Changunarayan Temple : Historical & Religious Heritage Nepal

Changunarayana Temple

Changunarayana Temple 

In Nepali language, “chap” is called “ch” and “van” is called “gun”. In ancient times, this place was called Chapko Forest, i.e. Chagun, as there was a dense forest of Champ in this place. It can be understood that the word Changunarayan in the Newari language is a corruption of Changunarayana Temple. But now that the human population has increased, the Champa trees cannot be found in this place like before.

It is believed that this temple has been called by different names in different periods.Changunarayana Templeis also called by names like Champaknarayan and Garudnarayan. No evidence has been found as to the name of this temple in ancient times. It is said that the temple was named Dolashikhar Swami during the Lichhavi period, but this has not been confirmed.

In the place where Changunarayana Temple is located, the name of this hill is Dolagiri and its hill is considered to be the lord, so it is called Dolashikhar Swami. For these and similar reasons, the importance of this place and temple seems to be high. Built by the Lichhavi king Haridatta Burma in 323 BC, this temple is one of the most important heritages of Nepal.

Later, another king of the Lichhavi period, Mandev, erected an eagle statue in the Changunarayana Temple in 521 BS.It was built by the Lichhavi king Haridatta Burma in 323 BC Another king of Lichhavi period, Mandevale V There is a history that a statue of an eagle was erected in the Changunarayana temple in 521 AD and records were kept.

Changunarayana Temple, which is also one of the ancient archeological sites of Nepal, is important not only from the historical and religious point of view but also as a major tourist destination.Changunarayan is also one of the seven World Heritage Sites in the Kathmandu Valley. The oldest temple in the valley was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1969.

Changunarayan is also known as Champaknarayan, Changunarayan, Garudnarayan etc. In the Licchavi period, this temple was also called Dolashikhar Swami.It is said that this is mentioned in the historical records here.There is another important feature of Changunarayana Temple. The Changunarayan Temple is the first heritage of Nepal to be inscribed on the World Heritage List.

Changunarayana Temple was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1969. The fact that Nepal has been inscribed on the World Heritage List for the first time shows how important this heritage is.Changunarayan Temple, one of the famous pilgrimage sites of Nepal and also an ancient archeological site, is located in Changunarayan VDC of Bhaktapur district.

Changunarayana is considered to be the oldest of the ancient temples in the valley. Changunaran Temple, located at a distance of about twenty kilometers from the capital, is religiously and touristically important. On festivals like Nagpanchami, Krishna Janmashtami, Haribodhani Ekadashi, Purnima, a big fair is held in this temple.

But the irony is that such an important temple is suffering due to the extreme negligence of the state. The dilapidated condition of the temple shows how careless it is in preserving and improving it.The number of tourists has also increased after the reconstruction of the Changunarayan Main Temple, which was damaged by the 2072 BS earthquake.

According to Krishna Murari Wagle, the buyer of the municipality, more than 1,500 internal and external tourists visit the Changunarayana Temple daily. However, tourists say that the beauty of the temple has faded due to the fragments of wood and bricks scattered in the temple premises.This condition of the temple has made the priests of the temple very disappointed.

King Mandev had donated land for the Guthi of Changunarayana Temple. It was customary to take care of the temple with the money raised from the same land. But the land offered by King Mandev has been encroached upon and the Guthi has been accused of selling the land. Not only that, the locals have been accusing the Department of Archeology and the local VDC of turning a blind eye to the management and improvement of the temple.

In Nepali language, “chap” is called “ch” and “van” is called “gun”. In ancient times, this place was called Chapko Forest, i.e. Chagun, as there was a dense forest of Champ in this place. It can be understood that the word Changunarayan in the Newari language is a corruption of Changunarayana Temple . But now that the human population has increased, the Champa trees cannot be found in this place like before.

It is believed that this temple has been called by different names in different periods. Changunarayana is also called by names like Champaknarayan and Garudnarayan. No evidence has been found as to the name of this temple in ancient times. It is said that the temple was named Dolashikhar Swami during the Lichhavi period, but this has not been confirmed.

The carelessness of this temple, which has such a long history, is explained by the grass growing on the roof of the temple and the rust on the tudals full of historical artefacts. The walls of the temple are dilapidated and useless. It is not possible to talk about the garbage of the temple.

There is a rule that the development fund should be established by the state for the protection of any heritage listed in the World Heritage List. But ironically, the government has not set up a development fund at the Changunarayan temple.Instead, how can the work done by the Changunarayan Development Committee, which was established on the initiative of the locals, be sufficient?

The Changunarayan temple, which used to collect around Rs 400 million in revenue, is now barely raising Rs 200 million in revenue. Even though the VDC has collected so much revenue, the neglect towards the temple is reflected in the fact .The traditional instruments used in this place have disappeared.

There is no interest in the protection of the rest of the instruments. At one time there were nine tenths in this place. But many of them have disappeared. If the shortage of water is the same now, if you look at the condition of the toilet, vomiting may occur.
After painting the temple in 2018 BS, no one has been interested in its maintenance and restoration. The government’s indifference to the development of the area, which attracts thousands of tourists every year, has upset locals.

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