Sankhu
Encyclopedia
Sankhu is a village development committee in Kathmandu District
in the Bagmati Zone
of central Nepal
. At the time of the 1991 Nepal census
it had a population of 2097 living in 353 individual households.
This place is also known as the Eighty Siddhas as there are four of five caves where the siddha
s of India are said to have stayed. One of the caves is also said to have been the practice cave of Nagarjuna
, and an image of the great master which was originally in the cave has been taken outside and placed some distance away.
The present temple was built by Raja Prakas Malla in 1655. It enshrines the main sacred representations of this site, Ugra-tara manifesting as Ekazati, which are said to give very powerful blessings, particularly the image in the upper temple. The image in the lower temple is red in colour with one face and four arms, two of which hold a skull-cup (kapala) and knife at her heart, and the remaining two hold a sword and an utpala
lotus. In the upper temple is an identical image of Ugra-tara in bell metal, in which her left leg is outstretched. In the upper temple is the loom of the Nepali Princess Brhikuti, spouse of the Tibetan king Songtsen Gampo
. In both the upper and lower temples, Vajrayogini is flanked Baghini and Singhini, the Tiger and Lion-headed Yoginis. In the same upper room in the upper temple is a solid bronze standing Buddha
and a standing Lokeshvara. Below this shrine room is a small room containing self-arisen (swayambhu) stupa in stone.
On the hill behind there is a courtyard in the centre of which is a basin containing the “Water of the Kalpa” which never dries up. In the building immediately to the left of the stairs, there is also an eternal fire or “Fire of the Kalpa”. Further up, on top of the hill, is the Mani-linga.
In the Kathmandu Valley Padmasambhava
made a pilgrimage to Sankhu where he met Shakyadevi and took her to Yangleshö. Vairotsana
, leaving Tibet after his teachings were slandered, stopped in Nepal and offered a golden icon to the monastery of Sankhu. Guru Rinpoche left a number of terma
s in Sankhu and around.
Sankhu is also the site of the month long worship to the Goddess Swasthani. The Swasthani Purnima is a tribute to the Goddess through fasting, meditation and ritual bathing, mainly by women. It begins on the full moon of the Nepali month of Magh and ends on the full moon of the Nepali month of Phagun.
Women spend 31 days at the temple, sleeping, eating and meditating. It is believed women who perform this puja will have their wish granted. Outside the temple, the riverbank of the Sali Nadi is thought to be the site where Goddess Parvati bathed during her month of meditations dedicated to Swasthani.
Kathmandu District
Kathmandu District is a district located in Kathmandu Valley, Bagmati Zone of Nepal, a landlocked country in South Asia. It is one of the seventy-five districts of Nepal, covers an area of 395 km2 and is the most densely populated district of Nepal with a population of 1,081,845 in 2001...
in the Bagmati Zone
Bagmati Zone
Bagmati Zone Bagmati is divided into eight districts:- See also :*Zones of Nepal*Regions of Nepal*Districts of Nepal...
of central Nepal
Nepal
Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
. At the time of the 1991 Nepal census
1991 Nepal census
The 1991 Nepal census was a widespread national census conducted by the Nepal Central Bureau of Statistics.Working with Nepal's Village Development Committees at a district level,...
it had a population of 2097 living in 353 individual households.
This place is also known as the Eighty Siddhas as there are four of five caves where the siddha
Siddha
A Siddha सिद्ध in Sanskrit means "one who is accomplished" and refers to perfected masters who, according to Hindu belief, have transcended the ahamkara , have subdued their minds to be subservient to their Awareness, and have transformed their bodies into a different kind of body dominated by...
s of India are said to have stayed. One of the caves is also said to have been the practice cave of Nagarjuna
Nagarjuna
Nāgārjuna was an important Buddhist teacher and philosopher. Along with his disciple Āryadeva, he is credited with founding the Mādhyamaka school of Mahāyāna Buddhism...
, and an image of the great master which was originally in the cave has been taken outside and placed some distance away.
The present temple was built by Raja Prakas Malla in 1655. It enshrines the main sacred representations of this site, Ugra-tara manifesting as Ekazati, which are said to give very powerful blessings, particularly the image in the upper temple. The image in the lower temple is red in colour with one face and four arms, two of which hold a skull-cup (kapala) and knife at her heart, and the remaining two hold a sword and an utpala
Utpala
Utpala or ' is the name of a 10th century Indian commentator of Vārāha Mihira's Brihat Samhitā. Brihat Samhitā is a Samhitā text of . Samhitā is one of three branches of Utpala or ' is the name of a 10th century Indian commentator of Vārāha Mihira's Brihat Samhitā. Brihat Samhitā is a...
lotus. In the upper temple is an identical image of Ugra-tara in bell metal, in which her left leg is outstretched. In the upper temple is the loom of the Nepali Princess Brhikuti, spouse of the Tibetan king Songtsen Gampo
Songtsen Gampo
Songtsän Gampo Songtsän Gampo Songtsän Gampo (Tibetan: སྲོང་བཙན་སྒམ་པོ་, Wylie: Srong-btsan sGam-po, 569–649?/605–649? was the founder of the Tibetan Empire (Tibetan: Bod; ), by tradition held to be the thirty-third ruler in his dynasty. In the Chinese records, his name is given as 'Sōngzàngānbù'...
. In both the upper and lower temples, Vajrayogini is flanked Baghini and Singhini, the Tiger and Lion-headed Yoginis. In the same upper room in the upper temple is a solid bronze standing Buddha
Buddha
In Buddhism, buddhahood is the state of perfect enlightenment attained by a buddha .In Buddhism, the term buddha usually refers to one who has become enlightened...
and a standing Lokeshvara. Below this shrine room is a small room containing self-arisen (swayambhu) stupa in stone.
On the hill behind there is a courtyard in the centre of which is a basin containing the “Water of the Kalpa” which never dries up. In the building immediately to the left of the stairs, there is also an eternal fire or “Fire of the Kalpa”. Further up, on top of the hill, is the Mani-linga.
In the Kathmandu Valley Padmasambhava
Padmasambhava
Padmasambhava ; Mongolian ловон Бадмажунай, lovon Badmajunai, , Means The Lotus-Born, was a sage guru from Oddiyāna who is said to have transmitted Vajrayana Buddhism to Bhutan and Tibet and neighbouring countries in the 8th century...
made a pilgrimage to Sankhu where he met Shakyadevi and took her to Yangleshö. Vairotsana
Vairotsana
This article is about the Tibetan translator. For the primordial Buddha Vairocana, please see VairocanaVairotsana of 'Pagor' was a Tibetan translator living during the reign of King Trisong Detsen...
, leaving Tibet after his teachings were slandered, stopped in Nepal and offered a golden icon to the monastery of Sankhu. Guru Rinpoche left a number of terma
Terma (religion)
Terma are key Tibetan Buddhist and Bön teachings, which the tradition holds were originally esoterically hidden by various adepts such as Padmasambhava and his consorts in the 8th century for future discovery at auspicious times by other adepts, known as tertöns. As such, they represent a...
s in Sankhu and around.
Sankhu is also the site of the month long worship to the Goddess Swasthani. The Swasthani Purnima is a tribute to the Goddess through fasting, meditation and ritual bathing, mainly by women. It begins on the full moon of the Nepali month of Magh and ends on the full moon of the Nepali month of Phagun.
Women spend 31 days at the temple, sleeping, eating and meditating. It is believed women who perform this puja will have their wish granted. Outside the temple, the riverbank of the Sali Nadi is thought to be the site where Goddess Parvati bathed during her month of meditations dedicated to Swasthani.