About 600m downhill from the main junction at Pharping, in the direction of Kathmandu, the Shesh (or Sekh) Narayan Temple is a highly revered Vishnu shrine surrounded by ponds and statues, tucked beneath a rocky cliff wall and a Tibetan monastery . The main temple was built in the 17th century, but it’s believed that the cave to the right (now dedicated to Padmasambhava, or Guru Rinpoche) has been a place of pilgrimage for far longer.
There are some artfully carved Licchavi-era statues in the courtyard, including lively depictions of Ganesh and Hanuman. The surrounding ponds are full of koi carp and semi-submerged carvings, including an image of Aditya, framed by a stone arch. If you are lucky you might catch devotional religious music being played in the pavilion by the pools. Temple priests might try and bless you – for a donation.
