Stupa · Buddhist
Teta Thur (Eastern Ashoka Stupa)
टेटा थुर
Buddhist stupa; Dhyani Buddha shrines at the cardinal points·Attributed by tradition to Ashoka, 3rd century BCE; the mound itself is undated·Lalitpur
The eastern of Patan's four Ashoka stupas, out past Gwarko on the road toward Imadol — the quietest of the four and the one most visitors never reach.
Dedicated to
Buddhist stupa; Dhyani Buddha shrines at the cardinal points
Period
Attributed by tradition to Ashoka, 3rd century BCE; the mound itself is undated
Hours
Open at all times
Admission
Free
Neighborhood
Teta, east of Gwarko, Patan
Teta Thur is the eastern of the four great stupas that mark the limits of old Patan. Tradition attributes all four to the emperor Ashoka, whose visit to the valley is recorded in the chronicles rather than in any inscription; the mounds are undated, and the attribution is best treated as the city's own account of its antiquity rather than as archaeology.
The far corner
This one sits well out from the historic core, past Gwarko toward Imadol, in a neighbourhood that is now ordinary Lalitpur housing rather than Newar old town. That distance is exactly the point: the four thur are not a temple complex but a boundary, and the eastern marker had to stand where the city's eastern edge once was. Reaching it means crossing the whole width of the old city, which is a better lesson in Patan's shape than any map.
The mound itself is the same form as Pulchowk and Lagan — earth and grass, burnt dry by spring, with a whitewashed harmika and spire, small shrines at the cardinal points and offerings at the base. It gets a fraction of the foot traffic of Pulchowk or Lagankhel and is correspondingly quiet.
On the Matya circuit
Matya hangs on these four points. The eastern arc of the circuit — the longest stretch away from the dense bahal courtyards — runs out here, which is one reason the festival takes a full day on foot.
Visiting
Free, open, no custodian. Best reached by taxi or a long walk east from Patan Durbar Square. Pair it with the other three: Pulchowk, Lagan and Ibahi.
Folio III
Nearby Sacred Sites
Places within a short walk that help turn this stop into a small sacred cluster.
Coda
Continue the Pilgrimage
Planning this visit? Local operators publishing trips here can arrange it.
Elsewhere in this region
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