The splendid temple of Changu Narayan is on the UNESCO World Heritage List and is one of the oldest temples in the Kathmandu Valley. Its inscriptions date from the fifth century, and some of its sculptures are just as old.
A fire damaged the site in 1702 and it was partly rebuilt, but it keeps its original character. On a ridge above Bhaktapur, it overlooks the small traditional village of Changu. Like Budhanilkantha, it is dedicated to Narayan, a form of Vishnu.
The double-roofed temple is exceptionally beautiful, with carved struts and doors, and guarded by stone lions, the serpent king, the bird-man Garuda, the man-lion Narasimha, and Vikranta-Vamana, the dwarf who grew into a giant and crossed the universe in three strides.
Walks we suggest
From Sankhu or Telkot on foot
Instead of driving, we can reach the temple on foot from the village of Sankhu or from Telkot, halfway between Bhaktapur and Nagarkot. Each walk takes about two hours through countryside and traditional villages, and our vehicle picks us up at the end. Both routes also work in the other direction.
