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Monuments of Kathmandu valley
Changu Narayan
Perched at the end of a ridge north of Bhaktapur, the temple complex of Changu Narayan is the oldest continuously worshipped sanctuary in the valley second only to Pasupatinath.
The original foundation of the temple dates back to the V C, since then it as been rebuilt several times, and, as we see it today, it dates from the beginning of eighteenth century.
Listed as UNESCO world heritage site, Changu Narayan compound preserves some of the best stone sculptures of Lichhavi period of the valley.
The temple is dedicated to Narayan, Vishnu in his aspect of the preserver of the universe ‘the whole where all beings merge’, residing in the Vaikuntha heaven flying on his mount Garuda (‘Vaikunthanatha’). Changu Narayan is one of the four Vishnu temple built to ‘protect’ the Kathmandu valley at the four cardinal points: Changu Narayan to the East, Ichangu Narayan to the West, Sesh Narayan to the South and Buddhanilakantha to the North of the valley.
We reached the complex by the eastern entrance following the path to the monument lined with houses forming a small hamlet now occupied by a local museum and some workshops. A porch in the middle of the East enclosure wall gives the access to the compound, inside a pati, we noticed the sculptures of the entrance keepers of the temple.

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Changu Narayan


The court is closed on four sides by single-storey buildings of brick and wood of the same style, including houses and pilgrim’s rest houses (sattalas) with open porches.
The main temple of Changu Narayan is of basic Newari design with a two levels roof surmounted by a gilded pinnacle. The four entrances are guarded by life size stone statues of animals: lions on the West, winged lions on the North, griffins on the East and elephants on the South. Each facade is equally impressive with a triple doorway and large brilliantly gilded torana and various wooden sculptures embedded in the brick walls.
The main front doorway (West) is fully covered by gilded copper, distinguished also by the dhvaja, and the usual pillars with on top the conch (sankha) and chakra.
The wooden carved images of the doorways are taken from the basic iconographic themes of the majority of royal temples found in the valley: the ten Vishnu avatars, the eight gate keepers (astadikpâla) and astral deities. Other forms of Vishnu are also represented, from the composite ones (Harihara) to the more complex cosmic forms (Vaikuntha, Vishwarup). The beautiful wooden struts of both roof levels dominate the overall iconographic scheme by forming two continuous belts around the building; they are really exceptional with all the multi-armed multi-headed ten avatars and other forms of Vishnu. At the base of each strut there is a composition of minor gods or sexually allegorical scenes. The cornices on which all the struts are based are of beauty in themselves with bright coloured animal heads.

Changu Narayan

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Before the West façade there is the famous statue of kneeled Garuda (VI C) that at one time crowned a pillar that bore at its base the oldest stone inscription (V C.) of the entire Kathmandu valley. Inside a metal cage the small bronze statues of King Bupathindra Malla of Kantipur and his queen.
In the courtyard there are various other temples built in different times and quality, and numerous stone sculptures scattered around. Staring from the West entrance, the actual main entrance of the courtyard, and going counter clockwise we find:

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Changu Narayan


West - a small Bhairava shrine.
N-W corner - Krishna shrine with, on its sides, the stone sculpture of Sridhar Vishnu (IX C) holding his emblems and standing between Laxmi and Garuda; the famous Chanda Narayan (Garuda Narayan) in the Garudasanamurti (Vishnu riding Garuda) a full round sculpture of Lichhavi period (VII C),
N-E corner - on top of a platform (probably of an old temple) a stone sculpture of Vaikuntha Vishnu (XVI C)
South - a platform with on top a stele with on one side (W) the damaged stone bas-reliefs of Vishwarup (embodiment of the universe) (VII C), Vishnu is portrayed with thousand heads and arms, in the lower part Vishnu is shown lying on the Ananta snake; on the other side (E) a stele of Vaikuntha Vishnu in the form known as the Vaikunthanatha, Vishnu is portrayed with five heads and eight arms with Lakshmi seated on his left knee and mounting Garuda.
S-W corner - in front of the Laxmi Narayan shrine (Northern side) the bas-relief of Vishnu Narasimha (Lichhavi VII C) and Vishnu Vikrant (the puranic Trivikram – of the 'three strides'). The small two tiered Shivaite temple, indicated in the leaflet handed with the entrance ticket as Kileshwor Mahadev but called also Pashupatinath temple in some guide books. Characteristics are the erotic motifs at the base of the roof struts.




  Related Pages
- Architecture of Kathmandu Valley
- World Heritage Sites In Nepal

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