Jagganath Temple, Kathmandu

The Jagannath Temple is a historic structure located in Hanuman Dhoka Darbar Square in Kathmandu. It is one of the oldest temples in the square, with a foundation date traced back to 1563, as marked at the base of the temple's central statue. This date places the temple's construction during the early reign of Mahendra Malla (1560–1574), correcting earlier misconceptions and attributing it to King Pratap Malla. Architectural historian Michael Hutt has helped clarify this timeline, highlighting its significance in the architectural history of the region.

The temple exemplifies Newar architecture, constructed with brick and wood and situated on a low plinth. Its design is comparable to the contemporary Char Narayan temple in Patan, featuring outer walls with three-doored portals. These portals lead to an ambulatory around a central cella, which is accessible only to priests. The temple’s layout includes blocked passageways at specific corners to distinctly separate the main shrine from the central image.

Architectural and decorative elements of the Jagannath Temple are particularly notable. It features four small two-tiered towers at each corner. The temple houses a ground floor of 8.3 meters on each side, surmounted by two tiers of roofs upheld by 48 intricately carved wooden brackets. These brackets are celebrated for depicting deities with four heads and eight arms, representing the twenty-four forms of Vishnu, and are considered some of the finest carvings in the palace square.

Despite the artistic value of the main carvings, the temple also features friezes of lesser quality below each bracket that depict erotic scenes involving humans and animals. These have been critiqued for their lack of artistic merit compared to the major figures and have faded over time, moving from vibrant colors to a monochrome appearance as noted in recent assessments.