Bahal · Buddhist
Jyo Bahal (Jyoti Varna Mahavihar)
ज्योतिवर्ण महाविहार❊ज्योबहाः
Shakyamuni Buddha·Medieval Malla period·Lalitpur
Jyoti Varna Mahavihar (Jyo Bahal) is one of the 18 principal Newar Buddhist monastery courtyards of Patan, whose name evokes 'radiance' or 'light'.
Dedicated to
Shakyamuni Buddha
Period
Medieval Malla period
Hours
Dawn to dusk
Admission
Free
Neighborhood
Patan Old City
Jyo Bahal, formally Jyoti Varna Mahavihar — the 'Monastery of Radiant Color' — is one of the traditional 18 principal bahals of Patan. The name Jyoti ('light' or 'radiance') reflects the luminous spiritual aspiration of Newar Vajrayana Buddhism.
The bahal maintains the characteristic courtyard plan of Patan's Buddhist monasteries, with a central shrine surrounded by the residential quarters of its Bajracharya and Shakya sangha. Like its sister bahals, Jyo Bahal functions as both a place of worship and a living community, where traditional Buddhist rituals and festivals are observed throughout the year.
Hidden within the lanes of old Patan, the monastery preserves stone and metal sculptures, ritual objects, and architectural elements spanning centuries of Newar artistic tradition.
Folio III
Nearby Sacred Sites
Places within a short walk that help turn this stop into a small sacred cluster.
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.
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.
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.
Bhimsen Temple
A three-story pagoda at the northern gateway to Patan Durbar Square, dedicated to Bhimsen — the Mahabharata warrior venerated as patron deity of Newar traders and merchants.
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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