Patan - Kwa Bahal

The so-called Golden Temple (Kwa Bahal or Hiranyavarna Mahavihara) is the richest monastery in Patan, the chief source of its wealth being trade with Tibet. A free-standing shrine with a gilded roof tapering to a gajur (bell-shaped top) occupies the center of the temple court. Beyond it the broad-fronted three-storied temple with its gilded and silvered façades stands in all its splendor.

A beautifully worked silver torana representing some of the finest craftsmanship anywhere in the Kathmandu Valley embellishes the entrance. Until the beginning of the 20th c. its place was occupied by an older, almost identical work in copper gilt. This can now be seen above the entrance to the bahal itself.

Around the courtyard,