Dau Temple

NEPAL, Patan

The Sanskrit name for this temple is Rudradeva Gargagotra Varma Samskarita Dattanama Mahavihara. It is said that Rudradeva Varma from the Thakuri period (circa 879–1250) built this temple, but the oldest inscription on the site is dated 1586. According to a chronicle, the temple already existed at the time of King Siddhi Narasimha (reigned 1619–1661) of Malla.
The temple consists of the courtyard and the well-preserved main shrine, which is three stories high. Only the third story has eaves. The tympanum above the doorway of the shrine is finished in repoussé: the central figure is an eight-armed Vairocana Buddha, flanked by six-armed figures and surmounted by the other four-armed Dhyani Buddhas. On either side of the doorway there are repoussé images of Sariputra and Maudgalyayana, together with two golden flags. Above the doorway on the facade there are the usual five windows for the Five Dhyani Buddhas. Above the window in the center there is a tympanum decorated with images of Aksobhya Buddha, Prajnaparamita and Avalokitesvara Bodhisattvas, symbolizing the Triple Gem of the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha. Above the tympanum there is a frieze with a row of seated Buddhas. The third story has a balcony with two huge windows at the sides. On the roof there is a cupola on which stands a finial. This architectural feature is specific to temples in this region. The main statue within the shrine is that of Aksobhya Buddha. At the center of the courtyard there are five small stupas and two stone mandalas.