Bahal · Buddhist
Ta Bahal (Dharma Kirti Mahavihar)
धर्मकीर्ति महाविहार❊ताबहाः
Shakyamuni Buddha·Medieval Malla period·Lalitpur
Dharma Kirti Mahavihar (Ta Bahal) is one of Patan's 18 principal bahals — the 'Monastery of Dharma's Glory', preserving Newar Buddhist traditions.
Dedicated to
Shakyamuni Buddha
Period
Medieval Malla period
Hours
Dawn to dusk
Admission
Free
Neighborhood
Patan Old City
Ta Bahal, formally Dharma Kirti Mahavihar — the 'Monastery of Dharma's Glory' — is one of the traditional 18 principal bahals of Patan. The name celebrates the 'fame' or 'glory' (kirti) of the Buddha's teaching (dharma), reflecting the monastery's role as a center of Buddhist learning and practice.
Like all traditional Patan bahals, Dharma Kirti Mahavihar is organized around an enclosed courtyard with a central shrine, surrounded by the multi-storey residences of the Bajracharya and Shakya families who form its sangha. The monastery continues to function as a living religious community where Vajrayana Buddhist rituals are performed regularly.
The bahal preserves traditional stone and metal sculptures characteristic of Newar Buddhist art, along with architectural woodcarving and brickwork spanning centuries of craftsmanship.
Folio III
Nearby Sacred Sites
Places within a short walk that help turn this stop into a small sacred cluster.
Cuka Bahal (Chakravarna Mahavihar)
Chakravarna Mahavihar (Cuka Bahal) is one of Patan's 18 principal bahals, believed to have been founded by the Licchavi king Manadeva I in the 5th century.
Yachu Bahal (Baladhara Gupta Mahavihar)
Baladhara Gupta Mahavihar (Yachu Bahal) is one of the 18 traditional bahals of Patan, a quiet Buddhist monastery courtyard in the old city.
Jyo Bahal (Jyoti Varna Mahavihar)
Jyoti Varna Mahavihar (Jyo Bahal) is one of the 18 principal Newar Buddhist monastery courtyards of Patan, whose name evokes 'radiance' or 'light'.
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.
Guji Bahal (Vaishravarna Mahavihar)
One of the 18 principal mahavihars of Patan, named after Vaishravana (Kubera), the Buddhist guardian king of the north and deity of wealth.
Coda
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