Tripureshwor Mahadev Temple is located at south Kathmandu in Nepal. The temple is dedicated to Mahadeva Shiva in the form Tripureshwar – one who destroyed the three demon cities. The shrine lies at the confluence of the Bagmati River and Ichu Nadi.
The shrine was built in 1817-18 by Queen Lalit Tripura Sundari Devi (1794-1832) in memory of her husband King Rana Bahadur Shah.
The shrine has a Shivling in the sanctum sanctorum. A sculpture of the queen worshipping the Shivling with a hood of seven cobras protecting her is a unique feature here.
Apart from the Shivling, the temple has four shrines on the four corners dedicated to Vishnu, Durga (as Mahishasura Mardini), Surya, and Ganesha. Thus the temple is part of Panchayatana worship – five deity concept in Hinduism. Symbolically, the five deities here represent the five elements.
The courtyard of the temple also has murtis of Indra, Brahma, Ishan, Chandeshwor, Kuber, Bhadrigi, Sheshnaag and Neritri.
The temple is noted for its architecture especially for the intricate designs and the sculptures of various gods and goddesses from Hindu pantheon. Some of the important sculptures in the temple include that of Ganesha, Shiva, Vishnu, Rama, Lakshmana, Sri Krishna and Ashta Matrikas.
The temple was damaged during the 1934 And 2015 earthquakes. The shrine was restored using materials salvaged after the quake.