South of the Mahabouddha Temple, this ancient Buddhist monastery is one of the best known in Patan. The main courtyard is jam-packed with statuary and metalwork – dorje (thunderbolt symbols), bells, peacocks, elephants, Garudas, rampant goats, kneeling devotees, a regal-looking statue of a Rana general and, rather incongruously, a pair of Victorian-style British lions that look like they could have been lifted straight from London’s Trafalgar Sq.
The monastery has been used for centuries, and the wooden roof struts are some of the oldest in the valley, but much of what you can see today dates back to the 19th century. Behind the monastery is a Swayambhunath-style stupa accessed by a side door.
