Nepali Mandir, Hindu temple at Lalita Ghat, Varanasi, India.
Nepali Mandir is a Hindu temple at Lalita Ghat in Varanasi, built in a pagoda style using reddish stone and carved wood. It rises in stacked levels with curved rooflines and decorated panels at each tier, a form typical of Nepali religious architecture.
Construction began around 1800 while Nepal's King Rana Bahadur Shah was living in the city in exile. His son completed the project about two decades later, and the temple has stood since as a lasting religious link between Nepal and Varanasi.
The temple is known for its woodwork, which brings together Nepali carving styles with North Indian motifs. Visitors can study these details closely on doorframes, walls, and pillars as they walk through the interior.
The temple sits right along the riverfront and is easy to reach on foot from the surrounding ghat areas. The stone steps along the ghats can be narrow and uneven, so sturdy footwear is a good idea.
The reddish stone used to build the temple was brought from Nepal, transported over mountain passes to reach Varanasi, making this one of the few structures in the city built with material from the Himalayan kingdom. This origin gives the building a look that stands apart from other temples along the ghat.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
