Hiranya Varna Mahavihar

Hiranya Varna Mahavihar, often called the Golden Temple, is identifiable by its gleaming façade of polished gilt copper that catches the light even in the narrow lanes of Patan. This three-story Newari Buddhist monastery dates back to fourteen oh nine, though local tradition traces its founding to the twelfth century and King Bhaskar Verma. He supposedly chose the site after witnessing a vision of a golden mouse chasing a cat, a legend that informs the temple's name, as hiranya means gold.