Report on historical tour to Changu Narayan temple,Bhaktapur

We the students of Grade X of XXXXXXXXXX  went on an education tour to the historical Changu narayan temple. The ancient temple of Changu narayan is located in the hill top which is also known as changu. As we observed the temple is surrounded with champak trees and a small village called "Changu Village". The temple is located in Changunarayan VDC of Bhaktapur district. The Manahara River flows besides the hill and adds the natural beauty to the place. This temple is dedicated to Lord Bishnu and is one of the most important places for Hindus. It is also considered one of the oldest temples in Nepal. 

                          Objectives:a. To find about the historical importance of the temple.
b. To find about its Physical structure.
                         Methods of study:
             Findings:
                                        Conclusion and Recommendation:

As we knew that Changu narayan temple was full of history we slowly started jotting down the historical importance of the temple.  This temple was built in Licchavi period and it is one of the Nepal's richest structure historically. In the ground we found out that there is a stone pillar inscription of great importance. It is one of the earliest inscriptions known in Nepal. The temple was burnt in 1702 A.D after which reconstruction was carried out. Later in 1708 A.D more copper inscriptions were found. According to the legends the shrine existed as early as 325 A.D.

We found out that the temple was built in pagoda style and has several designs from the fifth century art. It is one of the masterpieces of Licchavi dynasty. The temple is surrounded by the forests of Champak trees. On the way to temple we found human settlement over there. People of Newar community live around the temple premises. With the development in tourism we can find small hotels and restaurants over there. An ancient stone tap is located on the way to temple and is supposed to be there since the Licchavi time. 

We used two methods of study to find out about the temple. Firstly, we used primary method which involves direct observation to the temple. As we did not had that profound knowledge about the temple we also asked the people nearby the temple about the place. We also got some information from the old people who have been staying there for a lot of time.

                                                              Next we used Secondary methods of study like books, magazines, journals and internet to get the deep knowledge about the place. 

While we were there we found a strange thing about the Changu narayan temple. In ancient time a Gwala, a cow herder brought a cow from a Brahmin named sudarshan. The cow used to give a lot of amount of milk. The cow used to go to changu for grazing. But suddenly one day the cow started giving less amount of milk. But, it went same for several days. One day the herder called the Brahmin and told him about this then they followed the cow to the fields. And they saw next was unusual. The cow went near a small Champak tree and suddenly a small black boy came out of the tree and started drinking the cow's milk. They thought that the boy is devil and Brahmin cut down the champak tree. While cutting the tree a fresh human blood came out from there. They both thought they made a great mistake. But, Lord Bishnu appeared from the tree and told them he committed a mistake by killing sudarshan's father unknowingly while hunting in the forest. From that time Lord Bishnu stayed in the tree and survived drinking the cow's milk. Ever since that day the place has been sacred. We also went to the museum and found old coins, painting and architecture related to the Licchavi dynasty.

Lastly, we can conclude that this place is of great historical and cultural importance. But, due to overpopulation the area near the temple is getting crowded day by day. Modern houses have ruined the beautiful architecture of the temple. Manahara River flows beside the temple but due to over mining of sand and stones there could be the chances of landslide. Overgrazing of cattle’s is also one of the main problems. Due to over grazing the soil is being looser and looser day by day. We can't say that the problem of soil erosion will occur one day. The present condition of the temple was not so good. Government authorities should take initiatives to renovate the temple and the surrounding areas.

Overall our educational tour to Changunarayan temple was fun and learning. 

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