{ { Infobox religious building
| name = The Golden TempleHiranya Varna Mahaviharहिरण्य वर्ण महाविहार क्वबहा: | native_name = Kwa Baha:Golden Temple of Nepal| image = 2015-03-30 04-15 Nepal 926 Patan, Lalitpur, Golden Temple (16769604853).jpg | image_size = 300px | alt = | caption = Hiraṇyavarṇa Mahāvihāra,known as the Golden Temple | map_type = | map_size = | map_alt = | map_caption = | location = Kwalakhu Road, Patan 44600 | coordinates = | religious_affiliation = Newar Buddhism | deity = | country = Nepal | functional_status = | website = | founded_by = | year_completed = 1409 }}
Hiraṇyavarṇa Mahāvihāra (), also Kwa Baha: () informally called The Golden Temple with literal meaning "Gold-colored Great Monastery", is a historical vihara (Buddhist monastery) situated in Patan, Nepal.
History
This golden pagoda of Shakyamuni Buddha was built in the twelfth century by King Bhaskar Varman. Inside the upper storey of the pagoda is the golden image and a large prayer wheel.
According to legend Hiranya Varna Mahavihar was built at a location where a rat chases a cat. Rats were still being fed at the site in 1994, but this may have changed over the years.
The buildings of the courtyard sustained structural damage during the 2015 earthquake. In July 2021 a start was made with the restoration.Conservation and Retrofitting of Sattal in Hiranya Varna Mahavihar and Digi Chhen, Lalitpur, Nepal, Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH), retrieved 13 July 2022
Architecture
Hiranya Varna Mahavihar is built in the style of a Nepalese bahal. The courtyard is a rectangular, almost square space. In the western corner there is an inconspicuous entrance, but the main entrance is on the south-eastern side on the Kwalakhu Road.
Main Gate
The main gate is made of stone and flanked by a pair of stone lions, one male and one female. The gate is adorned with a stone torana and several other sculptures, including a multilingual inscription. The door has a relief of Bhairavas eyes on it.
Immediately after passing the door and looking up, one sees a Kalachakra mandala on the ceiling of the entry gate. Stepping further inside one enters an open corridor, with a disused tutedhara (drinking fountain) built into the wall on the left.
At the end there is another richly adorned gate, which gives access to the courtyard. Apart from the abundance of Buddhism related sculptures, some Hindu sculptures can be seen here. Incarnations of Vishnu en Shiva, for instance, appear as roof struts that support the roof above the gate. Having passed this second arch, one enters a small vestibule with sculptures of Mahakala and Ganesha on the wall. Images of Mahakala and Ganesha, protectors of the other gods of the Kathmandu Valley, guarding the entrance of a vihara is a regular occurrence in Nepal.
There is a bell tower on top of this gate.
On the courtyard side the entrance is flanked by two golden elephants standing on tortoises. Above the door is a gilt copper torana. This torana was originally located at the main shrine, but was replaced there by a silver copy, donated during the reign of king Prithvi Bir Bikram Shah (1881-1911).
Sculptures
The first sculpture one encounters in the courtyard is a Dharmadhatu mandala on a lotus pedestal, with a vajra on top. Until recently it was protected by a canopy with prayer wheels attached to the supports. There is another vajra on the opposite side of the courtyard in front of the main shrine, next to a fire pit.
Several more sculptures can be found in the courtyard. There are three images of Padmapani Lokeshvara in each of three corners of the verandah and an image of Manjushri in the fourth, for instance, and in the corners below there are four metal statues of monkeys.
Swayambhu Stupa
In the centre of the courtyard there is an enshrined chaitya, identified with Swayambhu. It is believed to be older than the golden temple itself. It has four doors, each with a torana, but only the door opposite the main shrine can be readily accessed. On the banisters around the chaitya there are 12 Lokeśvara images and four Buddha sculptures. The four corners of the temple are protected by metal leogryphs. The gilt roof has umbrellas in different layers and carries images of snakes. The side of the chaitya that is turned towards the main shrine is adorned with several other metal and stone sculptures.
Once a year the chaitya is doused with milk. The milk flows through the spout outside of one of the banisters and falls on a stone that symbolises Vasuki, king of serpents.