Chandeshwari

Chandeshwari Temple
A view of Chandeshwari Temple
Chandeshwari Temple Location in Nepal
Name
Proper name	Chandeshwari Temple चण्डेश्वरी मन्दिर
Geography
Coordinates	27°38′09″N 85°31′56″E / 27.63583°N 85.53222°E / 27.63583; 85.53222Coordinates: 27°38′09″N 85°31′56″E / 27.63583°N 85.53222°E / 27.63583; 85.53222
Country	Nepal
District	Kavrepalanchowk
Location	Banepa
Culture
Primary deity	Durga
Important festivals	Chandeshwori Jatra, Shivaratri, Teej, Balachaturdasi
Architecture
Architectural styles	Pagoda

Chandeshwari is the avatar taken by Hindu goddess Kumari of Hindu. The 'Nepal Mahatmya' of Skanda Purana mentions the story related to goddess Chandeshwari.^[1]

Chandeshwari temple

Along Arniko Highway 5 kilometers before Dhulikhel is the town of Banepa, Nepal. One of the attractions of Banepa is the temple of Chandeshwori, located approximately 1 kilometer northeast of the town along the Punya mata River next to Ghokechaur having a length of 0.21 kilometres.^[2]

It is believed to have been built in the 17th century. The temple features a mural of Chandeshwori slaying the demon Chanda. The temple also consists of the painting of lord bharava on one of its wall which is the biggest graffiti of the Nepal Mandala.

The Chandeshwori temple complex lies just outside Banepa in the east of the Kathmandu Valley. There is myth that the Chandeshwori temple is the place where the mother goddess (Sati / Parvati and in Banepa known as Chandeshwori) defeated the demon Chanda. The demon was a plague to the world since Shiva gave him a boon that made him unbeatable except by women. The desperate gods asked Brahma for advice and he sent them to the forest around Banepa where the mother gods lived in those days. In the mean time Narada went to Chanda and provoked him to come to Banepa to fight the gods. When Chanda arrived with a big army of demons, all the gods took the forms of different birds and flew. The mother goddess quickly disappeared in a tree but Chanda saw that and cut down the tree with his sword. Now the goddess appeared on a big lion and a terrible fight between her and Chanda started. But Chanda had no chance and was killed by the mother goddess. Out of the belly of Chanda who was a big devotee of Shiva a lingam grew. This lingam can be seen in the small temple just in front of the big temple in the Chandeshwori temple complex. It is said that down at the big rocks around the river you can still see the marks of the big fight between the goddess and the demon.

• 

  Temple entry gate

• 

  Chandeshwori temple premises

• 

  Wall painting of Bhairab at Chandeswori

• 

  Aerial view of the temple

• 

  Chandeshwori temple situated at Banepa

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Chandeshwori temple, Banepa.

• Chandeswari temple- Banepa