The reconstruction of the Varahi Bhagwati Temple, located in the middle of Fewa Lake in Pokhara's lakeside, has reached the final stage. Devotees throng the temple daily to offer prayers and have darshan.

The reconstruction was started after the temple collapsed three inches to the south in the devastating earthquake of 2072. The reconstruction of the temple is 80 percent complete, said Parashuram Pahari, chairman of the Talbarahi Temple Guthi Management Committee. This lake in the Pokhara Valley is popular among domestic and foreign tourists.

He said that the temple had to be reconstructed because it was located on a hill in the middle of Fewa Lake, which created an additional risk if the temple collapsed. As the risk increased, the Barahi Temple Guthi Management Committee and the Department of Archaeology have taken up the reconstruction work for the reconstruction of the collapsed temple.

The southern part of the two warehouse rooms next to the temple collapsed due to the earthquake, and those rooms had been removed a few years ago. The temple was built in its current form by the then King Mahendra in 2017 BS. The Talwarahi Temple, located in the middle of Fewa Lake, is the main destination for tourists visiting Pokhara's lakeside. The temple is being reconstructed with the direct involvement of the Department of Archaeology. Chairman Pahari informed that it will cost Rs 18.4 million to complete the reconstruction of the temple. The temple is being reconstructed in its current form by ordering Kaligarh from Bhaktapur and Lalitpur in the pagoda style. The Department of Archaeology has provided Rs 600,000 for the reconstruction of the temple, while the rest of the amount will be collected from the funds of the Talwarahi Temple Guthi Management Committee and the reconstruction will be completed by collecting donations from devotees.

Although the reconstruction was said to be completed within a year, it has taken two years to complete the reconstruction due to various reasons. According to Nirmal Khatri, treasurer of the Talwarahi Temple Guthi Management Committee, preparations have been made to complete the reconstruction so that ordinary devotees can visit and worship by the coming Baisakh. The main work remaining is the roof of the temple and the construction of the surrounding railings.

It is said that the then king of Kaski, Kulmandan Shah, first built a temple with a straw hut. This temple has existed since 1669. Somewhere, records are also found that it existed since 1447. In ancient times, there was a rock on a mound of earth, and the temple was established there and worshipped as a temple, said the temple priest Umesh Pahari.

This temple located in the tourist city of Pokhara is at the forefront of the list of must-see places in Kaski. That is why tourists keep flocking to the temple. From the temple, which is located in the shadow of the Machhapuchhre Himal in Fewatal, you can see a panoramic view and tourist destinations such as Sarangkot, Pumdikot, Kaskikot Durbar and others. A fair is held here on Kojagrat Purnima and other religious festivals.

This is the legend

According to local elder Ramesh Bahadur Bhattarai, 80, there was a settlement in the place where the Fewa Lake was in ancient times. One evening, an old yogi came to the settlement asking for shelter. When no one offered him shelter, he went to an old woman. The old woman allowed him to stay. But she said that he had only duto roti to eat. The old yogi got ready and ate it and went to sleep.

The yogi, who was sleeping outside the house, told the old woman before walking in the morning, 'This village will soon be submerged. You should go to a higher place soon.' Some time after the yogi walked, a voice came. The water rose with the voice. Water started coming into the settlement. As per the yogi's advice, the old woman went to a higher place and survived. Another day, heavy rain came. The flood after the rain washed away the idol and brought it to the place where the temple is now. The history of the island formed in the middle of the lake and the establishment of the temple there is also very interesting.

Lake Fewa is 23.30 meters deep, 4.46 kilometers long and two kilometers wide. The worship of the old temple Talbarahi Bhagwati located in the middle of the lake began in 1467 BS, and daily worship began in 1868 BS, according to the temple's information officer Rajendra Khatri.

The then King Mahendra started raising the temple from the hut in 2017 BS. After King Mahendra built the temple in its current form in 2017 BS, it started gaining more attention. The temple management committee was established only in 2053 BS. The first management committee was formed under the leadership of Hikmat Bahadur Kunwar. You can reach the Barahi temple by taking a boat from the shore of the lake within five minutes. The natural scenic view makes everyone happy, and the religious belief that one can achieve their dreams after visiting Talbarahi has also attracted everyone.

The Talbarahi Temple Conservation and Guthi Management Committee has been active in the conservation and infrastructure development of this temple, which is spread over an area of ​​three ropanis, eight annas and two daams. Pokhara Metropolitan City-6 Ward Chairman Bishnu Bahadur Bhattarai informed that visitors from far away come to Fewa Lake after hearing that the temple is located in the middle of the lake.