Budhanilkantha
A 5-metre stone Vishnu reclining on a bed of serpents in a pond, carved in the Licchavi period.
At the foot of Shivapuri hill, a single block of black stone carved as Vishnu sleeping on the coils of the cosmic serpent Ananta lies in a small tank of water. It dates from around the 7th century, in the Licchavi period, and is the largest stone sculpture in the valley.
Priests bathe and dress the image each morning. The biggest fair is at Haribodhini Ekadashi in Kartik, when Vishnu is believed to wake from his four-month sleep. Nepal's kings traditionally never visited, following a prophecy.
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