Gokarna Mahadev (The Gods of Gokarna) or Gokarneshwor Mahadev Temple
(The Lord of Gokarna) is an important
Nepali temple, situated near the village of Gokarna, several kilometers northeast of
Bodhnath in the
Kathmandu Valley
The Kathmandu Valley ( ne, काठमाडौं उपत्यका; also known as the Nepal Valley or Nepa Valley ( ne, नेपाः उपत्यका, Nepal Bhasa: 𑐣𑐾𑐥𑐵𑑅 𑐐𑐵𑑅, नेपाः गाः)), ...
. Within the temple's sanctum lies an important
lingam
A lingam ( sa, लिङ्ग , lit. "sign, symbol or mark"), sometimes referred to as linga or Shiva linga, is an abstract or aniconic representation of the Hindu god Shiva in Shaivism. It is typically the primary ''murti'' or devotional im ...
of the
Hindu
Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism.Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...
god
Shiva
Shiva (; sa, शिव, lit=The Auspicious One, Śiva ), also known as Mahadeva (; ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐ, or Hara, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions within Hindu ...
, but its fame relies mainly on the collection of statues and carvings around the temple.
Gallery
File:GoMaTe01.jpg, Vishnu Paduka, pilgrim hostels and a shrine overgrown by a fig tree
File:GoMaTe02.jpg, Statues of Nandi (in the foreground), Pande and his two wives, Vishnu, bearded Brahma, Brindi Bhairab and Nandi Bhairab (along the wall from left to right)
File:GoMaTe03.jpg, Carvings on the west side of the pagoda
References
* Around Kathmandu Valley, Nepal Map Publisher Pvt. Ltd., Kathmandu 2009.
* John Sanday: ''Collins illustrated guide to the Kathmandu valley.'' The Guidebook Company, Landon 1989, .
* ''Baedeker Allianz Reiseführer Nepal.'' 2. Auflage. Verlag Karl Baedeker, Ostfildern 1999, .
* Rainer Krack: ''Nepal - Kathmandu Valley.'' Reise Know-How Verlag Rump, Bielefeld 2009, .
* Joseph Bindloss, Trent Holden, Bradley Mayhew: ''Nepal.'' 8th Edition. Lonely Planet Publications, Melbourne 2009, .
*
Notes
Buildings and structures in Kathmandu District
Hindu temples in Kathmandu District
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