Bhairabnath Temple

Bhaktapur


The broad-fronted, triple-roofed Bhairabnath Temple is dedicated to Bhairab, the fearsome incarnation of Shiva, whose consort occupies the Nyatapola Temple across the square. Despite Bhairab’s fearsome powers and his massive temple, the deity is depicted here as a disembodied head just 15cm high! Casually stacked against the north wall of the temple are the enormous wheels and runners from the chariot used to haul the image of Bhairab around town during the Bisket Jatra festival in mid-April.

The first temple on this site was a modest structure built in the early 17th century, but King Bhupatindra Malla added an extra storey in 1717 and a third level was added when the temple was rebuilt after the 1934 earthquake. The final version of the temple has a similar rectangular plan to the Bhimsen Temple in Patan’s Durbar Sq.

A small hole in the temple's central door (below a row of carved boar snouts) is used to push offerings into the temple’s interior; prior to the 2015 earthquake, priests accessed the interior through the small Betal Temple, on the south side of the main pagoda, but this collapsed entirely, and restoration work is under way.

The temple’s facade is guarded by two brass lions holding the Nepali flag, the only national flag that is not rectangular or square. To the right of the door is an image of Bhairab painted on rattan, decorated with a gruesome garland of buffalo guts. Head here at dusk to hear traditional devotional music.

Next to the temple is a sunken hiti with a particularly fine spout in the form of a makara (mythical crocodile-like beast).


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Bhaktapur attractions

1. Nyatapola Temple

0.02 MILES

You should be able to see the sky-high rooftop of the Nyatapola Temple long before you reach Taumadhi Tole. With five storeys towering 30m above the…

2. Til Mahadev Narayan Temple

0.03 MILES

This interesting temple at Taumadhi Tole is hidden away behind the buildings at the south end of the square. The Til Mahadev Narayan Temple is set in an…

3. Tadhunchen Bahal

0.06 MILES

Walking east from Durbar Sq, you’ll pass the gateway to the restored Tadhunchen Bahal monastery, tucked between souvenir shops. This Buddhist temple is…

4. Pashupatinath Temple

0.08 MILES

Behind the Vatsala Durga Temple, the Pashupatinath Temple is dedicated to Shiva as Pashupati and is a replica of the main shrine at Pashupatinath…

5. Stone Lions

0.08 MILES

Depending on what theory you subscribe to, this pair of massive, curly haired stone lions are either guarding the Royal Palace or the site of a long lost…

6. Siddhi Lakshmi Temple

0.09 MILES

The attractive 17th-century stone Siddhi Lakshmi Temple stood by the southeastern corner of Bhaktapur palace until it collapsed in the 2015 earthquake…

7. Chyasilin Mandap

0.09 MILES

'Chyasilin' refers to the eight-cornered roof of this pavilion. It was rebuilt in 1990 using old photos and paintings and components from the original…

8. Vatsala Durga Temple

0.09 MILES

Beside King Bhupatindra Malla's column and directly in front of the Royal Palace, this stone temple was built by King Jagat Prakash Malla in either 1672…

  • placement: superzone
  • path: Destinations/POIs/superzone
  • possible size: [970, 250], [970, 90], [728, 90], [1, 1],
  • targeting:
    {
      "url": "nepal/around-the-kathmandu-valley/bhaktapur/attractions/bhairabnath-temple/a/poi-sig/449939/357114",
      "destination": "Bhaktapur",
      "continent": "Asia",
      "country": "Nepal",
      "city": "Bhaktapur",
      "position": "superzone"
    }