Chandannath Temple

The Chandannath Temple rises above Khalanga bazaar, the district headquarters of Jumla at around 2,500 m in the Karnali highlands. Dedicated to the sage-deity Chandannath, it is the spiritual heart of the Sinja-Khalanga area, the cradle of the Khas language and of Nepal's prized red Marshi rice.

The temple is linked to the Khasa Malla kingdom that ruled the Karnali from its capital at nearby Sinja, and to the saint Chandannath credited with bringing rice cultivation to the high valley. It has been rebuilt over the centuries in the regional timber-and-stone idiom.

Chandannath, paired with the nearby Bhairavnath temple, is the focus of Jumla's ritual calendar and festivals; the wider Sinja valley is of national importance as the birthplace of the Nepali (Khas) language and Khasa Malla civilisation.

The temple is a tiered pagoda built of local stone and timber with carved wooden elements suited to the harsh high-mountain climate, standing in a paved precinct above the traditional houses of Khalanga.

Current condition: Active temple, centre of Jumla's religious life

Maintained by the local community; remoteness and climate are the principal maintenance challenges.