Budhanilkantha

Situated at the foot of the Shivpuri Hills in the northernmost part of the Kathmandu Valley, the Budhanilkantha Temple is one of the most loved Vishnu Temples of the valley. The major attraction of the temple is the statue of Lord Vishnu reclining on a bed of Nagas or serpents in the middle of a small pond. The intricate artwork that went into sculpting the magnificent statue of sleeping Vishnu is something to admire.

Known as the Sleeping Vishnu or Jalakshayan Narayan, the statue depicts the deity reclining on the twisting coils of the cosmic serpent Shesha. Vishnu’s legs are crossed and the eleven heads of Shesha cradle his head. Vishnu’s four hands can be seen holding objects that are symbols of his divine qualities: a chakra or disc (representing the mind), a conch-shell (the four elements), a lotus flower (the moving universe) and the club (primeval knowledge).

Origin of the statue
According to a popular myth, a farmer and his wife once came across a figure while plowing the field, which caused it to start soaking blood into the ground. This was the figure of lost deity of Budhanilkantha, which was recovered and placed in its present position.

As per another popular legend, the statue was sculpted and brought to its current location in Kathmandu during the reign of the seventh-century monarch Vishnu Gupta, who controlled the Kathmandu Valley under the Lichchhavi King Bhimarjuna Dev.

The Floating statue still fascinates many, and a number of subsequent requests for access to study its physical nature have been declined.

Festivals
The Budhanilkantha Temple is where the Haribondhini Ekadashi Mela takes place on the 11th day of the Hindu month of Kartika (October-November). Attended by pilgrims from around the world, it is the principal festival of the temple that celebrates the awakening of Lord Vishnu from his long sleep.

Legend of the Nepal Monarchy
A popular legend states that King Pratap Malla had a prophetic vision, which resulted in his strong belief and fear that should the King of Nepal visit the Budhanilkantha temple, death would be imminent upon his departure. Nepali monarchs after King Pratap Malla have never visited the Temple in fear of the prophecy.