Kathmandu Valley, Bhaktapur, Nepal: The Changu Narayan Temple Adithyan The temple is located on the top of a hill 12 kilometers east of Kathmandu, the capital and largest city in Nepal, and is surrounded by champak trees. The Changu Narayan temple is considered by most to be the oldest temple in Nepal’s history. The exact time when the temple was created is unknown, but it is said to have been created during the time of the Licchavi kingdom (400 – 750CE). The temple pays homage to the deity Vishnu and is considered the most important temple in the valley. This temple is one of four major temples in Nepal’s surrounding area dedicated to the Hindu deity Vishnu. Changu Narayan is the earliest and most famous temple dedicated to Vishnu, but many other temples dedicated to various other deities can be found throughout Nepal. Vishnu first appears in the Rig Veda as a solar deity with a part of him representing the Sun. Vishnu has a wide variety of depictions across the various Hindu denominations. In early Vedic religion Vishnu was a minor god, but as the religion progressed he grew in strength and popularity until he was recognized as one of the most powerful gods in Hinduism. The temple’s origin story stems from an ancient legend concerning the deity Vishnu. A Gwala, or cow herder, had purchased a cow from a brahmin that was renowned for producing large quantities of milk. The Gwala often took this cow to a forest of Champak trees to graze on the grass, however the cow would always go into the shade of its favourite tree where a boy would drink the cow’s milk. A TO Z INDIA ● MAY 2023 ● PAGE 27