Guhyeshwari Temple

Getting there

• By air

  Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) is Kathmandu's international airport. Sajha Yatayat runs regular bus services across Kathmandu and the surrounding valley, including to the airport.

• By road

  On Maha Shivaratri, the parking across from the temple is for pilgrim vehicles from Gothatar, Jorpati, Mulpani, Gokarna and Bouddha.

Why devotees come here

Guhyeshwari Temple is a Hindu temple on the southern bank of the Bagmati River in Kathmandu, Nepal. It is a Shakta pitha about 1 km east of Pashupatinath and an important pilgrimage site, especially for Tantric worshippers.

The temple is a Shakta pitha, one of the sacred seats of Devi. Legend says a part of Sati's body fell at this spot, as told in the Meru Tantra and the Himavatkhanda of the Skanda Purana. The Varahi Tantra goes further and says no Shaktipeetha is greater than Guhyeshwari.

Tantric practitioners revere the temple, and Tantric rites are performed here. The Devi Bhagavata Purana lists it among the sacred places of Adishakti. Vajrayana Buddhists also consider it sacred, linking it to Vajrayogini in the form of Vajravarahi.

King Pratap Malla renovated the temple in the 17th century. The name joins two Sanskrit words, guhya, meaning secret or hidden, and ishwari, a title for the Devi. The customary performances of the Navadurga festival in the Pashupati area include a ritual visit to Guhyeshwari.

Festivals

• During Navaratri and the JatrasNavaratri and Jatras

  The temple gets very crowded at these times, so expect many devotees. The customary performances of the Navadurga festival include a ritual visit to Guhyeshwari.

Tips for your visit

• On Maha Shivaratri, traffic police fix the routes and parking locations for the festival.
• On Teej, the fourth queue to Pashupatinath enters through the Guhyeshwari, Umakunda and Kailash Dakshina area.

Questions people ask