  4. 1 2 3 "Kathwala Temple". TripAdvisor. Retrieved Aug 2015. Check date values in: |access-date= (help)
  5. 1 2 3 "Information". buzzntravel. Retrieved Aug 2015. Check date values in: |access-date= (help)
  6. ↑ "Location". Google Maps. Retrieved Aug 2015. Check date values in: |access-date= (help)
 Varanasi Railway Station Sri Agrasen Kanya P.G. College Manikarnika Ghat
Godowlia Ganges
   'Nepali Mandir'  
Dashashwamedh Ghat Ganges Ganges
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