Shiva-Parvati Temple

There is the south facing two-storey temple of Shiva-Parvati. The temple is tiled and is located in the north part of the Gaddhi Baithak. In front of the entrance of the temple two stone lions stand as guards in the ground floor of this square shaped temple there are idols of Nava Durga. On the first floor, there are wood figures of Shiva & Parvati looking our from the open window, this is the special feature of this temple.

Rana Bahadur Shah., the grandson of Prithivi Narayan Shah, built the temple in late 18th Century. It is a one-stage Nepalese style building which has two levels. The first floor and the balcony level. The building is built in semi-domestic style, like the Kumari temple of the same square. It is located to the left of Shiva Mandir. There are five full-size doors at the entrance side, four of which are wood-screened & one of which is functional, but usually kept locked. Each of these has a large forward-slating, wooden Toran carved with numerous small deties. At the back, above the doorway level we see a wooden cornice with typical animal head beam ends as well as unusual double row of carved human figures, perhaps representing devotees. Vertical beams divide the long balcony into many sections, each holding a window. These windows are of great variety in design and are among the best in the square.

The large single window at the center of the balcony, with flamboyantly (in a fancy colorful manner) curved arched frames. Looking down quiet relaxed at worshipers & passerby. The figures are amazingly casual as they calmly stand at the opening and rest their elbows on the windows sill one of Shiva arms hanging over the ledge. The image in the window are unique in their homeliness & surely the most notable feature of the Shiva-Parvati shrine.