Standing at the western end of Durbar Sq, the four Char Dham temples were constructed to provide spiritual merit for pilgrims who were unable to make the journey to the Indian state of Uttaranchal to visit its famed Char Dham temples. After the 2015 earthquake, only three remained. The shikhara-style Kedarnath Temple, dedicated to Shiva, was shaken apart by the tremor, but was actively under reconstruction when we last visited.
Although damaged, the three remaining temples are still worth visiting. The two-roofed Gopi Nath Temple (also called Jagarnath) features different incarnations of Vishnu on the ceiling struts and a statue of Garuda on the pillar at the entrance.
The small Rameshwar Temple, topped by an ornate dome, is still standing on its four repaired but cracked pillars. The Badrinath Temple is sacred to Vishnu in his incarnation as Narayan.
