Home / Temples / Nepali Mandir (Kathwala Temple)
Shiva Temple · Heritage architectureBuilt in the 19th century under the patronage of Nepal's royal family as a smaller echo of the Pashupatinath temple in Kathmandu, this wooden pagoda-style shrine stands out instantly from the stone architecture around it on Lalita Ghat.
The whole structure is carved from wood, in a style you won't see anywhere else on the riverfront, and its carved erotic figures along the eaves have earned it the nickname "Mini Khajuraho" — a reference to the much larger and more famous Khajuraho temples in Madhya Pradesh.
It's a compact temple, easy to see in ten or fifteen minutes, but worth the stop purely for the architecture if you're already walking the ghats. Photography of the exterior carvings is generally fine; just check locally before photographing inside the shrine itself.
Because it sits directly on Lalita Ghat, right next to the approach to Kashi Vishwanath, it's one of the easiest heritage stops to fold into a morning boat ride or a ghat walk without adding extra travel time.
Morning light works best for photographing the woodwork
A boat ride past Lalita Ghat, or the walk to Kashi Vishwanath
Entry to the inner shrine may be restricted at times — the exterior is the main draw
It was built under the patronage of Nepal's ruling family in the 19th century and modelled on Kathmandu's Pashupatinath temple, which is how it got both its name and its distinct wooden architecture.
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