The Bindhyabasini Temple ( Nepali: बिन्ध्यबासिनी मन्दिर) is the oldest

temple A temple (from the Latin ) is a place of worship, a building used for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. By convention, the specially built places of worship of some religions are commonly called "temples" in Engli ...

in the city of

Pokhara Pokhara ( ) is a metropolis, metropolitan city located in central Nepal, which serves as the capital of Gandaki Province. Named the country's "capital of tourism" it is the List of cities in Nepal, second largest city after Kathmandu, with 599,5 ...

Nepal Nepal, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is mainly situated in the Himalayas, but also includes parts of the Indo-Gangetic Plain. It borders the Tibet Autonomous Region of China Ch ...

. It's located in Ward No. 2, Miruwa. It regularly attracts a large number of locals, Nepalese from across the country, and foreigners alike. The main temple is devoted to the goddess Bindhyabasini, a Bhagawati (भगवती) who is the incarnation of

Kali Kali (; , ), also called Kalika, is a major goddess in Hinduism, primarily associated with time, death and destruction. Kali is also connected with transcendental knowledge and is the first of the ten Mahavidyas, a group of goddesses who p ...

. There are also temples for other gods and goddesses, such as

Saraswati Saraswati (, ), also spelled as Sarasvati, is one of the principal Devi, goddesses in Hinduism, revered as the goddess of knowledge, education, learning, arts, speech, poetry, music, purification, language and culture. Together with the godde ...

Shiva Shiva (; , ), also known as Mahadeva (; , , Help:IPA/Sanskrit, ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐh and Hara, is one of the Hindu deities, principal deities of Hinduism. He is the God in Hinduism, Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions w ...

Hanuman Hanuman (; , ), also known as Maruti, Bajrangabali, and Anjaneya, is a deity in Hinduism, revered as a divine ''vanara'', and a devoted companion of the deity Rama. Central to the ''Ramayana'', Hanuman is celebrated for his unwavering devotio ...

, and

Ganesha Ganesha or Ganesh (, , ), also known as Ganapati, Vinayaka and Pillaiyar, is one of the best-known and most worshipped Deva (Hinduism), deities in the Hindu deities, Hindu pantheon and is the Supreme God in the Ganapatya sect. His depictions ...

on the premises. The temple is situated at the top of a small hill and can be accessed via stone staircases on the East, North and South-East. The Statue of Lord

covered in

Sindoor Sindoor (, ) or sindura (,) is a traditional vermilion red or orange-red or maroon Cosmetics, cosmetic powder (substance), powder from South Asia, usually worn by marriage, married women along the part of their hairline. In Hindu communities, ...

next to statue of Lord

welcomes the devotees near the entrance.

History

The temple was established circa the 1760s. King Girvan Yuddha Bikram Shah, the then king of Nepal appointed Kahindra Padhya Poudel in June 1815 AD as temple priest replacing Harivamsha Padhya. It's stated that the priest could use the Guthi Lands endowed for the temple to perform regular and ceremonial puja. The temple was built in 1842 B.S. in 47 ropanis of land. The legend of the Bindhyabasini temple begins when the king of Kaski, Siddhi Narayan Malla, or the king of Parbat, Khadgaman Malla dreamt about establishing a temple for the goddess. So, he ordered some of his men to bring back a statue of the goddess from the present

Uttar Pradesh Uttar Pradesh ( ; UP) is a States and union territories of India, state in North India, northern India. With over 241 million inhabitants, it is the List of states and union territories of India by population, most populated state in In ...

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

. During their journey, the men set up camps at the current temple location. However, the next morning they could not move on their journey because the deity could not be lifted from the camps. So, eventually, the temple was established in Mohariya Tole of Pokhara. Since then this place has been a hub for worshippers. The meaning “Bindhya” means the incarnation of a goddess and “Basini” means the dweller of a place.

Legend on the establishment of the temple

The king of Kaski, Siddhi Narayan Shah, or the king of Parbat Khadgaman Malla had a dream about establishing a temple for the goddess Bindhyabasini. He had his men go to Bindhyachal Parbat (currently in Uttar Pradesh, India) to bring back a statue of the goddess. The men when returning set up camp for a night at the current location of the temple. When they woke up the next morning to resume their journey, they found they couldn't lift the statue from the ground. When informed of the situation, the king directed his people to establish the temple, hence the beginning of the Bindhyabasini Temple. Most of

city was destroyed in the fire of 1949 and the fire was allegedly started in Bindhyabasini temple while performing an offering which later spread out of control.

Common belief about Goddess Bindhyabasini

Goddess Bindhyabasini is commonly believed by the residents of Miruwa to be the replacement for the eighth child (Lord

Krishna Krishna (; Sanskrit language, Sanskrit: कृष्ण, ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the eighth avatar of Vishnu and also as the Supreme God (Hinduism), Supreme God in his own right. He is the god of protection, c ...

) of

Devaki Devaki (Sanskrit: देवकी, International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration, IAST: ''Devakī'') is a character in Hindu texts, Hindu literature, most noted for being the mother of the god Krishna. She is one of the seven daughters of ...

and

Vasudeva Vasudeva (; Sanskrit: वसुदेव ), also called Anakadundubhi (''anakas'' and ''dundubhis'' both refer to ''drums'', after the musicians who played these instruments at the time of his birth), is the father of the Hindu deities Krishna ( ...

. When Kansa tries to kill the child, who's been exchanged, she, who's herself a

Devi ''Devī'' (; ) is the Sanskrit word for 'goddess'; the masculine form is Deva (Hinduism), ''deva''. ''Devi'' and ''deva'' mean 'heavenly, divine, anything of excellence', and are also gender-specific terms for a deity in Hinduism. The concept ...

disappears and is goddess Bindhyabasini.

Architecture

There's no information about the style of the original temple (and it is assumed to have been rebuilt at some point) but the current temple is in

Shikhara ''Shikhara'' (IAST: '), a Sanskrit word translating literally to "mountain peak", refers to the rising tower in the Hindu temple architecture of North India, and also often used in Jain temples. A ''shikhara'' over the ''garbhagriha'' chamber ...

style.

style of temple architecture is considered older than the much prevalent

Pagoda A pagoda is a tiered tower with multiple eaves common to Thailand, Cambodia, Nepal, India, China, Japan, Korea, Myanmar, Vietnam, and other parts of Asia. Most pagodas were built to have a religious function, most often Buddhist, but some ...

architecture. Two golden metal lions stand erect beside the temple gate and metal gong bells eerie in the background frequently. The Bindhyabasini temple in a glance is a simple yet striking monument. The local “Dharmik Chhetra Bikas Samiti” regulates the temple.

Buildings in the premises

* Saraswati Mandir (सरस्वती मन्दिर) * Hanuman Mandir (हनुमान मन्दिर) * Shiva Mandir (शिव मन्दिर) * Bindhyabasini Sanskrit Vidyalaya (बिन्ध्यबासिनी मन्दिर) * Vishnu Mandir (विष्णु मन्दिर) * Ganesh Mandir (गणेश मदिर) * Jogi Paati (जोगी पाटी) * Book Stores (किताब पसल) * Photoshoot Area (फोटो शूट पसल)

Temple Area Management

The temple is currently managed b
Bindhyabasini Dharmik Chettra Bikash Samiti
which has carried out several improvements and upgraded the area. Examples include the establishment of Gurukul Bhawan (गुरुकुल भवन), upgrades to various smaller temples in the area, upgrade of Bindhyabasini park below the temple area, etc.

Accessibility

A lift with a capacity of 12 people was installed in the temple premises, and inaugurated by the

President of Nepal The president of Nepal (ISO: ) is the head of state of the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal. The president is the nominal head of the executive,the first citizen of the country, and the supreme commander of the Nepalese Armed Forces. Ra ...

on March 7, 2019. The lift is primarily used by disabled pilgrims and seniors. A Senior Citizens Friendship Center was established in January 2016. The facility allows for a meeting point for senior citizens, provides food every day to those who attend, and arranges for talks on a variety of subjects.

In the news

* The royal couple of former King Gyanendar and Queen Komal did puja at the temple on March 27, 2004. * Indian Army Chief comes visiting, locals know he speaks fluent Nepali on February 13, 2018. * Navadurga Festival was organized by Bindhyabasini Dharmik Chhettra Bikash Samiti on September 21, 2017.

References

{{Hindu temples in Nepal Temples in Pokhara