File:Gokarneshwor Mahadev Temple Gokarna Kathmandu Nepal Rajesh Dhungana (21).jpg

English: The famous temple of Gokarneshwar Mahadev is located in Gokarna Municipality of Kathmandu. The confluence of Chandramati and Suryamati rivers and the natural beauty created by Gokarna forest is present in the environment.

The Lichhavi-era mansion and the Kailashkut building are believed to be around Gokarna. The temple is very attractive as it has a very artistic style and the temple premises are full of idols. There is a black stone Gokarneshwar Shivalinga in the sanctum sanctorum of the temple. According to various genealogies and Puranas such as Varaha Purana, Devmala genealogy, Bhasha genealogy and Pashupati Purana, Gokarneshwar is also described as this temple is considered to be very ancient. This temple is believed to have been built by Lichhavi king Mandev. According to archaeologists, the artifacts of this temple date back to the Lichhavi period. It was renovated in 1422 AD during the reign of King Jai Prakash Malla. Many of Nepal's heritages were destroyed by the great earthquake of 1990, but this temple of Gokarneshwar Mahadev was not affected by the earthquake. Around the temple are Chartumukhi Brahma, Chitragupta and Balbhanjan Pandey's 31 statues of various deities made in 1912 in a very artistic style. In the western corner of the temple is a small eighth century idol of Parvati and the Gadadhar temple built in 1911 by Raksha Kumari, the mother of Shri 3 Jung Bahadur. Bishnupaduka is also in this place. With the religious belief that fathers go to heaven while performing patriarchal deeds here, this place of pilgrimage is considered as a very sacred place like Gaya for patriarchal deeds. In other words, compared to Gaya Tirtha in India, this holy place is also considered as North Gaya. This sacred area is also described in Padma Purana in Nepalhatmya and Swasthani Bratakatha. Gokarne Aushi i.e. Kushe Aushi, known as Father feeding Aushi, attracts a large crowd of patriarchs at this place. Shraddha should be done in other shrines only after doing shraddha in this tirtha in memory of dead father.

In this temple complex, there are devotees, saints, priests, pavilions, dharamsalas and sattals. The daily worship of this Mahadev is done in the morning and in the evening by the southern Brahmins by both Vedic and Tantric methods. Jayasthiti Malla had also arranged a guthi for daily worship and festival worship. Since Hindus worship Shiva and Buddhists worship Bodhisattvas at the same time, there seems to be religious tolerance. The beauty of the temple is greatly enhanced by the presence of the Bagmati River near the temple.