Doleshwor Mahadev

In the green hills south-east of Bhaktapur, at Sipadol in Suryabinayak Municipality, stands the temple of Doleshwor Mahadev. It was once a quiet village shrine, but over the last two decades it has become one of the most visited pilgrimage sites near Sanothimi.

The Kedarnath legend

According to the Mahabharata tradition, after the great war the five Pandava brothers sought Shiva to be forgiven for killing their kin. Shiva avoided them by taking the form of a bull or buffalo and diving into the earth. Different parts of his body are said to have appeared in different places: his hump at Kedarnath in India and other parts at the other Panch Kedar temples in the Himalaya. Many devotees believe that the head emerged at Doleshwor, so that pilgrims to Kedarnath should also visit here to complete the pilgrimage. On 22 August 2009 Jagadguru Bhimashankar Linga Shivacharya of Kedarnath formally declared Doleshwor to be the head of Kedarnath, and pilgrim numbers have grown ever since — though the link remains a matter of faith rather than history.

The temple

The temple itself is a modest pagoda set in a courtyard, surrounded by bells, small shrines and pilgrims' rest houses. The main image is a rock formation worshipped as Shiva. Stone inscriptions nearby show that the site has been sacred for centuries.

Visiting

Doleshwor is about 30–45 minutes by road from Sanothimi. It is busiest on Maha Shivaratri, on Mondays, and during the month of Shrawan. The road passes through farming villages and gives views back over the valley. Remove your shoes before entering the courtyard, and note that leather items may not be allowed inside.