Devotees flock to Nepal's Taleju Temple for rare annual opening during Dashain festival

KATHMANDU, NEPAL - OCT. 20: Thousands of Hindu devotees gathered at Taleju Bhawani Temple in Kathmandu, Nepal, on Tuesday, Oct. 20, as the historic temple opened to the public for its annual Maha Nawami celebrations.

Worshippers waited in long queues outside the temple in Hanuman Dhoka Durbar Square to offer prayers to Goddess Taleju Bhawani and seek blessings.

Located within the former royal palace complex, the temple opens to the public only once a year, on Maha Nawami, the ninth day of the Dashain festival.

According to a report published in 2025, around 500,000 devotees visited the temple during Maha Nawami in 2024.

The temple is also associated with a historic jewel-studded necklace commissioned by King Pratap Malla, which disappeared in 1976 and later surfaced at the Art Institute of Chicago in the US. The necklace was removed from public display in August 2025 amid efforts to secure its return to Nepal.

Dashain, one of Nepal's major Hindu festivals, celebrates the victory of good over evil and honors Goddess Durga.