Bagh Bhairav Temple

Bagh Bhairav Temple is holy to both Hindus and Buddhists. Bagh Bhairav Temple is dedicated to God Bhairav in the form of a tiger. This god is regarded as the guardian of Kirtipur and the locals call it Ajudeu, a grandfather god. This temple was constructed between 1099 and 1126 AD by Shiva Deva. The temple lies at the height of 1405 m from sea level, from where a beautiful view of Kathmandu valley can be seen.

The temple is rectangular and lies within the area of 1500 sqm. There is a Temple Torana to the left of the entrance with Vishnu riding Garuda. Bhairav in the middle of Ganesh and Kumar is below them. To the right of the Bagh Bhairava Mandir stands an interesting sculpture thought to be of Kirti mata, mother of Kirtipur, depicted on her back giving birth to a still unidentified creature. Other sculptures in the vicinity of the temple include the Ashta Matrikas (the eight mother deities) dating from the 3rd or 4th century and a rare iconic portrayal of Shiva from the 6th century. These survivals from the Licchavi period show the site to be among the oldest in the valley. The upper section of the temple is covered with swords and shields that belonged to the troop of Kirtipur, who were defeat by the army of King Prithvi Narayan Shah. Sacrifices are made here on Tuesday and Saturday mornings. The squat 16th century temple has wood-carvings and wall paintings, a rare combination in the Katmandu Valley. The paintings unfortunately are almost unrecognizable.

The temples were renovated in the years 1515 AD, 1803 AD, 1850 AD and 1961 AD.