Bahal · Buddhist
Co Bahal (Kacchapal Giri Mahavihar)
कच्छपाल गिरि महाविहार❊चोबहाः
Shakyamuni Buddha·Medieval Malla period·Lalitpur
Kacchapal Giri Mahavihar (Co Bahal) is one of the 18 traditional bahals of Patan — the 'Tortoise Mountain Monastery', completing the sacred network of Newar Buddhist courtyards.
Dedicated to
Shakyamuni Buddha
Period
Medieval Malla period
Hours
Dawn to dusk
Admission
Free
Neighborhood
Patan Old City
Co Bahal, formally Kacchapal Giri Mahavihar — the 'Tortoise Mountain Monastery' — is one of the traditional 18 principal bahals of Patan. The name Kacchapal (tortoise) carries Buddhist symbolism: in Jataka tales, the Buddha in a previous life took the form of a great tortoise, and the tortoise also represents the earth-supporting quality of compassion.
As the last in the traditional enumeration of Patan's 18 bahals, Co Bahal completes a sacred network that spans the old city — a constellation of Buddhist courtyards that together formed the spiritual infrastructure of medieval Patan, one of the most important centers of Newar Buddhism in the world.
The monastery maintains the classic courtyard plan and continues to serve as a living community for its Bajracharya and Shakya sangha, preserving ritual traditions and artistic heritage spanning centuries.
Folio III
Nearby Sacred Sites
Places within a short walk that help turn this stop into a small sacred cluster.
Jagannarayan Temple (Char Narayan)
One of the oldest temples in Patan Durbar Square, this 1565 two-tiered Vishnu pagoda anchors the southern end of the temple row with erotic roof struts and ancient stone carvings.
Vishwanath Temple
A handsome two-tiered Shiva pagoda in Patan Durbar Square, guarded by stone elephants and adorned with erotic roof-strut carvings in the classic Newar tradition.
Krishna Mandir
Nepal's finest stone shikhara temple, built in 1637 by King Siddhi Narsingh Malla — a three-tiered masterpiece with 21 golden pinnacles and exquisite Mahabharata and Ramayana bas-reliefs.
Hari Shankar Temple
A three-tiered pagoda dedicated to the rare combined form of Vishnu and Shiva — built by a Malla princess and known for its vivid roof-strut carvings of hellish punishments.
Chyasin Deval (Octagonal Krishna Temple)
A striking octagonal stone shikhara at the entrance to Patan Durbar Square — built as a memorial to the queens of King Yoganarendra Malla who committed sati upon his death.
Coda
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