BUDHANILKANTHA

     Some 6 miles north of Kathmandu lies Budhanilkantha , a place of pilgrimage. Here one sees the huge image of Lord Narayan-asleep on the waters of a holy pond upon a bed of snakes. This is one of the most ancient images of Nepal. Historians trace its existence even in the reign of King Hari Dutta of 6th century.

     This image of Nilkanth meaning "the Blue Thorated one", one of the names of Lord Vishnu, the creator of the Universe, was carved during the Lichchavi period. It has got four hands with Sankha (the conch-shell), Chakra (wheel weapon), Gada (the club with a ball at its one end) and Padma (thelotus). On the crown of the image there is an image of Buddha.

     Located on the lap of the Shivapuri hill, this huge image of Budhanilkanth is one of the oldest images in Nepal. When the Valley of  Kathmandu was opened for human settlement King Dharmaketu had set up an image of Budhanilkantha.

     Later on, during King Dharmagati's reign, this image of Lord Vishnu was found lying buried as a result of landslides of the Shivapuri hill. King Vishnu Gupta (575 A.D) had this holy place on the lap of the Shivapuri hill excavated. When this excavation work was on , scartches were made unknowingly in the images of Vishnu while digging. And the nose and the toe of the image started to bleed.

     The same story repeated during King Hari Dutta's time also. When excavation was on, the fleet of the image of Vishnu started bleeding. The image was then surrounded by a holy pond and this bleeding stopped.

     Historically this wonderful scuppture dates back to the 6th century.