Hiranyavarna Mahavihar, Lalitpur, Bagmati Nepal

 Hiranyavarna Mahavihar is historical Vihara of Nepal situated in Patan, Lalitpur District of Nepal. It is a Buddhist temple known locally as Golden Temple, where rats are fed. This three storey golden pagoda of Lokeshwor (Lord Buddha) was built in the twelfth century by King Bhaskar Verma. Inside the upper storey of the pagoda, are the golden image of Lord Buddha and a large prayer wheel.

Hiranya Varna Mahavihar is also known as Kwa Bahal, Suwarna Mahavihara, or the Golden Temple. This multi storied Buddhist vihar is situated two hundred meters north of the Patan Durbar Square on the way to the five-tiered Kumbheswar Temple. It was built by Vaskar Deva Varma in the twelfth century AD. Though there does not seem to be much recorded in terms of history, it is assumed that it has not been altered since the early nineteenth century.

According to the legends, Queen Pingala of Patan has a part to play in the building of the Golden Temple. After being disgraced and ousted by her husband, she went to live in the Guheswari forest area of Pashupati. There she was visited by a dream that told her to build a vihar (monastery where Buddhist disciples live and learn their scriptures) if she wanted her husband's affection. She ordered for the establishment of a vihara with an idol of Shakya Muni Buddha at Bahalkot, near Pashupati, and started living there. King Sudatta, too, was impressed by his wife's penance and called her back to the palace. Many years later, the monks who were in charge of the vihar left and one of their descendants brought the idol to Patan. King Vaskar Deva Dutta, learned what had happened and built Nhu Vihara at Nyakhachowk in Patan and set the idol within. The king then dreamed that the idol disapproved of the place and told him that a new vihar should be built at a location shown by a mouse chasing a cat. So Vaskar Deva Dutta started looking and one day he saw a golden mouse chasing a cat. The king immediately set to work at building a vihara, and named it "Hiranya Varna Mahavihar," the golden Buddhist monastery.