Mayor Shah inaugurates rebuilt Brahma Temple

By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu, Nov. 8: Balendra Shah, Mayor of Kathmandu Metropolitan City, inaugurated the Brahma Temple of Jayabageshwori, Kathmandu, on Friday.

At the same function, Sunita Dangol, Deputy Mayor and Coordinator of the Heritage and Tourism Committee, along with Ashaman Sangat, Chairperson of Ward No. 8 of KMC, unveiled the inscription of the Brahma idol. The idol has been reinstalled in the renovated Brahma Temple located in Kathmandu Metropolitan City, Ward No. 8.

The idol was reinstalled on Monday at the historic sixth-century Brahma Temple. The four-faced idol of Brahma, which had been kept at Gaushala Police Station for the past 40 years, was placed back in the temple.

According to Ward Chairperson Sangat, the temple had been lost for more than 100 years, with bushes covering the entire temple area. After an excavation done with the help of the Department of Archaeology, its antiquity was studied. Based on the findings, it is estimated that the temple was built between the 6th and 7th centuries.

Speaking after the inauguration, Deputy Mayor Dangol said that efforts were underway to restore the cultural identity of the city by reviving sculptures, statues, and artworks, which are the lifeblood of ancient monuments. 

Sushil Kumar Gautam, Archaeological Officer of the Pashupati Area Development Trust, provided information about the special features of the statue, saying, “The statue has four heads, and there are only two Brahma statues in Nepal, one is here, and the other is in Chapagaun. No historical records have been found about this place. It is mentioned that the statue in Chapagaun was built by Kuber Gupta and Anik Gupta.”

According to cultural expert Mukunda Raj Baidya, the restoration of the Brahma Temple has helped revive the antiquity of the Gwala: De area. The uniqueness of Gwala: De lies in the use of the number nine in Tantric practices and its historical layout. 

The area contains nine ponds, nine stone streams, nine wells, nine entrance gates, nine Shaktipeeths, nine inns, nine Dabali, nine Toles, and nine communities.

During the temple excavation, nine ponds were found in its foundation. These ponds are associated with the antiquity of the construction of Gwala: De (Gwala: Desh).

Inauguration of the ancient Brahma Temple on Friday also marked the first public programme attended by KMC mayor Shah.