Temples of the Kathmandu Valley

Nepal and the Kathmandu Valley in paticulair is scattered with temples. A lot of the temples in Kathmandu Valley are dedicated to Shiva. Who's main temple Pashipatinath in Kathmandu is of extreme importance. Shiva lived togeter with his wife parvati in the forrest arround Pashupatinath in the form of a deer until the other gods and humans missed him so much they begged him to be amongst them. Brahma, Indra and Vishnu hold the dear by it horn, when the horn suddenly broke into three peaces and the dear vanished into the sky. After pleasing shiva, Shiva appeared again and promissed to stay arround. In return Brahma, Vishnu and Indra made a shiva lingam with each piece of the horn of teh dear. The Shiva Lingam made by Brahma himself is inside the Gokarnesha Temple besides the bagmati river next Gokarna forrest not far away from Boudha.
The story about shiva living in the Katmandu Valley as a dear comes from the Purana Nepal-Mahatmya. William P. Forbes translated in his book "the Glory of Nepal" some of these stories and explains where the events took place. It is a very interresting way to explore the temples and nature of the Kathmandu Valley with this book.