The reconstruction of the quake-hit Budhanilkantha Temple has hit a snag for no allocation of adequate budget.
The 2015 earthquake had destroyed the rest house, Lord Shiva Temple, Goddess Saraswati Temple and a wall located on the premises of Budhanilkantha Temple.
Though the Temple management committee put forward its proposal including an investment proposal of Rs 200 million for its reconstruction to Budhanilkantha municipality, the budget is yet to be released from the municipality, shared chief priest of the temple, Swami Nigamananda.
However, Budhanilkantha municipality chief Uddhav Prasad Kharel said they are awaiting the budget release for temple reconstruction from the National Reconstruction Authority (NRA).
The Budhanilkantha Temple has a full-bust statute of the Lord Bishnu sleeping over serpentines. It is stated in the stone carving that the statue was placed at the temple during the time of the then King Bishnu Gupta in 697 BS.
The statue is a black stone structure carved from a single block of black basalt. The statue stands 5 meters tall (around 16.4 feet) and is positioned in the middle of a recessed pool of water, which is 13-metres long.
Hindu revelers from Kathmandu Valley and different parts of the country come to visit the temple with historical importance. It sees special fairs mainly on the days of Haribodhani Ekadashi (in the month of October-November) and Harisayani Ekadashi (in the month of June-July) which marked the celebrations of the awakening and cosmic sleep of Lord Bishnu.
