- Address: Manakamana, Nepal
- Phone: +977 981-4083940
- Foundation date: XVII century
There are a lot of interesting places in Nepal . Among the main attractions of the country include numerous temples. One of the most famous religious sanctuaries of Nepal is the temple of Manakaman.
general information
The temple complex of Manakaman is a Hindu religious building located 12 km from the town of Gorkha. The temple is built on top, the height of which is 1300 m above sea level. At present, this is one of the most visited religious places in Nepal, because Manakamana is considered a place where it is customary to make wishes.
In its history, which begins with the XVII century, the building of the temple was rebuilt several times. Now it is a four-story pagoda with a two-level roof. In the western part of the sanctuary trees grow. The south-western entrance is decorated with columns, and the building of the temple itself has a rectangular shape.
The Legend of the Temple
The appearance of the temple is associated with the name of King Rama Shah, who ruled the country in the XVII century. His wife was a goddess, but only her spiritual mentor Lakhan Tapa knew about this. Once the king saw his wife in the image of a goddess and told this to her spiritual guide. Soon after the conversation, Rama died, and his wife, according to the then traditions, burned herself alive not far from her husband's grave. Before her death, she promised Lakhana Tapa that she would return. And, indeed, she returned six months later in the form of a stone emanating blood and milk. The ruling king at that time singled out the land of Lakhana Tapa, where later the temple of Manakaman was built. Today, you can see 5 sacred stones emanating blood.
Sacrifice to the Goddess
As mentioned above, the temple of Manakaman is one of the places of worship in Nepal. Businessmen come here when new projects, politicians, ordinary citizens and guests of the country are planning to make a wish. To make it certain, it is customary to make sacrifices here.
People with a good income sacrifice goats, people with small incomes - chickens or other birds. For Buddhists and people who do not recognize bloody sacrifices, there is an alternative - you can put rice, flowers or fruit on the altar, and also chop coconut. Meat of killed animals is not used for food. Near the temple, special people (magars) arrange rituals, using the internal organs of sacrificial animals for fortune telling. The local population has a belief - if you want your wish to be fulfilled, then the temple is better to visit 3 times.
How to get there?
From Kathmandu to the city of Gorkha, near which the temple is located, you can take a bus. The journey will take approximately 3-4 hours. But this is not the end of the route. Manakamana is located on a mountainous hill, and you can reach it in two ways:
- by cable car - the journey will take approximately 10-15 minutes;
- on foot - approximate travel time is 8 hours.