Changu Narayan temple tour

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Trip Overview
  • Duration 1 Days
  • DestinationNepal
  • Trip Start & EndKathmandu-Kathmandu
  • Trip TypeDay Tour
  • Major AttractionChangunarayan Temple

Far from the hustle and bustle, Changu Narayan Temple is one of the perfect destinations to be added to your Kathmandu Day Tour list. This temple is famous as the oldest Hindu temple in Nepal on a hilltop over the rice fields of Bhaktapur. It is located around 6km north of Bhaktapur, by the dense woods of Champak Trees and a small village named Changu. Depicting Nepal's historic and artistic achievements, Changu Narayan is a must-visit place in Bhaktapur. Further, it is on the UNESCO World Heritage Site List.

The double-roofed pagoda-style Changu Narayan Temple is devoted to Lord Bishnu's incarnation as Narayan. While visiting the temple, you will adore each of the craftwork of woods, stones, and metals that signifies the centuries-old art and architecture. Besides Lord Bishnu, there are various shrines of Lord Shiva, Ashta Matrika, Kileshwor, Chhinnamasta, and Krishna in the vicinity of Changu Narayan temple. Finally, you can witness the beautiful Himalayan panoramafrom Changu Hill in clear weather. 

Several restaurants, souvenir shops, and museums are near the Temple. The entrance fee to enter Changu Naryan Temple is around Rs 300 and Rs 250 for foreigners and SAARC Countries visitors.

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Cost Details

Includes

  • Changunarayan tour as per the above program, inclusive tour guide, car/van.
  • Highly experienced, helpful, and friendly Guide.
  • Ground transportation.
  • Nepal Government taxes.
  • Per person, one city map
  • Lunch during a tour

Excludes

  • Sightseeing entry fees.
  • Donation and Tips.
  • Mineral water and bar bills.

Dates & Price

Showing October Dates

Date Status 
Few Seats AvailableStart DateStart: FridayOctober 06, 2023End DateEnd: FridayOctober 06, 2023Status & PriceStatus: AvailableUS $60
Few Seats AvailableStart DateStart: SaturdayOctober 07, 2023End DateEnd: SaturdayOctober 07, 2023Status & PriceStatus: AvailableUS $60
Few Seats AvailableStart DateStart: SundayOctober 08, 2023End DateEnd: SundayOctober 08, 2023Status & PriceStatus: AvailableUS $60
Few Seats AvailableStart DateStart: MondayOctober 09, 2023End DateEnd: MondayOctober 09, 2023Status & PriceStatus: AvailableUS $60
Few Seats AvailableStart DateStart: TuesdayOctober 10, 2023End DateEnd: TuesdayOctober 10, 2023Status & PriceStatus: AvailableUS $60
Few Seats AvailableStart DateStart: WednesdayOctober 11, 2023End DateEnd: WednesdayOctober 11, 2023Status & PriceStatus: AvailableUS $60
Few Seats AvailableStart DateStart: ThursdayOctober 12, 2023End DateEnd: ThursdayOctober 12, 2023Status & PriceStatus: AvailableUS $60
Few Seats AvailableStart DateStart: FridayOctober 13, 2023End DateEnd: FridayOctober 13, 2023Status & PriceStatus: AvailableUS $60
Few Seats AvailableStart DateStart: SaturdayOctober 14, 2023End DateEnd: SaturdayOctober 14, 2023Status & PriceStatus: AvailableUS $60
Few Seats AvailableStart DateStart: SundayOctober 15, 2023End DateEnd: SundayOctober 15, 2023Status & PriceStatus: AvailableUS $60
Few Seats AvailableStart DateStart: MondayOctober 16, 2023End DateEnd: MondayOctober 16, 2023Status & PriceStatus: AvailableUS $60
Few Seats AvailableStart DateStart: TuesdayOctober 17, 2023End DateEnd: TuesdayOctober 17, 2023Status & PriceStatus: AvailableUS $60
Few Seats AvailableStart DateStart: WednesdayOctober 18, 2023End DateEnd: WednesdayOctober 18, 2023Status & PriceStatus: AvailableUS $60
Few Seats AvailableStart DateStart: ThursdayOctober 19, 2023End DateEnd: ThursdayOctober 19, 2023Status & PriceStatus: AvailableUS $60
Few Seats AvailableStart DateStart: FridayOctober 20, 2023End DateEnd: FridayOctober 20, 2023Status & PriceStatus: AvailableUS $60
Few Seats AvailableStart DateStart: SaturdayOctober 21, 2023End DateEnd: SaturdayOctober 21, 2023Status & PriceStatus: AvailableUS $60
Few Seats AvailableStart DateStart: SundayOctober 22, 2023End DateEnd: SundayOctober 22, 2023Status & PriceStatus: AvailableUS $60
Few Seats AvailableStart DateStart: MondayOctober 23, 2023End DateEnd: MondayOctober 23, 2023Status & PriceStatus: AvailableUS $60
Few Seats AvailableStart DateStart: TuesdayOctober 24, 2023End DateEnd: TuesdayOctober 24, 2023Status & PriceStatus: AvailableUS $60
Few Seats AvailableStart DateStart: WednesdayOctober 25, 2023End DateEnd: WednesdayOctober 25, 2023Status & PriceStatus: AvailableUS $60
Few Seats AvailableStart DateStart: ThursdayOctober 26, 2023End DateEnd: ThursdayOctober 26, 2023Status & PriceStatus: AvailableUS $60
Few Seats AvailableStart DateStart: FridayOctober 27, 2023End DateEnd: FridayOctober 27, 2023Status & PriceStatus: AvailableUS $60
Few Seats AvailableStart DateStart: SaturdayOctober 28, 2023End DateEnd: SaturdayOctober 28, 2023Status & PriceStatus: AvailableUS $60
Few Seats AvailableStart DateStart: SundayOctober 29, 2023End DateEnd: SundayOctober 29, 2023Status & PriceStatus: AvailableUS $60
Few Seats AvailableStart DateStart: MondayOctober 30, 2023End DateEnd: MondayOctober 30, 2023Status & PriceStatus: AvailableUS $60
Few Seats AvailableStart DateStart: TuesdayOctober 31, 2023End DateEnd: TuesdayOctober 31, 2023Status & PriceStatus: AvailableUS $60

FAQs

  • Q1. What are the things to see in Changu Narayan temple?

    Full of historical and architectural monuments, sculptures, and woodcarvings, Changu Narayan Temple has both historical and cultural significance. The beams supporting the two Pagoda roofs of the temples are adorned with the intricate carvings of the 10 incarnations of Lord Bishnu. There, you can also see the carvings of various multi-armed tantric goddesses. Each of the four entrance doors of the Temple is guarded by stone Lions, Griffins, Elephants, and Sarabha. In Hindu mythology, Sarabhas is a part lion and a part bird beast. On the western face of the temple, you can see the statue of Garuda, which is a half-man and a half-bird. Garuda is the vehicle of Vishnu. Behind the statue, there is an inscription stone which provides valuable information about the Lichhavi dynasty and the history of Kathmandu valley. In front of the main entrance, there is a statue of King Bhupatindra Malla and his Queen Bhuwan Lakshmi.

    When you look in the northern direction of the temple, there you can see the statue of Lord Vishnu seated on a Garuda. This sculpture of Vishnu is there since, the 9th century. This statue is among the major attraction of the temple. Further, centuries-old sculptures in the courtyard are the true gem of Changu Narayan Temple. Apart from all of these, the statue of Vishnu as Narsingha is another main highlight of this holy site. NarSingha is the half lion and a half-man incarnation of Lord Bishnu. This statue dates back to 464 AD. On the premise of the temple, you can also witness the statue of Vishnu as Vikarantha. Vikaranta is the six-armed dwarf who later transformed into a giant. Everything in the temple has its own significance and beauty, so make sure you have savoured the beauty of each and every aspect.

  • Changu Narayan Temple was built originally in the 4th century, during the Lichhavi Dynasty.  After the massive fire destruction, the temple was reconstructed in 1702 AD. The temple was further renovated and reconstructed after the devasting earthquake in 1934 and 2015 AD.

  • There are different stories regarding the history of the Changu Narayan Temple. Among many, one is that once there was a cow herder who used to take his cow to the Changu hill for grazing. Changu Hill was densely covered by the Champak trees. While grazing, most of the time the cow used to go under the specific tree from which a boy used to come out to drink the cow’s milk. This process went on repetition for multiple days due to which the cow herder was receiving minimal quantities of milk. Noticing this activity of the cow, he was very sad, so he decided to tell his problem to the Brahmin named Sudarshan and called him. After witnessing all these with his own eyes, Sudarshan agreed with the cow herder. The next day they decided to check out the daily activity of the cow. Hiding behind the trunk of the tree, they observed the cow’s activity. During that observation, they saw a boy coming out of the tree and started drinking the cow’s milk. Watching this all, both the herder and Brahmin thought the boy was the devil. Keeping the thought of the tree as the devil’s home, the Brahmin chopped that tree. When he was chopping the tree, fresh blood came out of the tree. Thinking that they had committed a great crime, the herder and the Brahmin got scared and started crying.

     

    After a while, Lord Bishnu appeared from the tree and told the cow herder and Brahmin not to blame themselves. Lord Bishnu told them the story of how he had committed a dreadful crime by unintentionally murdering Sudarshan’s father while hunting in the forest. As a punishment for this crime, along with the Garuda, he collapsed on Changu Hill. Since then, he was feeding on the cow’s stolen milk. When Sudarshan cut down the tree, Bishnu was beheaded, which liberated him from all of his sins. After hearing all these things from Lord Bishnu, the Brahmin and the cow herder decided to worship the place. They even built a small temple in the name of Lord Bishnu. Since then, the place has remained sacred. Even today, we can see the Sudardhan’s descendants as the priest of the temple and the cow herder’s descendants as Ghitiyars(conservators)

    Another familiar story is of a mighty warrior Changu who challenged the strongest warrior Pranjal. Around 400 years ago Pranjal was the strongest warrior in the entire nation. However, during the war, Changu defeated Pranjal and won the heart of all the Nepalese people. This temple was a gift to him.

    Some people also believe that once a Kashmiri King gave his daughter ‘Champak’ in marriage to the prince of Bhaktapur and the temple was named Changu Narayan Temple after her. 

    Alternatively, you can do Nagarkot Changunarayan hiking.

Price from:US $60per person
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Total Price:US $60
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