Budha Nilkantha

About 6 km north of Kathmandu, in the village of Narayanthan at the foot of the Shivapuri hills, stand the oldest temple in the Kathmandu Valley. *-Budha Nilkantha is dedicated to Vishnu in the form of Jalashayana Narayan, usually depicted asleep on a bed of snakes in the primeval ocean.

The name Budha Nilkantha represents something of an oddity. It means "Old Blue Neck" and actually refers to Shiva, who drank the poison of the ocean which turned his neck blue. To soothe the burning he threw himself into Lake Gosainkund, from whence, it is said, comes the water in Budha Nilkantha's tank. The shrine itself however is dedicated unambiguously to Vishnu.

The deity is about thousand years old. Lord Vishnu is about five meters long and lying in a thirteen meter long tank, as if floating with his legs crossed with his sleeping body resting on the coils of Ananta and his 11 hooded head. His four hands hold the four symbols of Vishnu, the Shankha as conch shell, Chakra as disc, Gadha as club and Padma as lotus flower. It is believe that the deity was carved in the seventh or eighth century during the Licchavi period. It is with the sacredness of this particular god that a deep seated belief was created by King Pratap Malla through a prophetic dream. It was his strong belief and fear that should the King of Nepal visit the Budhanilkantha temple, death would be threatening immediately to fall upon his departure. The two other images of the deity which were carved during the same time lie at two particular destinations, the Balaju Garden were public viewing can take place and the beautiful Hanuman Dhoka Durbar Square in Kathmandu. It is here at Budhanilkantha temple, however that public is not permitted.

The deity of Budha Nilkantha was last for a while and was later rediscovered by a farmer. It is believe that the farmer struck the buried deity with his plough and that blood come out from ground. It is common practice for the Hindus to walk down to Vishnu’s feet to touch them but it is forbidden for foreign visitors to do the same. It is one of the wonderful deity of Hindus but there is some improve of environment of place rest things are beautiful place once you visit never forget lifetime.