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Sleeping Vishnu Budhanilkantha Temple
In the village of Budhanilkantha north of Kathmandu lies a 5 meter tall sleeping Vishnu (Jalasayana, he who sleeps on the waves) in the middle of a small pond. The sculpture from the 5th century represents Vishnu's sleeping in the cosmic ocean while resting on Ananta Sesa the thousend headed snake.
Vishnu is lying with in his four hands the typical Vishnu symbols like the on the picture clearly visible discus (chakra), left of Vishnu's head. The chakra is Vishnu's main weapon to fight demons.
The sleeping Vishnu is located around 15 km north of the center of Kathmandu. In the small village Budhanilkantha close to the entrance of National Park Shivapuri, where you can make a pleasant forrest walk and visit the spring of the holy Bagmati river. You can go by taxi, cycle or bus from Kathmandu.
What is a sleeping Vishnu (Jalasayana) ?
In hindu mythology every major time area (Yuga) starts and ends with Vishnu sleeping in the cosmic ocean for millions of years. The universe starts (explodes ??) with Brahma being born out of the navel of Vishnu. After that Brahma starts creating. When an erea ends everything is sucked back into the breath of Brahma who dissapears again into the navel of Vishnu (implosion ?) and Vishnu will sleep until the next cycle .
The above story is told by Narada (a head figuerre in the Veda's who passes on stories) in the Bhagavata Purana.
