Mahabuddha Temple – A complete guide

One of the things I love about Nepal is that it never ceases to surprise. The Mahabuddha temple is one of those places not many tourists go to but that should be on everyone’s bucket list when visiting Nepal. I have always seen it as one of the best things to do in Patan. In this guide we will explore the history of this temple and what to do in the area. 

History of the Mahabuddha Temple Patan

The Temple of Mahabuddha is a temple that is dedicated to – you probably already guessed it – Buddha. Well, more precisely: Siddharta Gautama, the historical Buddha who was born in Lumbini, here in the South of Nepal.

It was priest Abhaya Raj, a member of the Uku Baha monastery who initiated the building of this marvelous structure. Abhaya Raj sadly never got to see his beautiful temple as he died before it ever finished in 1601. 

Mahabuddha and Mahabodhi

The design of the Mahabuddha temple was inspired by the gorgeous Mahabodhi Temple at Bodhgaya, India. This temple is one of the four holy sites related to the life of Lord Buddha. The first temple was built in the 3rd century BC and the current temple dates back to the 5th or 6th century BC.

Abhaya Raj, the priest that built the Mahabuddha temple, visited MahaBodhi and was so impressed that he wanted to bring the beauty of the temple back to his own monastery and beloved town, Patan.

Mahabuddha temple detail
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A temple built by a coin maker

The legend goes that when visiting Bodhgaya, Abhaya Raj learned how to melt copper and make copper coins. This was a very sought after skill at the time. King Amar Malla needed specialists as Kathmandu had a monopoly on minting the coins that were used in Tibet at the time.

Although many of the houses here are new, a couple of the newar houses here in the square of the Mahabuddha temple actually belonged to the bronze makers. It is said that some of them still belong to the descendants of Abhaya Raj.

Back in the 16th century, Abhaya seemed to be in luck. When he returned to Patan the king installed him as coinmaker. As you might imagine, this was a very well-paid job which meant that he had the financial means to sponsor and build this gorgeous temple.

9000 Buddhas?

Apart from its official name, Mahabuddha, the temple is also called ‘’ The temple of a thousand buddhas’’ as an images if buddha can be found all around the temple, from the bottom to the top. Nobody really knows how many buddhas can be found on the temple – some say 1000, others go as far as to say 9000. You can let me know in the comments how many you think there are!

They really did put a lot of work into this temple as not all the buddhas are the same. The buddhas will differ depending to cardinal points.

Mahabuddha, the Terracotta temple

Another amazing fact is that this temple is completely made out of terracotta. Terracotta is a coarse and porous type of clay that was often used throughout Europe and Asia – think for instance of the Terracotta Army and basically most of prehistoric art…

Mayadevi temple

Next to the temple you can find a little shrine to Maya Devi, the mother of Buddha. This shrine is much more recent. After a large earthquake in 1934, the Mahabuddha temple was severely damaged. The workers sadly had no plans, drawings or pictures to work from. 

In the end there were many spare bricks. These spare bricks were then used to build this smaller shrine to Maya Devi.

Is Mahabuddha worth a visit?

Mahabuddha Torana

Mahabuddha is definately worth a visit if you are in Patan. This gorgeous temple is tucked away in a courtyard and you will need Google Maps to find it. Nevertheless, the temple is often very calm and quiet with hardly any tourists visiting it. Mahabuddha is only a small detour from the Durbar Sqaure and some of the more famous temples so it would be a shame to miss out on this amazing temple. 

Mahabuddha Entry Fee

From what I can see, entry to Mahabuddha is free. There is a donation box and I would ask you to please donate a little for the upkeep of this beautiful temple and courtyard.

Opening Hours for Mahabuddha temple

I am not sure about the open hours of the Mahabuddha temple, but since this is an active religious shrine it might be open 24/7. The best time to visit Mahabuddha is in the morning when you can see people light candles and walk around the temple. 

Tips for visiting the Mahabuddha Temple

  • Always walk clockwise around the temple. It is considered to be rude not to. 
  • The entrance fee is free but it would be nice of you to donate 
  • The courtyard of the Mahabuddha temple houses some shops of world renowned copper smiths making Biddhist statues 
  • You can also walk around the Mayadhevi temple 
  • There is a guesthouse nearby and I am sure that if you ask nicely they will allow you to their roof to take a picture of the Mahabuddha temple

What tours include a visit to Mahabuddha Temple?

If you do not have a lot of time to find your own way through Patan, you could also take a tour. I have listed a couple of tours which include a visit to Mahabuddha or where you can ask the guide to take you past Mahabuddha. 

Where to stay near Mahabuddha

  • Pahan Chhen –  This boutique hotel has an amazing rooftop restaurant my husband and I love and it is literally right on the Durbar Square. Check prices here. 
  • The Inn – The Inn is an institution in Patan and known for its amazing and beautiful rooms and gorgeous town. It is very well located and it is one of the hotels I would stay at if I was visiting Kathmandu. Check prices here. 
  • Hotel Timilia – This is another famously great hotel in Patan. They have a beautiful rooftop and their rooms are very large and incredibly comfortable. Anyway, you can’t go wrong with a score of 9.6(!!). You can find out prices here. 

Patan is one of the best areas to stay in Kathmandu. If you are on a budget you can check out my article on the best hostels to stay in Thamel

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