BUDHANILKANTHA - The sleeping Narayan

This is the place where the Kings can't go. If they go there, it is believed that they will die! Why? Because, Pratap Malla (1641-1674), who had a prophetic vision, said that if the Kings visit the temple of Budhanilkantha, they will die. Ask King Gyanendra. He still stays 10 feet away from Budhanilkantha. Narayanthan and Budhanilkantha are the same places. Narayanthan means, "where Narayan Sleeps." And this place really has a statue of lord Narayan sleeping on a of Serpents. There are two stories to the origin of the statue of Budhanilkantha. The first one says that, during the reign of the monarch Vishnugupta in the Licchavi period, the statue was sculpted and then transported through forced labour to Budhanilkantha. Imagine how the labours carried that large statue! The second one says that a farmer struck his plough into something hard while he was working in his field. Then, blood came from underneath. When he looked for what he had hit, he found the statue of Narayan. Whatever the story, now, you can see the statue at Narayanthan. It is a small town. And, it is the best place for you to fetch in snacks or have a bite before you start your hike from the Panimuhan Gate. Also, it is the transportation hub you will stick to. About transportation, you will get microbus and buses that go to Ratnapark and Old bus park, Kalanki. You will have no troubles finding a vehicle from 5 A.M to 8 P.M.