Vishwanath Temple/Patan Darbar Square Patan,Nepal

Vishwanath Temple (built 1627)

Built in 1627 by King Narasimha of Lalitpur (r. 1620-61), this temple honors the god Shiva; its name refers to Shiva as “Lord of All” and is variously spelled “Vishwanath” or “Vishvanath”. In keeping with the erotic imagery common to Shiva temples in India, the roof supports are decorated with erotic carvings. A stone linga is also enshrined inside the temple. Twin stone elephants guard the east entrance. According to Michael Hutt, a local legend holds that the king will not enter heaven until the stone elephants descend from the temple and drink from the Mani Dhara water fountain.

The temple was heavily damaged in a 6.5 magnitude earthquake in 1988 which resulted in the loss of the temple’s original roof. Though it was quickly repaired, it was a foretaste of the constant menace that earthquakes posed to Patan’s architectural heritage. Fortunately for the Vishvanath, it rode through the April 2015 earthquake largely intact, though it was temporarily retrofitted with bracing on several sides while minor repairs took place.