Dey Pukhu

Dey Pukhu (De Pukhu, literally 'the country's pond' in Nepal Bhasa) is the principal historic water reservoir of Kirtipur, sitting in the middle of the dense Newar settlement immediately south of the town's iconic Bagh Bhairav Temple. For centuries it stored the hilltop city's water, and it remains one of the most atmospheric public spaces in old Kirtipur.

The pond is entirely rain-fed — it is stone-built with no spring, canal, or pump feeding it — yet by local account it has never been reported dry. The one exception, the story goes, was during the battle of Kirtipur against Prithvi Narayan Shah's forces, when the besieged townspeople drew on it so heavily for washing and bathing that it finally emptied.

On the pond's north side stands the Pukushi Narayan Temple, a striking white shrine to Vishnu in a Mughal-influenced style. Originally a pagoda-style temple within the Bagh Bhairav premises, it was rebuilt in its present form in 1995 BS (1938 AD); the entrance and walls still carry the original carved designs, and stone guardian lions flank the stairs.

Dey Pukhu is at its liveliest during Indra Jatra, when Kirtipur's residents gather around the water with traditional musical instruments and the masked Lakhey demon dance circles the pond — one of the best times to experience the town's living Newar culture. Photographers get the classic view of the pond, temple, and old town backdrop from the south bank. The pond is free to visit at any time and pairs naturally with the Bagh Bhairav Temple, Uma Maheshwar Temple, and Chilancho Stupa on a walking loop through Kirtipur.