View source for Vidhyeshvari Vajra Yogini Temple

{{Short description|Buddhist temple in Nepal}}
{{Infobox religious building
| name                  = Vidhyeshvari Vajra Yogini Temple
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| image                 = Bidjeswori_temple_2016-06-06.jpg
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| location              = Kathmandu
| coordinates           = {{coord|27.7139409|N|85.2985479|E|type:landmark}}
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| religious_affiliation = [[Buddhism]]
| deity                 = [[Vajrayogini|Vīdyādharī Vajrayoginī]]
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| sect                  = Newa
| tradition             = Vajracharya
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| country               = Nepal
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| established           = 1655 <ref name="KtmTemples">{{cite web | url =http://kathmandu-valley-temples.com/ktmvalley_php/main.php?site=rundgang&object=2__Kathmandu_/3__Kathmandu_/3__Bhuikhel_-/5__Bijeshwari/2__Bilasa_Bah/3__Vidyeshvar | title =Vidyeshvari Temple | website =Kathmandu Valley Temples
| access-date =2016-07-09}}</ref>
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The '''Vidhyeshvari Vajra Yogini Temple''' <!-- (Devanagari: ; Newar: ; )-->- also known as the Bijeśvarī Vajrayoginī,<ref name=BangdelThesis>{{cite thesis |last=Bangdel |first=Dina |date=1999 |title=Manifesting the Maṇḍala: A Study of the Core Iconographic Program of Newar Buddhist Monasteries in Nepal |type=PhD |publisher=The Ohio State University|url=https://www.academia.edu/861444|oclc=55970062 }}</ref> Bidjeshwori Bajra Jogini,<ref name="Dowman2007" /> Bijayaswar, Bidjeswori, or Visyasvari Temple<ref name="KtmTemples" /> - is a [[Newar Buddhism|Newar Buddhist]] temple in the [[Kathmandu Valley|Kathmandu valley]] dedicated to the [[Vajrayana|Vajrayāna]] Buddhist deity [[Vajrayogini|Vajrayoginī]] (or Bajra Jogini in the [[Newar language]]) in her form as Akash Yogini. The temple stands on the west bank of the [[Bisnumati River|Bishnumati river]] next to  the ancient religious site of the  Ramadoli (Karnadip) cremation ground and is on the main path from [[Swayambhunath]] stupa (to the west) to [[Kathmandu]].<ref name="Dowman2007">{{cite book |last=Dowman |first=Keith| author-link=Keith Dowman|date=2007 |title=A Buddhist Guide to the Power Places of the Kathmandu Valley |location=Kathmandu |publisher=Vajra Publications |pages=30–31 |isbn=978-9937-506-02-1}}</ref><ref name="DowmanWeb">{{cite web| url=http://keithdowman.net/essays/guide-to-kathmandu-valley.html#BIDJESWORI |last=Dowman |first=Keith| author-link=Keith Dowman|title=A Buddhist Guide to the Power Places of the Kathmandu Valley (web)access-date =2016-07-22}}</ref>
==Significance==
In the Kathmandu valley of Nepal there are several important Newar temples dedicated to different forms of Vajrayogini.<ref>{{Cite book|title=The Iconography of Nepalese Buddhism|first=Min Bahadur|last=Shakya|publisher=Handicraft Association of Nepal|date=1994|location=Kathmandu}}</ref> These temples include the [[Sankhu Bajrayogini Temple|Sankhu Vajrayogini temple]], Vidhyeshvari Vajrayogini temple, [[Pharping#Pharping Vajrayogini temple|Parping Vajrayogini temple]],   Pulchowk Khagayogini temple and the [[Guhyeshwari Temple|Guhyeshwari temple]].<ref name=Sankhu>{{Cite book|title=The Sacred Town of Sankhu:The Anthropology of Newar Ritual, Religion and Society in Nepal|first=Bal Gopal |last=Shrestha| pages=415 |publisher=Cambridge Scholars Publishing|date=2012|location=Newcastle upon Tyne|isbn=978-0861713295}}</ref><ref name="EEnglishPreface">{{Cite book|title=Vajrayoginī:Her Visualizations, Rituals, & Forms|first=Elizabeth |last=English|pages=xxvii-xxviii |publisher=Wisdom Publications|date=2002|location=Boston|isbn=978-1443837705}}</ref>
Vīdyādharī, the 'Knowledge Holder', is the presiding deity of this temple.<ref name="RBeer">{{cite web |first=Robert|last=Beer|title=Vidyadhari Akash Yogini (description) |url= http://www.tibetanart.com/Product.asp?PID=304 |access-date=2016-07-10}}</ref>
The Temple is an important pilgrimage place for [[Tibetan Buddhism|Tibetan Buddhists]] and there is a recently constructed Tibetan Buddhist temple nearby. [[Hinduism in Nepal|Nepali Hindus]] regard the place as a sacred [[Shakti Peetha|Shaktipeeth]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.karma99.com/2013/04/holy-shaktipeeths-in-nepal.htm|title=List of Holy Shaktipeeths in Nepal|access-date=2016-07-09}}</ref>
The [[Hindu]] devi temple of [[Sobha Baghwati]] stands nearby.
==Architecture==
{{Expand section|date=July 2016}}
The main three storied [[Newa architecture|Newa]] [[pagoda]] style temple is the NW corner of the [[Bahal, Nepal|bahal]] courtyard which has a gateway facing the river.
==Images==
In the temple the main image (idol) is of Akash Yogini flying through the sky, her right leg bent up at the knee behind her, and her left leg is pulled up against her breasts with her left arm. Her right arm is behind her holding a [[vajra]] above the sole of her right foot. In the crook of her right arm she holds a [[khaṭvāṅga]]  staff which rests on her left shoulder. This image is about 18 inches high.<ref name="Dowman2007" />
==See also==
*[[Newar Buddhism]]
*[[Vajrayogini]]
==References==
{{Reflist}}
==Other sources==
*{{cite book |last=English |first=Elizabeth |date=2002 |title=Vajrayoginī: Her Visualization, Rituals, and Forms|series=Studies in Indian and Tibetan Buddhism|location=Somerville|publisher=Wisdom Publications|isbn=9780861713295}} - used to find transliteration of Sanskrit names and additional information on Vajrayoginī.
==Further reading==
*Slusser, Mary Shepherd. ''Nepal Mandala: A Cultural Study of the Kathmandu Valley'' (Two Volumes), Princeton University Press 1982. {{ISBN|9780691031286}}
*Pruscha, Carl. ''Kathmandu Valley - The Preservation of Physical Environment and Cultural Heritage - A Protective Inventory'', Vol. 2, Wien 1975
*Seemann, Heinrich. ''Nepal 2029'', Stuttgart 1973
==External links==
{{Buddhist temples in Nepal}}
{{Commons category|Bidjeswori temple}}
[[Category:Vajrayogini temples]]
[[Category:Buddhist temples in Nepal]]
[[Category:Culture of Nepal]]
[[Category:Bahals in Kathmandu]]
[[Category:Newar religion]]
[[Category:World Heritage Sites in Nepal]]
[[Category:Buddhist pilgrimage sites in Nepal]]
[[Category:17th-century establishments in Nepal]]
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