Krishna Temple
Mangal Bazaar, Patan 44700, Nepal
Description:
The Temple of Krishna is the most famous temple in Patana’s Royal Square. Its appearance reflects the influence of the Indian architectural style of the Mughals. The temple is decorated with stone carvings, bas-reliefs on the plots of the Hindu epics “Mahabharata” and “Ramayana”. The high skill of carvers is evidenced by the complex images of the gods on stones.
The octagonal temple was built by King Narsingh Malla in 1657. In front of the entrance to the temple, a bronze statue of Garuda is installed on a stone column. Inside the temple in its main room is a statue of Krishna, which gave it its name, as well as black stone statues of two goddesses, created in the likeness of the king and his two wives. Images of ten incarnations of Vishnu are visible on the floor. On the second floor of the temple are images of Shiva.
On Krishna’s birthday, the temple will become even more beautiful: it is decorated with oil lamps to make a festival for Hindus. Representatives of other religions are forbidden to enter the temple on this day, but the beauty of the temple can be seen from the courtyard.