The Glorious Temple of Kasthamandap

Until the year of 2006, the official religion of the country was Hinduism. Nowadays Nepal has no official religion established. The majority of the population is Hindu, with approximately ten percent of Buddhists inhabiting the country. There is also a small percentage of Muslims, Yumaists, and Christians living there.

It is believed that Buddha was born in Lumbini, Nepal in 623 BC. Now it’s a valuable archeological site, where numerous excavations carried out by the archeologists. Meanwhile, Hinduism has its roots in Nepal; it is believed that three major Hindu Gods came to Nepal in the form of deers (Lord Brahma, Visnu and Shiva – the gods of creation according to the Nepalese theology).

Religion has formed the considerable part of the Nepalese people. For thousands of years, they have built huge temples dedicated to their deities. The Temple of Kasthamandap is one of the huge pagoda temples in Kathmandu, the capital city of Nepal. The statue of the 11^th-12^th century yogi Gorakhanath is standing high above the temple pagoda.

The temple dates back to the 16^th century and belongs to the pagoda architectural style. It is believed that the temple was built out of a single wood of a tree. The current city of Kathmandu took its name from the Temple of Kasthamandap, which is one of the oldest and largest temples in the Valley of Kathmandu. The temple is situated in the west of the Basantapur Durbar Square. The Kasthamandap has served as a shelter from rains and the sun for thousands of years.

As an important Hindu site, the temple is home to more than 30 Hindu gods. Religiously, one circle around the temple means worshiping all of those gods. Inside the temple, there are staircases and balconies (there are four open entrances). Regardless of its sacred and religious functions, the temple is far from being traditional. It’s more of a friendly and welcoming bungalow.

The idol of the yogi Gorakhanath is standing in the middle of the temple. It is believed that the central pole of the Kasthamandap has a healing power. Thousands of people suffering rheumatism rub the part of the body suffering the illness against that pole. The architectural history of the temple is not limited to being made out of a single tree timber. There are two other structures to the eastern part of the temple, which, according to the legend, were built with the same tree timber; the tree was so large that out of its leftover they built the aforementioned structures.  

Regardless of its old history, the temple is still an important structure for the locals who conduct numerous ceremonies during the year.