Eight kilometers north of Kathmandu is a remarkable, colossal statue of lord Vishnu reclining on a bed of snakes. The fifth-century statue lies in the middle of a small pond. Budhanikantha is a place of pilgrimage for all Hindus. Scenes of great activities at festivals as Haribodhini Ekadasi and Kartik Poornima can be marked at this holy site. An interesting feature of this shrine is that according to an old tradition, the reigning King of Nepal must not visit the spot.
