Bahal · Buddhist
Indra Varna Mahavihar (Inabaha)
इन्द्रवर्ण महाविहार❊इनाबहा:
Dipankar Buddha·Medieval·Bhaktapur
One of the five major mahavihars of Bhaktapur, located at Inacho Chowk and housing a Dipankar Buddha — an important node in the city's Buddhist ceremonial network.
Dedicated to
Dipankar Buddha
Period
Medieval
Hours
Dawn to dusk
Admission
Free
Neighborhood
Inacho Chowk, inner Bhaktapur
Indra Varna Mahavihar, known locally as Inabaha or Inacho Bahal, is recognized as one of the five major mahavihars of Bhaktapur. Located at Inacho Chowk on the route from Golmadhi toward Muni Vihar, the monastery has been a pillar of the city's Buddhist institutional framework for centuries.
The monastery houses a Dipankar Buddha — the Buddha of the past who is central to Newar Buddhist worship and ceremonial life. During Bhaktapur's Samyak Dan festival, the Dipankar Buddha images from all the city's major bahals are brought out for communal worship, and Indra Varna Mahavihar is a key participant in this annual gathering.
The name 'Indra Varna' combines the Hindu god Indra with the Buddhist term 'varna' (color/lineage), reflecting the syncretic naming conventions common in Newar religious culture. The monastery preserves traditional Newar architectural elements including carved wooden struts, brick courtyard walls, and a central shrine.
As one of Bhaktapur's five principal Buddhist monasteries, Indra Varna Mahavihar offers visitors a deeper understanding of how Buddhism maintained its institutional presence in a city often perceived as overwhelmingly Hindu in character.
Folio III
Nearby Sacred Sites
Places within a short walk that help turn this stop into a small sacred cluster.
Tom Bahal (Aadipadma Mahavihar)
The oldest bahal in Bhaktapur and starting point of the Samyak Mahadan and Panchara rituals — a living center of Newar Buddhist ceremonial life in the city.
Dattatraya Temple
Bhaktapur's landmark three-storey pagoda in Dattatraya Square, dedicated to the combined trinity form of Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva and central to the old Tachapal quarter.
Dipankar Mahavihar
A hidden gem deep in Bhaktapur's alleys, housing the city's principal Dipankara Buddha alongside Hindu deities in a beautifully syncretic setting.
Navadurga Temple (Nava Durga Dyo Chhen)
The sacred temple-house where Bhaktapur's legendary Nava Durga dance masks are created, consecrated, and displayed — the spiritual epicentre of the city's unique tantric masked dance tradition.
Chatur Varna Mahavihar
Bhaktapur's most visited mahavihar near Durbar Square, built in 1492 with a fascinating mix of Buddhist and Hindu guardian figures.
Coda
Continue the Pilgrimage
Part of
Bhaktapur Durbar Square
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