Bindhyabasini Temple

Bindhyabasini Temple occupies a small wooded hilltop at the northern end of Pokhara's old bazaar — the traditional heart of the city before Lakeside grew up around Phewa Lake. It is dedicated to the goddess Bindhyabasini, a local form of Bhagwati/Durga, whose name is derived from the Vindhya mountains of central India where she is said to have originally resided. The present image is believed to have been brought here from Bindhyachal Parbat in India during the reign of King Khadgaman Malla of Kaski in the 17th century.

The temple complex sits on a stone-paved platform ringed by smaller shrines to Shiva, Hanuman, Ganesh, Shitala, and Saraswati. The main sanctum, a white-domed shikhara-style structure, houses the black-stone image of the goddess, heavily decorated with red vermilion, marigolds, and gold ornaments. The platform also commands fine views across the old town and, on clear mornings, to the Annapurna range.

Bindhyabasini is busiest on Saturdays, Tuesdays, and during Dashain, when large numbers of worshippers come to offer animal sacrifices (generally goats and chickens, performed at the separate balī area below the main platform). Weddings, rice-feeding ceremonies and bratabandha are also commonly held here. The site is a short taxi or local bus ride north of Lakeside; combine with a visit to Mahendra Cave and Bat Cave in a half-day, or continue east to Matepani Gumba.