The Budhanilkantha temple mystery sounded intriguing and made us take out time to visit the temple that is home to a 1400 years old statue of Lord Vishnu. Have you heard of the Budhanilkantha temple in Kathmandu, Nepal? It is a unique temple to Vishnu, a one of its kind, something unlike what we had seen earlier.

Having seen some of the great Vishnu temples in India including the likes of Tirupati, Srirangam, Padmanabhaswamy temple in Thiruvananthapuram, Jagannath Temple in Puri, we found that the Buddha Neelakanta temple was unlike any that we had seen. Read on to know more about the temple in Kathmandu, Nepal that is also known as the sleeping Vishnu temple or Narayanthan Temple. See the Budhanilkantha temple mystery and the myths and legends unfold in the following paragraphs.

Budhanilkantha Temple Mystery | 10 Interesting Facts of Buddha Neelakanta

The Budhanilkanta temple is tucked away near the foothills of the Shivpuri Hills on the outskirts of Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal. Nepal is a treasure house that is brimming with the treasures of heritage, nature, and culture. From the natural beauty of Chitwan National Park to the spiritual mysticism of Pashupathinath and the serenity of Lumbini, it is a complete treat for the senses. Amidst these and other famous landmarks of Nepal, within the Kathmandu valley itself lies the lesser-known gem, the Budhanilkantha temple, or the temple of the sleeping Narayan.

Budhanilkantha Temple Mystery

The unique Sleeping Vishnu statue of the Budhanilkantha Temple has many myths and legends associated with its origin, which add to the Budhanilkantha temple mystery. The temple is located in by the side of a nondescript road on the outskirts of Kathmandu. As you enter the main gate to enter the temple complex, there is nothing extraordinary that arrests your attention, you see a few people scurrying in and out, a child runs after the pigeons that have descended inside the temple courtyard.

You expect to see a Gopuram or Shikhara of the sanctum sanctorum, but there is nothing of that kind except a few old looking heritage buildings with typical Nepalese architectural design elements. However, in the centre of the temple complex is a rectangular pool enclosed by railings on all sides.

In the centre of the pool covered with a cloth canopy lies a magnificent statue of Lord Vishnu in a supine form, lying on Adishesha. One can walk down some steps and approach the idol of Vishnu to pay obeisance.

History, Legends, And Myths of Budhanilkantha Temple | Narayanathan Temple

There is a very interesting story about how the Statue of Vishnu was discovered. Legend has it that a farmer and his wife were ploughing their land when the plough struck something hard. It turned out that what the plough had hit was the idol of Vishnu. Miraculously the field started to turn red from the blood flowing from the idol. The idol was then placed in its current position.

Another legend has it that the Vishnu statue was sculpted elsewhere and then transferred to Kathmandu sometime in the 7th century during the reign of one of the last emperors of the Gupta dynasty, Vishnu Gupta.

10 Amazing Facts of Budhanilkantha Temple | Budhanilkantha Temple Mystery

1. The name Budhanilkantha gives the impression of the temple being dedicated to Buddha, however, the Budhanilkantha in Nepal is a temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu.
2. One of the special features of Budhanilkantha reclining Vishnu Statue is that it is believed to be floating on water, though this has not been proven as scientific studies cannot be undertaken because of religious reasons. However, a chip of the statue which had come off was found to be very rich in silica.
3. The Budhanilkantha literally means, “Old Blue Throat”, the “Blue Throat”, refers to Lord Shiva, however, the idol is of Lord Vishnu.
4. The features of Lord Vishnu in the Buddha Neelakanta temple resemble those of the Buddha.
5. Lord Vishnu in sleeping position temple or the Budhanilkantha temple is believed to have the largest stone-carved sculpture in Nepal.
6. The Narayanthan Temple or the Budhanilkanta temple is a sacred place and visited by both Hindu and Buddhist pilgrims.
7. The Buddha Neelakanta statue measures 5 meters and can be seen in a supine or reclining position in the centre of a pool measuring about 13 meters long.
8. The reclining statue of Vishnu in the Budhanilkantha temple is believed to be having a mirror image below the surface of the water too, however, this is not confirmed.
9. It is believed that once during the 17th century, Pratap Malla who was the ninth king of Kantipur had a vision according to which any king of Nepal visiting the Budhanilkantha temple would die. It is believed that owing to this vision no king of Nepal has ever visited the Budhanilkantha temple ever since.
10. The sleeping image of Vishnu is beautifully sculpted from a single block of black basalt rock. It has four hands which hold the Shankha, Chakra, Gadha, and a gem, in typical Hindu iconography.

Budhanilkantha Temple Video

Experience virtually the Budhanilkantha temple mystery through this short video.

How To Reach Budhanilkantha Temple | Budhanilkantha Temple Mystery

• The Budhanilkantha Temple is located in Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal
• Address: Golfutar Main Rd, Budhanilkantha 44600, Nepal
• One can reach the Budhanilkanthan temple by taxi or public bus from central Kathmandu
• Kathmandu is serviced by the Tribhuvan International Airport
• The Budhanilkantha Temple is about 12 kilometres from Tribhuvan International Airport
• The Budhanilkantha Temple is about 9 kilometres from Thamel

If you are piqued by the Budhanilkantha Temple mystery and thinking of visiting Kathmandu in the near future, you can get great offers on booking your air tickets right here. you can book a cheap flight to Kathmandu through TripAdvisor or Agoda or CheapAir or Cleartrip or Makemytrip or Priceline right here.

Where To Stay In Kathmandu

Kathmandu is an international destination and has a varied range of accommodation options to suit every budget and preference. These include backpacking hostels, budget hotels, and luxury hotels and resorts. During our Kathmandu sojourn, we stayed in two nice properties Hotel Tibet and Hotel Tibet International.

You can book theses hotels or any other hotel in Kathmandu or anywhere in Nepal very conveniently right here through TripAdvisor or Cleartrip or Agoda or Makemytrip or Priceline and save a lot by getting the best savings on booking your stay.

List of Places To Visit In Kathmandu

Kathmandu is a museum of living history with many attractions in and around the Kathmandu Valley. Here is a list of the places to visit when in Kathmandu.

• Pashupatinath Temple
• Boudhanath
• Swayambhunath
• Budhanilkantha Temple
• Changu Narayan Temple
• Durbar Square
• Narayanhiti Palace
• Garden Of Dreams
• Thamel
• Patan Durbar Square
• Bhaktapur

Book your Kathmandu tours and activities here. A 6 hour Kathmandu valley tour can also be booked online. Here are some more options for tours in and around Kathmandu.

You can plan your Kathmandu/Nepal itinerary and book your  Kathmandu trips, right here.  So go ahead and book online places to see in Kathmandu and popular activities in Kathmandu and cover attractions in Kathmandu.

Budhanilkantha Temple Mystery – FAQ

Which are the other religious places for pilgrimage in Kathmandu?

There are many religious places for pilgrimage for Hindus and Buddhists in Kathmandu. They are the Pashupatinath temple, Changu Narayan temple, Swayambhunath, and Boudhanath.

What is the Kathmandu To Budhanilkantha distance?

Budhanilkantha Temple Location is on the outskirts Kathmandu at a distance of about 9 kilometres from Thamel.

What is the address of Budhanilkantha temple, Budhanilkantha Monastery, Budhanilkantha Stupa?

It is Golfutar Main Rd, Budhanilkantha 44600, Nepal.

What are the Budhanilkantha Temple Timings?

Generally, the timings are 5 AM to 6 PM.

We hope you liked reading about the fascinating floating statue of Budhanilkantha and also the Budhanilkantha temple mystery. Do let us know if you have any questions or feedback about our Budhanilkantha blog, we would be happy to hear from you. For more stories about such amazing places do subscribe to our blog and our social media handles.

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