Budhanilkantha Temple

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Budhanilkantha Temple, located in Budhanilkantha, Nepal, is a Hindu open air temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu. Budhanilkantha Temple is situated below the Shivapuri Hill at the northern end of the Kathmandu valley. and can be identified by a large reclining statue of Lord Vishnu. The temple's main statue of Budhanilkantha is considered the largest stone carving in Nepal. Budhanilkantha temple, also known as the Narayanthan Temple, is situated in Kathmandu. Though the temple is named Budhanilkantha, its name does not come from the Buddha; Budhanilkantha stands instead for “Old Blue Throat”. The statue symbolizes Lord Vishnu, who is regarded as one of the 'Trimurtis', along with Brahma and Shiva. According to one story, a farmer and his wife once struck a figure while plowing the field, which caused it to start soaking blood into the ground. This turned out to be the figure of the lost deity of Budhanilkantha, which was recovered and placed in its present position. The Budhanilkantha Temple has become the site where Haribondhini Ekadashi Mela takes place on the 11th day of the Hindu month of Kartika (October–November). Attended by thousands of pilgrims, it is the temple's principal festival in celebration of the awakening of Lord Vishnu from his long sleep. A legend states that King Pratap Malla (1641–1674) had a prophetic vision. This vision resulted in him believing that the kings of Nepal would die if they visited the Budhanilkantha Temple. Nepali monarchs after King Pratap Malla have never visited the Temple in fear of the prophecy.