Temple · Hindu
Taleju Temple
तलेजु मन्दिर
Taleju Bhawani (tutelary goddess of the Malla dynasty)·1564 AD, built by King Mahendra Malla·Kathmandu
The tallest temple in Kathmandu Durbar Square — a 36-metre triple-roofed pagoda dedicated to the tutelary goddess of the Malla kings, open to Hindus only on Dashain's ninth day.
Dedicated to
Taleju Bhawani (tutelary goddess of the Malla dynasty)
Period
1564 AD, built by King Mahendra Malla
Hours
Closed to public (open one day/year during Dashain Navami)
Admission
Free
Neighborhood
Kathmandu Durbar Square (north side)
The Taleju Temple is the tallest and most important temple in Kathmandu Durbar Square, rising 36 metres on a massive twelve-stage stepped plinth. Built in 1564 AD by King Mahendra Malla, it is dedicated to Taleju Bhawani, the tutelary goddess of the Malla dynasty, originally brought from Ayodhya in southern India.
The temple's imposing triple-roofed pagoda with gilded copper roofs dominates the northern side of the square. The entrance is flanked by stone lions and guarded by images of Ganga and Jamuna. The twelve-stage base platform, each level slightly smaller than the one below, creates a pyramid effect unique in the valley.
The temple is closed to non-Hindus year-round, but on the ninth day of Dashain (Maha Navami), it opens to all Hindu devotees — the only day of the year the public can enter. Thousands queue for hours for this annual darshan, and animal sacrifices are performed in the courtyard.
Each of the three Malla kingdoms (Kathmandu, Patan, Bhaktapur) has its own Taleju temple. The Kathmandu Taleju is the tallest and is considered the prototype for the others. Despite repeated earthquake damage, the temple has been restored each time, most recently after 2015.
The temple shares the northern palace complex with the Hanuman Dhoka (old royal palace), and together they form the sacred-administrative heart of the old city.
Folio III
Nearby Sacred Sites
Places within a short walk that help turn this stop into a small sacred cluster.
Hanuman Statue (Hanuman Dhoka)
The standing stone figure of Hanuman draped in a red cloak at the entrance to the old royal palace — the image that gave Hanuman Dhoka its name.
Kal Bhairav
A massive 12th-century stone relief of the fearsome Bhairav — Shiva's terrifying aspect — standing six feet tall in the open court of Kathmandu Durbar Square.
Shiva-Parvati Temple
An 18th-century temple famous for the carved wooden figures of Shiva and Parvati leaning out from the upper window, gazing at the life of Durbar Square below.
Swet Bhairav
A giant gilded head of White Bhairav hidden behind a lattice screen for most of the year, dramatically revealed only during the eight days of Indra Jatra.
Ashok Binayak
Maru Ganesh shrine near Kathmandu Durbar Square, one of the city's most visited Ganesh temples but not part of the Char Binayak circuit.
Coda
Continue the Pilgrimage
Part of
Kathmandu Durbar Square
Guides that feature this place
- Seasonal9 min
Dashain 2026: Dates, the Full 15-Day Schedule, and Tika Day
Dashain 2026 runs October 11-25, with Vijaya Dashami tika on Wednesday, October 21. The fifteen-day schedule day by day, when Fulpati and tika fall, which temples open, and how to travel in Nepal's busiest fortnight.
- Seasonal9 min
Indra Jatra 2026: Kathmandu Dates, Events, and Visitor Guide
Indra Jatra 2026 runs September 25 - October 2 in Kathmandu. This guide covers the eight-day shape, the three chariot days (Kwaneya, Thaneya, Nanicha), the Kumari and Bhairav events to watch for, and how to visit respectfully.
Planning this visit? Local operators publishing trips here can arrange it.
Elsewhere in this region
Help us get it right
Know Taleju Temple better than we do?
We write from research and reporting, and the ground changes faster than we can keep up. If something here is out of date, or you have been and would tell it differently, we would rather hear it.