Namaste!
Welcome to Budhanilkantha!
We will be your virtual guide and tell you stories of this amazing place.
Walking from the left side of the temple, you will come across a Shiva-Linga. Shiva is one of the three prime deities in hinduism. As per the Hindu Folktale, Lord Shiva’s throat turned blue after drinking Poison during Samundra Manthan. Interestingly, Shiva is said to have formed Gosaikunda Lake to quench thirst after drinking that poison, the water from the same lake flows to this temple of Budhanilkantha, which you will see as the tour progresses.
Then we cross the Saraswati idol. She is the Goddess of knowledge in Hindu Mythology. After this you will see a platform where bhajans and pujas are performed. People conduct saptaha, different traditions and also marry on this platform.
Now we move to the pagoda style temple of Ganesh, the elephant headed god. An interesting tale is that he was given boon to be worshipped first among God and Goddesses. So, It is culturally right if you worship him first before entering the main temple.
Now that you have visited Ganesh temple, let’s move on to the main attraction and the heart of Budhanilkantha; The Idol of sleeping Vishnu.
The majestic floating sculpture is the prime deity of this temple and lies in the very center. The name Budhanilkantha comes from two words- “Budha” which means elder and “nilkantha” which means blue throat. Therefore, Lord Vishnu of Budhanilkantha is believed to be the eldest Narayan. He is also known as Jalakshayan Narayan and Harihar, the unison form of Shiva and Vishnu. People also say that worshiping in Budhanilkantha is equivalent to visiting Kashi in India.
There are many folktales and stories about the origin of this Idol. The most famous one is that a long time ago this place used to be a cultivable land where farmers grew crops. One day a farmer was ploughing his field and he struck something inside the Earth. As soon as he hit the object, it started to bleed. When he dug it out, it happened to be this idol of Lord Vishnu.
Today it lies in a 3 feet deep pond. The top right hand of the idol holds a round wheel and scabbard whereas the lower hand holds a round mass like Padma. The top left hand holds a club and the lower left hand holds a conch. The head turned east, legs south and the body laid on eleven intertwined bed of snakes; this Snake is Sesh Nag, the King of Snakes in Hindu Mythology.
For the priest to worship the idol, they have to step on Sesh Nag, which is a sin. To avoid the sin, the worshipping rituals are performed by Bhramins of less than 16 years because young brahmins are excluded from the sin that comes with stepping on the Sesh Nag.
The best time to visit the temple is during the Aarati. ‘Aarati’ in Budhanilkantha is conducted everyday- 7: 30 in the morning and 5: 30 in the evening. The crown on the Budhanilkantha idol is removed every evening and installed every morning by the priest. Even Though the place is a bit more crowded than usual, the experience you get is worth it.
After worshiping Budhanilkantha, let’s move on to the beautiful building on the left side. The building is known as the Mahanta building where the head priest lives. On the other side of the Mahanta building, beside the north gate lies Laxmi temple. Laxmi is known as the goddess of wealth and she is known to bring wealth and prosperity in the household. Right next to Laxmi temple is RadhaKrishna temple. Krishna is considered as the eighth avatar of Lord Vishnu. Radha and Krishna are collectively known for their love towards each other. Therefore, Radhakrishna are worshipped to celebrate love and devotion.
This Temple area is a peaceful space amidst the busy city. So, some people come here to sit and clear their mind. You can try it too!
For more information about the temple visit our website: www.thesaarang.com
