The Vidhyeshvari Vajra Yogini Temple - also known as the Bijeśvarī Vajrayoginī, Bidjeshwori Bajra Jogini, Bijayaswar, Bidjeswori, or Visyasvari Temple - is a Newar Buddhist temple 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)), ...

dedicated to the

Vajrayāna Vajrayāna ( sa, वज्रयान, "thunderbolt vehicle", "diamond vehicle", or "indestructible vehicle"), along with Mantrayāna, Guhyamantrayāna, Tantrayāna, Secret Mantra, Tantric Buddhism, and Esoteric Buddhism, are names referring t ...

Buddhist deity Vajrayoginī (or Bajra Jogini in the

Newar language Newar (), or Newari and known officially in Nepal as Nepal Bhasa, is a Sino-Tibetan language spoken by the Newar people, the indigenous inhabitants of Nepal Mandala, which consists of the Kathmandu Valley and surrounding regions in Nepal. ...

) in her form as Akash Yogini. The temple stands on the west bank of the

Bishnumati river The Bisnumati River (Nepal Bhasa:, ne , विष्णुमति नदी), flowing in the Kathmandu Valley, originates at Tokha on Shivapuri Mountain, north of Kathmandu. It flows through the western part of old Kathmandu city. It is a ...

next to the ancient religious site of the Ramadoli (Karnadip) cremation ground and is on the main path from Swayambhunath stupa (to the west) to

Kathmandu , pushpin_map = Nepal Bagmati Province#Nepal#Asia , coordinates = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = , subdivision_type1 = Province , subdivision_name1 = Bagmati Prov ...

Significance

In the Kathmandu valley of Nepal there are several important Newar temples dedicated to different forms of Vajrayogini. These temples include the Sankhu Vajrayogini temple, Vidhyeshvari Vajrayogini temple, Parping Vajrayogini temple, Pulchowk Khagayogini temple and the

Guhyeshwari temple Guhyeshwari Temple ( ne, गुह्येश्वरी मन्दिर), also spelled ''Guheswari'' or ''Guhjeshwari'', is one of the revered holy temples in Kathmandu, Nepal. This temple is dedicated to Guhyeshwari or Adi Shakti. The templ ...

. Vīdyādharī, the 'Knowledge Holder', is the presiding deity of this temple. The Temple is an important pilgrimage place for Tibetan Buddhists and there is a recently constructed Tibetan Buddhist temple nearby. Nepali Hindus regard the place as a sacred

Shaktipeeth The Shakti Pitha or the Shakti Peethas ( sa, शक्ति पीठ, , ''seat of Shakti'') are significant shrines and pilgrimage destinations in Shaktism, the goddess-centric denomination in Hinduism. The shrines are dedicated to various for ...

. 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 ...

devi temple of

Sobha Baghwati Shobha Bhagawati is a holy shrine devoted to the goddess Bhagawati on the bank of the Bisnumati River in Kathmandu, Nepal. It is considered to be one of the most revered holy places in Kathmandu. There is a statue of the goddess inside the templ ...

stands nearby.

Architecture

The main three storied

Newa Newar (), or Newari and known officially in Nepal as Nepal Bhasa, is a Sino-Tibetan language spoken by the Newar people, the indigenous inhabitants of Nepal Mandala, which consists of the Kathmandu Valley and surrounding regions in Nepal. ...

pagoda style temple is the NW corner of the bahal courtyard which has a gateway facing the river.

Images

In the temple the main image (idol) is of Akash Yogini flying through the sky, her right leg bent up at the knee behind her, and her left leg is pulled up against her breasts with her left arm. Her right arm is behind her holding a vajra above the sole of her right foot. In the crook of her right arm she holds a khaṭvāṅga staff which rests on her left shoulder. This image is about 18 inches high.

References

Other sources

* - used to find transliteration of Sanskrit names and additional information on Vajrayoginī.

External links

Vajrayogini temples Buddhist temples in Nepal Nepalese culture Bahals in Kathmandu Newar religion World Heritage Sites in Nepal Buddhist pilgrimage sites in Nepal 17th-century establishments in Nepal {{Nepal-stub