Sri Guhyeshwari Devi Temple

Suprabhatam

Sri Guhyeshwari Devi Temple

Sri Guhyeshwari Temple also spelled Guheswari or Guhjeshwari, is one of the revered holy temples in Kathmandu, Nepal. This temple is dedicated to Guhyeshwari or Adi Shakti. The temple is also a Shakti Peetha and it’s about 1 km east of Pashupatinath Temple and is located on the southern bank of the Bagmati River.The architecture of the temple is made in the Bhutanese Pagoda architectural style.

It is said that this temple is the Shakti chair of Pashupatinath Temple. It is an important pilgrimage destination for Hindus, especially for Tantric worshipers. King Pratap Malla renovated this temple in the 17th century. The goddess is also called Guhyekali.

The temple’s name originates from the Sanskrit words Guhya (secret, hidden, or cave) and Ishwari (goddess). Literally, the name “Guhyeshwari” stands for the goddess of the cave and the origin of the name aligns with the Hindu legend of Sati, her self-immolation when She turns into Adishakti, the Goddess of cosmic energy, at Daksha yagna. In Lalitha Sahasranama the 707th name of the Goddess is mentioned as Guhyarupini (The uncanny form of Goddess intimates that she is beyond human perception, and the invisible location where she resides allows her to render justice impartially.

Another version is that Guhyeshwari Temple marks the place where both the knees of the goddess is said to have fallen. Each Shakti Peeth is dedicated to a Shakti and a Kalabhairava. In Guhyeshwari Temple, the Shakti is Mahashira and the Bhairava is Kapali. The goddess is worshiped at the centre of the temple in a kalasha (water jar) that is covered with a layer of silver and gold. The kalasha rests on a stone base which covers an underground natural water spring, from which water oozes out from the edges of the base.The temple stands at the centre of a courtyard and is topped with four gilded snakes that support the finial roof. This temple is revered by Tantric practitioners, and Tantric rites are performed in this temple. The temple is also mentioned in the Kali tantra, Chandi tantra, and Shiva tantra Rahasya and is regarded as one of the most important places for gaining the power of tantra. The Vishwaswarup of goddess Guhyeshwari shows her as a many and different coloured headed goddess with innumerable hands. The temple gets much crowded during Dashain and Navaratri.