Budhanilkantha Temple

Budhanilkantha, on the northern edge of the Kathmandu Valley below Shivapuri, shelters a monumental fifth-century image of Vishnu (Narayan) reclining on the coils of the cosmic serpent Shesha in a pool of water. The 5-metre figure, carved from a single basalt boulder, is the largest and finest Vishnu sculpture in Nepal and a major pilgrimage focus, especially during Haribodhini Ekadashi.

The statue is generally dated to the Lichhavi period (around the 7th–8th century) and is thought to have been carved elsewhere and transported to the valley. Its name 'Nilkantha' (blue-throated) links it to the myth of Shiva drinking poison at the churning of the ocean, though the image itself is of Vishnu — a reflection of the valley's blended Hindu traditions.

By tradition the reigning King of Nepal would not visit Budhanilkantha, owing to a belief that the monarch — regarded as an incarnation of Vishnu — would die on seeing the image. The site remains one of the most visited Vishnu shrines in the country.

The deity lies in a sunken tank roughly 13 m long, hands holding Vishnu's attributes — chakra, conch, lotus and mace. The surrounding precinct has subsidiary shrines and rest-houses; the open-air setting, rather than an enclosing temple, is itself unusual.

Current condition: Active pilgrimage site, well maintained

The monolithic image is protected as a major antiquity; the precinct is maintained by a local temple committee under the Department of Archaeology.