Kathmandu - Ashok Binayak Shrine

Despite its modest appearance the small Ashok Binayak Temple behind the Kasthamandapa is the principal shrine to Ganesh in the Kathmandu Valley. Rites performed here are an important part of the coronation ceremony. The temple is thought to have been founded by Gundakama Deva in the 10th c., at the same time as the nearby Madu Hiti Fountain. The present structure however dates only from the mid 19th c. The stone image of Ganesh stands beneath a golden replica of the ashok tree which once shaded the shrine and eventually gave it its name.