The south of Kathmandu’s old city was the heart of the ancient city in the Licchavi period (4th to 8th centuries) and its major temple is the tall, triple-roofed Jaisi Deval Temple, built just two years before Durbar Sq’s famous Maju Deval (which is one platform higher). It’s a Shiva temple, as indicated by the bull on the first few steps and the mildly erotic carvings on some of the temple struts.
On the west side of the road from the temple is a natural stone lingam rising a good 2m from a yoni (female equivalent of a phallic symbol). The monolith is definitely a god-sized phallic symbol and a prayer here is said to aid fertility.
In its procession around the town during the Indra Jatra festival, the Kumari Devi’s chariot pauses here and dances are held on the small platform across from the temple.
