Shiva-Parvati Temple

The glorious temple of Lord Shiva and his Consort Goddess Parvati, the Shiva Parvati Temple, is located in the religious area of Durbar Square. It is as important as the Kumari Bahal or the Kasthamandap and is often visited by pilgrims and tourists. Built in the 18th century by Bahadur Shah, every inch of the temple wall is covered in immensely intricate carvings. 

From a distance in the outer portion of Durbar Square, one would notice someone looking down a window of a two-story pagoda-style building that opens into a courtyard. It is, in fact, the idols of Shiva and Parvati installed in the window right in the center of the top floor of the temple. The striking idols colored in white and blue are seen wearing colorful accessories and blessing the visitors.

The grand building has been built over a raised three-level platform which resembles one of the ancient performance stages at Durbar Square. One can climb up a small flight of stairs at the entrance where two ancient stone statues of lions are installed and explore the shrine as they circumambulate. It is believed that the lions guard the temple. As one explores further, they would notice how beautiful the intricate carvings on the wood are. There are different forms of Lord Shiva, Goddess Parvati and other captivating traditional designs on the structure too. This area of Kathmandu is usually traversed on foot and shouldn't be missed when in Durbar Square.