About Dolakha Town
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Grafik Charikot and Dolakha
About Dolakha Town: Bhimsen Temple
Old Dolkha: Chariot pulling
Bhimsen Temple: Pictures
Map
About the Area: Dolakha Town - Bhimsen Temple at Dolkha
One of the major attractions in the town of Dolakha is the Bhimsen Temple.

The main statue featured in the temple is the god Bhim. The statue is known to sweat and it is considered to be a bad omen for the people if it sweats on the left side.

Other temples in the near vicinity include Kalinchwok Temple, Kali Temple and Tripurasundari Temple ,where devotees assemble during the festivals of Chaitrastami and Durga Puja.Only the priest of the temple is allowed to have a glimpse of the image of the Goddess.

The principle deity of Dolakha is Bhimsen, a deity beloved of merchants and renowned for his great strength. Bhirmen the deity in fact has a personality that is borowd from Bhima one of the afore-mentioned Pandava princes.

The actual temple of Bhimsen reputedly owes its origin to the fact that Bhimsen himself appeared and fiercely objected to the fact that tibetan traders were cooking food on the site of what is now the temple. Thus deferring to the God's anger, the towns-people built him a temple on that spot.

The temple houses not an image but a lingam surrounded or entwined with a chain of gilded snakes. This effigy is, of course, more typical of the Shiva cult but the pantheistic tradition of the Nepalese, as all-embracing as they are varied, accords to the Gods all kinds of intricate relationships one with the other and it is not unusual to find a lingam in a temple dedicated to Bhimsen. As if to cement the relationship with the Pandava princes, to the left side of the temple is an image of Draupadi, the wife of of the five brothers. The stone porchway is decorated with on image of the messenger of the Gods, the winged Gaorudo, the Mercury of Hinduism.

A small chariot which is used to ccarry the image during festivals lies in the forecourt and inside this are several clubs, a larger one being propped up outside. The club is the traditional weapon fo Bhimsen. Inside to the bit of the Bhimsen symbol itseif, is a small image of Kunti-mother of the Pandavas.

This temple could indeed date right back to the 7th century when trade with Tibet flourished and there was every reason to propitiate Gods who looked after merchants. It is not unlikely that princesses of Nepal have worshipped at this temple before travelling on to Tibet for marriage with some prince of the High plateau, at a time when Tibet had kings but not God-Kings.

In Dolakha also one can trace the origin of the cult of the Tripuresundari Bhagavati who here is referred to as the mother of Bhimsen.

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Bhimsen Temple
Dolakha: Chariot and stupa Dolkha: Bhimsen Temple Dolkha: Bhimsen Temple
Charikot - Dolakha (Dolkha) Galleries
Bhimsen Temple Information
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