Guhyeshwari Temple
| Guhyeshwari Temple | |
|---|---|
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Hinduism |
| District | Kathmandu |
| Deity | Guhyakali |
| Festivals | |
| Location | |
| Location | Kathmandu |
| Country | Nepal |
Location in Kathmandu | |
| Coordinates | 27°42′40″N 85°21′12″E / 27.71111°N 85.35333°E |
| Architecture | |
| Type | Newar Architecture |
| Inscriptions | Inscription of Pratap Malla |
Guhyeshwari Temple (Nepali: गुह्येश्वरी मन्दिर), also spelled Guheswari or Gujeshwari, is a Hindu temple in Kathmandu, Nepal. The temple is a Shakta pitha and is about 1km east of Pashupati Kshetra and is located on the southern bank of the Bagmati River.[1] It is an important pilgrimage destination especially for Tantric worshipers. King Pratap Malla renovated this temple in the 17th century.
The Devi Bhagavata Purana mentions this temple in its list of sacred places of Adishakti and refers to the deity of Nepal as Guhyakali.[2][3]
गुह्यकाल्या महास्थानं नेपाले यत्प्रतिष्ठितम्।
The great abode of Śrī Guhya Kālī is established in Nepal
— Devī Bhāgavatam 7th Canto, Chapter 38, Verse 11
The temple's name originates from the Sanskrit words Guhya (secret or hidden) and Ishwari (goddess). The Guhyeshwari Temple marks the spot where Sati's anus and rectum are said to have fallen.[4]
The daily rituals (nitya pūjā) at the Guhyeśvarī Temple are performed by a priestly clan from the Newar community, in accordance with the Sarvamnaya Tantra. The temple's regular tantric rites are conducted by the Karmacharya, who are the traditional Kaula priests. On special occasions and during major ceremonies, Rajopadhyaya Brahmins, who are both Vedic and Kaula priests, perform the Vedic rituals, while the Karmacharya continues to officiate the tantric rites.[5]
Legend
According to the Meru Tantra and the Himavatkhanda of the Skanda Purana, the Guhyeshwari temple is the place where Sati's anus and rectum fell.[6] The same account is also found in the Devamala Vamshavali, Bhasa Vamshavali and Svasthani Vratakatha.[7][8][9]
These texts refer to this temple as the place where Sati’s guhya or guda fell, and refers the deity by various names such as Guhyakālī, Guhyeśī, Guhyeśvarī, Guhyakeśvarī, and Guhyakālikā. The consort of Guhyeshwari is mentioned as Pashupati in the Manthanbhairava Tantra.[2]
The Varahi Tantra, ignores which part of Sati’s body part fell. It mentions "Nepāla Guhyamaṇḍalaṃ" lit. 'The Guhya Mandala of Nepal' being 1 crore time merit bestowing than other places and states that there is no Shaktipeetha greater than Guhyeshwari.[10][11]
The Guhyeshwari temple should not be confused with the Shaktipeetha mentioned in the Peethanirnaya from Tantra Chudamani, where Sati's both knees are said to have fallen in Nepal and the presiding deity is Mahamaya. According to the Nepal Mahatmya 11.107 and 1.38, Sati's both knees fell near the confluence of the Vishnumati and Bagmati rivers, where the presiding deity is Mahamaya, while the Anus fell near the Bagmati river close to the Mrigasthali of the Pashupati temple, and the deity is Guhyeshwari or Guhyakali.[12]
The Tripura Rahasya's Mahatmya Khanda lists 12 places where Goddess Lalita always resides and refers to her form in Nepal as Guhyakeshvari (Tripura Rahasya 1.48.74: Nepāle Guhyakeśvarī). In Lalitha Sahasranama the 707th name of the Goddess is mentioned as "Guhyarupini" (Lalita Sahasranama 137th verse: Sarasvatī śāstramayī, Guhāmbā guhyarūpiṇī).[13] The 51 Shakta pithas also correspond to 51 letters of the Sanskrit alphabet, Guhyeshwari represent I letter.[14] This temple is revered by Tantric practitioners, and Tantric rites are performed in this temple. The temple gets very crowded during Navaratri and Jatras.[15]
Vajrayana Buddhism
Vajrayana Buddhists consider Guhyeshwari to be sacred to Vajrayogini in the form of Vajravarahi and to be the location of root of the mythical lotus upon which Swayambhunath stupa rests, which is also the umbilical cord that nurtures Kathmandu. In Tibetan language, the place is called Pag-mo Ngal-chu (Varahi's womb fluid). The water which flows from the spring in the well of the temple is believed to be vaginal discharge, likely amniotic fluid, or waters of Vajravarahi.[16]
References
- ^ "Kathmandu page 4". virtualtraveling.endesign.nl. Retrieved 2014-01-25.
- ^ a b Joshi 2009, p. 20.
- ^ www.wisdomlib.org (2017-10-25). "The Vows and the Sacred Places of the Devī [Chapter 38]". www.wisdomlib.org. Retrieved 2025-04-30.
- ^ Acharya 1952, p. 33.
- ^ Acharya, Baburam (1952). Nepal, Newa and Newa language. Kathmandu, Nepal: Nepal-Sanskritik Parisad.
- ^ Joshi, Narayana (2009). Temples of Nepal. Kathmandu, Nepal: Education Publishing.
- ^ Paudel, Nayanath. Bhasha Vamshavali (in Nepali). Nepal Rashtriya Pustakalaya. p. 3. Retrieved 2025-08-23. नेपालं तु इकारः स्याद् गुदं तत्र तु पार्वती। तस्मात् वामस्य मार्गस्य मूलस्थानं तदुच्यते॥ इकार बीज भयाका नेपाल जो छन् सो त्यहाँ गुदस्थान पतन हुँदा वामाचारको मुलस्थान भनी त्यसकन भन्दछन्।
- ^ Yogi, Naraharinath. Devamala Vamshavali (in Nepali). p. 14. Retrieved 2025-08-23. नेपालमा पहिले गुह्यस्थान पतन भयो र श्री ओं गुह्यश्वरी देवी, चन्द्र घण्टा योगिनी, सिद्धेश्वर महादेव, उत्पत्ति भए, श्री गुह्येश्वरी पिठ बढ़ो प्रत्यक्ष हुन् यी गुह्यकाली नेपालमा बिराजमान छिन्।
- ^ Brihat Svasthani Vratakatha (in Nepali). p. 86. Retrieved 2025-08-23.सबभन्दा पहिले नेपालमा गुह्वा पतन भयो। नेपाल पीठ, गुह्वोश्वरी देवी,चन्द्रधण्टा योगिनी,सिद्धेश्वर महादेव उत्पन्न भए, शिव-शक्ति स्वरूपले रहे।
- ^ www.wisdomlib.org (2024-01-09). "Chapter 15 - The worship of Siddhilakṣmī". www.wisdomlib.org. Retrieved 2025-08-23.
- ^ Joshi 2009, p. 21.
- ^ Joshi 2009, p. 25.
- ^ "Shakti Sadhana Org: : LalithA SahasranAma". shaktisadhana.50megs.com. Retrieved 2014-01-25.
- ^ "ഇതു ദക്ഷ യാഗ ഭൂമി". Malayala Manorama. 2013. Archived from the original on 2013-07-23. Retrieved 2013-07-23.
- ^ "Kottiyoor Devaswam Temple Administration Portal". kottiyoordevaswom.com/. Kottiyoor Devaswam. Retrieved 20 July 2013.
- ^ Dowman, Keith (2007). A Buddhist Guide to the Power Places of the Kathmandu Valley. Kathmandu: Vajra Publications. pp. 59–60. ISBN 978-9937-506-02-1.