Bindhyabasini Temple, Pokhara,
Nepal
Bindhyabasini
Temple is a Hindu Temple dedicated to Goddess Durga, located in Pokhara City in
Nepal. The Temple is considered as one of the oldest temples in the Pokhara
valley. The Temple is situated at a small hillock at a height of about 3000 feet
above the mean sea level in between the main old market and Bagar. Legend
relates this temple to the famous temple of Bindhyabasini in Vindyachal
in Uttar Pradesh, India.
Legends
As per
legend, King Khadag Bum Malla had a dream in which the Goddess Durga appeared
and ordered him to build a Temple for her. As instructed, he built the temple
for Goddess in Pokhara.
History
It is
believed that King Siddhi Narayan Shah of Kaski brought the deity to
Pokhara before Nepal’s unification and built the Temple
in 17th Century CE.
The Temple
The
Temple is situated at a small hillock at a height of about 3000 feet above the
mean sea level. Devotees have a flight of stairs to climb from the road till
the temple. The temple is built in pagoda style and is white colored. The gate
of the temple is golden in color. The Sanctum houses Saligrama idol of Durga.
The Goddess Durga is the guardian deity of Pokhara and protects the city from
harm. There is a big tree in the temple premises. Devotees can have a
breathtaking views of Annapurna range and Dhaulagiri Mountain from the temple.
Festivals
The
Hindu festival of Dashain sees large numbers of devotees coming to offer
sacrifices at Bindhyabasini Temple. Animal sacrifices are offered at the temple
on Saturdays and Tuesdays. The temple is a popular hub for marriage ceremony
and Bratabandha as well.
Connectivity
The
Temple is located at about 750 meters from Pokhara Bus Stand, 6 Kms from Pokhara
Airport and 205 Kms from Kathmandu. The Temple lies on the Pokhara Baglung
highway. Pokhara is well connected to rest of the country through permanent
road and air links. The main mode of transportation are public buses and
the Pokhara Bus Stand is the main hub for buses plying country wide. The
all-season Pokhara Airport with regular flights
to Kathmandu, Mustang are
operated by various domestic and a few international airlines. Flight
duration from Kathmandu to Pokhara is approximately 30 minutes.
Location
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