Nepal: A man rests against a guardian lion at the Kasthamandap Temple, Durbar Square, Kathmandu...

The Kasthamandap, reputedly built from the wood of a single Sal tree, is a kind of half-open, airy pavilion, covered with a three-tiered roof. The simplicity of the building belies its importance. The Kasthamandap is thought to have been built in the 14th century, but its origins may go back even further. The present building is presumed to date back to the reign of King Lakshminarasinha (1617-41). The Kasthamandap contains a small shrine dedicated to saint Gorakhnath, and, in line with Gorakhnath’s bizarre exploits, spiritual aspirants are said in the past to have gathered there to perform the Tantric rite of chakra-puja, or 'circle-worship' (from the Sanskrit chakra, 'circle' and puja, 'worship, prayer').