Chabahil

The Chabahil stupa

Chabahil, one of the most important historical place in Kathmandu, Nepal is famous for its Licchavi stupa, called the Charumati Vihara. The stupa is considered by many historians to be the oldest Buddhist Stupa in Kathmandu Valley. According to the inscriptions found in the stupa, the stupa was built by the famous Indian princess Charumati. According to the book, Dhanavajra Vajracharya, Licchavikalin Abhilekha, Kathmandu : Nepal Asiali Adyayan Sansthan, 2030 B.S. p-392, the stupa became an instant attraction point for pilgrims and Buddhist monks who visited the stupa for centuries. The stupa, according to most historians, dates back to the 3rd Century BC though actual dating has not been done to confirm this.Charumati was a daughter of Indian Emperor Ashoka. She was married to a Nepalese prince in Kathmandu.

Another landmark located in Chabahil is the temple of Chandra Binayak (Ganesh), the Hindu god with the head of an elephant. The temple of Chandra Binayak located on the main market street of Chabahil is one of the four temples of Binayak in the Kathmandu Valley. Devotees flock in this century old temple specially during Tuesdays and other days when Lord Ganesh is worshiped.

Once an ancient town at the northeastern corner of the Kathmandu valley, Chabahil today has morphed itself into a thriving residential and commercial district of the capital city.