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Nepal - Gokarneshwor (Gokarna) - Gokarneshwor Mahadev Temple - 19

Gokarna is a village development committee in Kathmandu District in the Bagmati Zone of central Nepal. At the time of the 2011 Nepal census it had a population of 7,508 with 1,768 households.

 

In the village on the banks of the Bagmati River stands the Gokarna Mahadev temple. It is one of the oldest temple in Nepal contemporary to the Changu Narayan Temple. This temple is of great historical, cultural and archeological importance. It is built in the Newari pagoda style with three tiers and is dedicated to Shiva in the form of Mahadev, the Great God.

 

Worth the mention and the main reason to go to this temple is the wealth of sculptures of the many different Hindu deities. These fine stone carvings are definitely worth a closer look. Some of them are dated back to the Licchavi Dynasty (C 450–750).

 

We can explore:

Aditya - the sun god

Brahma and Chandra - the moon god

Indra - the elephant-borne god of war and weather

Ganga - with a pot on her head from which pours the Ganges

Vishnu - as Narsingha

Shiva - as Kamadeva, the god of love - and many other forms

Gauri Shankar - with elements of Shiva and Parvati

Brahma - with four heads

 

In late August or early September people go to this temple to bath and make offerings in honor of their fathers, living or dead, on a day called Gokarna Aunsi.

 

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Uploaded on October 13, 2015
Taken on March 25, 2015