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Dakshinkali Temple

Dakshinkali Temple, Kathmandu

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Dakshinkali Temple

See all things to do
See all things to do
Dakshinkali Temple
4.5
235
#18 of 184 things to do in Kathmandu
Religious Sites
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This temple is dedicated to the ferocious goddess Kali, to whom animals are sacrificed twice a week.
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4.5
235 reviews
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2
Rahul G
Jodhpur, India213 contributions
jai ma kali
Dec. 2020
amazing temple. brings peace and a kind of vibration once you enter the premises. great art and architecture. blissful and serene place for blessings of the ma kali. . even in the times of covid, it is open for blessing seekers.
Written 31 December 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Jalal Iqbal
Dhaka City, Bangladesh1,463 contributions
Kali temple
May 2019
a typical temple for Hindus. not clean or nice. animals are sacrificed here. can be crowded on special days.
Written 16 March 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
The_Traveling_Expat
Chicago, IL339 contributions
Live Animal Sacrifices...Not for the Sensitive of Quesy!
Dec. 2019
Apparently Tuesday and Saturday are the two days when there are a lot of animal sacrifices. However, when I went, my guide told me that sacrifices happen daily, and that many tourists do not come here because of the live sacrifices. I have a strong stomach, so I was eager to witness this.

For me, the most memorable part of the trip was seeing a chicken and 2 goats get sacrificed while alive. It is not possible to take pictures, but it it possible to witness the beheading of the animals. This is not for people who have weak stomachs. There is a lot of blood, and if you are animal lover, you will not want to see this, but I thought it was fascinating to see the cultural practices of different religions.
Written 30 December 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
rama1
Melbourne, Australia975 contributions
Very interesting. Bit confusing.
Oct. 2019
To an outsider, this temple is a bit confusing.
It was great to see the locals going about their daily life.
Well worth a visit.
Written 30 October 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Dilip S
Vadodara, India1,122 contributions
Temple Visit - Not for Feint Hearted
Nov. 2018
I left Shambling Boutique Hotel at 1500 and reached Pharping village , 22 km away from Kathmandu at 1600 on 3rd November , 2018 . The village was an one street one . I followed the street boasting stalls selling Pooja materials, trinkets and cocks, pigeons & uncastrated male goats for sacrifice .

At the end of the street , on the left side there were long stairs leading to the revered Dakshinkali Temple . As I didn’t want to offer any sacrifice and just wanted to take photographs , there was no need for me to stand in the queue . Near the temple , there was a raised view point to witness the proceedings .

Main entrance was protected by beautiful brass fencing . There were many little ,beautiful brass lamps fixed on the fencing . Two intricately carved brass lions were guarding the entrance of this fencing .

People carrying the animals directly went to the place where they were sacrificed to the goddess Kali . It seemed goats knew their imminent death as it was reflected in their eyes . They were very reluctant to move forward . I documented sacrifices of few cocks , goats and a buffalo . It was a gory job to do . Two young men ln hoodies , were so expert in slicing the neck of cocks , in front of a 60 cm high Kali statue , that in a single sweep of knife they used to behead the cock and threw the head over an adjoining roof . Crows were partying on such heads .

After the sacrifice , the devotees sprinkle the cock / goat blood on both themselves and the Kali idol . Then they used to drag their offerings to the nearby bloody stream to , wash , butcher and prepare the feast .

Tips :

Timings : 0600 to 2100

Sacrifices are offered only on Tuesday and Saturday

If one wants to sacrifice the animal / bird , she should be mentally prepared to stand in a queue for at least a couple of hours .

If one wants to just witness and document the process , she need not stand in a queue .

The process of sacrifice used to come to a halt between 1200 and 1300 to clean kilo litres of blood on the idol and the floor .

The gory experience is not for any feint hearted human being .
Written 2 October 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Shuddho G
Kolkata (Calcutta), India836 contributions
Must visit for Hindu's
Jul. 2019 • Solo
Goddess Kali is an incarnation of Mother Goddess Durga in Hindu mythology and is the destroyer of all evil.Very powerful and if you pray to her then bad elements of your life can be removed.
Written 16 July 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Satish G
Kathmandu, Nepal30 contributions
Worship place of Hindu's goddess Kali
Jun. 2019 • Family
Its located a little bit out from main city. All the hindus from all over nepal came here to worship for their good times
Written 5 June 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
ginnyg0708
London, UK171 contributions
Not amazing but I enjoyed it
Apr. 2019 • Solo
The road o the temple is really bumpy so get a 4x4! There is a walkway down to the temple lined with stalls selling flowers, spices and chickens! The temple itself is small but of great religious importance. I also climbed up the hill to a small shrine.
Written 25 April 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Pantelis_Rhodes
Rhodes Town, Greece151 contributions
Live,crowdy and dirty
Dec. 2018 • Couples
This temple was very populous and very dirty . On the other hand it was full of local worshipers. You had the feeling that people consider the temple sacre and special. In architectural terms there was not something particular to remember. It worths a visit just to see how Nepalese behave in their temples.
Written 18 December 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
kishoremaharjan
Patan (Lalitpur), Nepal5 contributions
A place for Hindu pilgrims and all categories of tourists to visit.
Nov. 2018
Dakshinkali Temple with Dakshinkali Goddess, a powerful form of Kali, is one of the most frequented temples in Kathmandu Valley. Although famous for large number of animal sacrifices, the area also has many more interesting events to offer. Located in the Pharping Municipality, the greater Pharping town is of equally greater importance to Buddhists. Dotted with dozens of Buddhists monastries, the region is rife with Buddhist and Hindu scholars alike. Being a big settlement when Kathmandu Valley was still a huge lake known as Nagdaha, the location would of special interest to all history lovers as well.
Written 22 November 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
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