Nepal: The 17th century Krishna Temple (Krishna Mandir), Durbar Square, Patan, Kathmandu Valley (1987)

The Krishna Temple (Krishna Mandir) on the northern side of the Char-Narayan Temple was said to have been the favourite of its builder Siddhinarasinha Malla. Built from 1667 to 1673 CE, the temple is thought to be based on the design of a famous Krishna temple in Mathura in Northern India. The temple boasts three floors surrounded by passages, and is topped with a high shikhara tower. The most interesting features of the temple are the delicate stone carvings that depict scenes from the Mahabharata (first storey) and Ramayana (second storey). The scenes are arranged in chronological order. The temple is the focus of the Krishnashtami celebrations marking Krishna’s birthday in August or September.