Til Mahadev Narayan Temple

Bhaktapur


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 untidy courtyard, but this is actually an important place of pilgrimage and one of the oldest temples in the city. An inscription states that the site has been in use since 1080 and that the image of Til Mahadev was installed here in 1170.

The double-tiered temple is fronted by an elegant kneeling Garuda statue on a pillar and two columns bearing the sacred sankha and chakra symbols of Vishnu. In case Shiva was feeling left out, a lingam symbol on a yoni base (the Shaivite symbol for the male and female genitals) stands behind a wooden grill in front and to one side of the temple. A plaque to the right of the door depicts the Buddhist deity Vajrayogini in a characteristic pose with her left leg high in the air.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Bhaktapur attractions

1. Bhairabnath Temple

0.03 MILES

The broad-fronted, triple-roofed Bhairabnath Temple is dedicated to Bhairab, the fearsome incarnation of Shiva, whose consort occupies the Nyatapola…

2. Nyatapola Temple

0.04 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…

3. Tadhunchen Bahal

0.08 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

0.09 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. Vatsala Durga Temple

0.1 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…

6. Stone Lions

0.1 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…

7. Chyasilin Mandap

0.1 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. Siddhi Lakshmi Temple

0.1 MILES

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

  • 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/til-mahadev-narayan-temple/a/poi-sig/449999/357114",
      "destination": "Bhaktapur",
      "continent": "Asia",
      "country": "Nepal",
      "city": "Bhaktapur",
      "position": "superzone"
    }