Su Temple

NEPAL, Patan

Also known as Suku Temple, its Sanskrit name is Indradeva Samskarita Jaya Manohara Varma Mahavihara. The older forms of its name include Salako Vihara and Sasvaka Vihara. It is situated in Patan and is considered to be one of the oldest temples in that city. The exact year of its construction is unknown. The earliest reference to the temple is found in a manuscript dated 1142. According to its Sanskrit name, King Sakra Deva (reigned circa 1126–1136) from the Thakuri period may have been associated with the founding of this temple.
The temple consists of a closed courtyard and a three-story main shrine facing west. There are stone lions on either side of the gate of the shrine. Above the doorway there is a brass repoussé tympanum with images of Aksobhya Buddha and Prajnaparamita and Avalokitesvara Bodhisattvas, symbolizing the Triple Gem of the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha. On either side of the doorway there are golden flags. On the facade of the second story there is a set of five large windows, on either side of which is one small window with images of Vairocana and Amitabha Buddhas. Above these windows there is a row of seven seated Buddhas. The eaves are supported by struts styled as multi-armed deities. On the top of the roof there is one big and two small stupas, with a small statue of the seated Amitabha Buddha below them. The main shrine contains an image of Aksobhya Buddha. The courtyard is paved and it contains two small stupas and a stone mandala.