KATHMANDU: The temple of Baghbhairav, located seven kilometers southwest of Kathmandu Valley, is located at an altitude of 1,405 meters above sea level with a length of 50 meters and a width of 30 meters. The Baghbhairav Temple, spread out in the middle of Kirtipur Danda in an elongated shape in the east-west part, is the largest and most important temple in the region. A three-story pagoda-style temple with a brass roof at the top and two roofs at the bottom. The temple has 11 gates at the top, 18 in the middle and 18 at the bottom. Scenes from the ancient Mahabharata and Ramayana can be seen on the ground floor of the temple.
Historical facts:
It is mentioned in the Gopal Raj genealogy that Kirtipur was established by King Shivadev III between the years 219-246 (AD 1099-1126). The Baghbhairav temple, believed to have been built with the establishment of Kirtipur town, has a history of about 900 years. There are no records of the Baghbhairav temple in Nepal until 623 AD. It is found that the temple was renovated by Patan's great-grandson Jagatpal Verma in the month of October, 635 A.D. After that, 43 years after Prithvinarayan Shah's conquest of the Nepal Valley, in 923 BS, it is mentioned that the handicrafts of Ran Bahadur Shah's mother restored Baghbhairav.
Legend:
Although no specific evidence has been found for the origin of Baghbhairav, according to mythology and folklore, there was a forest on the site of the temple in ancient times. The shepherds who went to graze their sheep in the sloping forest of the north made a statue of a tiger while making various clay idols. After making a statue of a tiger, they went to look for leaves to make a suitable tongue for it. In the process, Bhairav was born in the idol of the tiger and ate the sheep and when he returned with the leaves, he did not see his sheep and started crying. There is a legend that the idol was later made into a temple and placed there. Based on the same legend, it is believed that there is no tongue in the idol of Baghbhairav even today.
Journey:
The annual Bagh Sankranti (September 1) Baghbhairav procession takes place in this temple. There is a practice of making Khatjatra on the occasion of Jatra. The tradition of running Khatjatra On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the commencement of Khatjatra on September 20, 2014, The Golden Jubilee was held in 2064 BS.
Tourist significance:
The Baghbhairav temple seems to be directly related to the historicity and cultural significance of the Kirtipur region. Apart from its religious and cultural significance, the unique confluence of ancient masonry and woodwork, the Baghbhairav Temple is also an important place for studying the history of Nepal and for tourism. The temple complex of Baghbhairav is also considered as a suitable place for sightseeing in the Kathmandu Valley.
