Siddhi Lakshmi Temple

Bhaktapur


The attractive 17th-century stone Siddhi Lakshmi Temple stood by the southeastern corner of Bhaktapur palace until it collapsed in the 2015 earthquake. The steps up to where the temple once stood remain and are flanked by male and female attendants, each leading a child and a rather eager-looking dog. On successive levels the stairs are flanked by horses, garlanded rhinos, human-faced lions and camels. The temple itself was built in the classic shikhara style, commonly seen in northern India.

Behind the temple is a neglected corner of Durbar Sq that contains a pair of massive, lost-looking curly haired stone lions. The small red-brick Vatsala Temple was destroyed in the 2015 earthquake.