Changu Narayan Temple

On another hilltop 11.5 km east of Kathmandu, the Valley's oldest temple, Changu Narayan, stands in almost derelict  splendor, its struts and surroundings covered with hundreds of finely detailed, delicatedly carved erotic depictions. It's script is the first written script found in Nepal. It is one of the best examples of the temples dedicated to Lord Vishnu. Founded around the 4th century, it represents the very best in Nepali art and architecture and it is difficult to imagine a more stunning example of what Kathmandu Valley is all about. Woodwork, metalwork and stonework combine in dazzling harmony nowhere to more effect than in the sculptures of Bhupatindra Malla, the 17the century Malla king. The most popular route to the temple is from the Sankhu road across the Manohara River.After a walk uphill, you come to a pair of stone elephants. A few small temples flank the two-tiered main shrine, and a twin-roofed pagoda. On the right, a temple houses two sculptures. Vishnu, in the form of Avatar Narsingh, a lion-headed figure, is depicted destroying the king of demons. The other statue is of Vishnu Vikrantha, a dwarf with six arms.

Further back on a terrace, an upright, flat black stone bears an image, created between the 5th and 6th centuries, of Narayan reclining on Ananta at the bottom and Vishnuy with 10 heads and 10 arms going through the different layers of the universe. It is surrounded by later sculptures from the 9the century. A man-sized image of Garuda, with a coiled snake around his neck, graces the front of the main temple and also dates back to the 5th or 6th century. One of the oldest and most prominent Lichhavi inscriptions, which stand beside it, records the military feasts of King Mana Deva, who ruled for 27 years from 464 to 491 AD. Though fire and earthquake have often damaged Changu Narayan and its environs, this link with its ancient past remains. Life's rhythms there in the cobble stone square remain unchanged with pilgrims' platforms and lodges surrounding it and the central temple. Besides the spectacular views from the top, the area around Changu Narayan offers many good opportunities to walk and explore. Along the ridge to the east, a two hours walk takes you to the road to Nagarkot.