Krisnhna Mandir, Lalitpur, Bagmati Nepal

Krishna Mandir, the three storeyed Shikhara type of stone Temple of Lord Krishna, is situated in the Durbar Square of Lalitpur. It was built by King siddhi Narsingha Malla of Lalitpur(Paten) in 1637 AD.

The Krishna temple is built in the Shikhara style, imported from India. Beneath its 21 golden pinnacles are three floors. The first floor enshrines Krishna, the second Shiva, and the third Lokeshwor. Scenes from the Ramayana narrated in Newari script decorate the interior of the temple.

It is the only temple having 21 golden spires, and is completely made of stone.The carvings on the walls of the second floor depict war second from ancient Hindu epics Ramayana and Mahabharata, and show the mastery of Nepalese medieval architects in stone works. In front of the temple, there stands a statue of an eagle, made of metal at the top of the stone pillar, representing the vehicle of Lord Krishna.This first ever temple in Shikhara style has eight sides, and the myth says that all these sides resemble the eight wives of a Mala King from Newar clam of Patan, who committed sati by burning themselves in the funeral pyre of their husband, when he died.During Krishnastami, thousands of devotees in their fine red garments and ornament, are seen in the Durbar Square of Patan, paying homage to Lord Krishna.It is supposed to be the first specimen of Shikhara style architecture in Nepal.