Mahaboudha Temple

The Mahaboudha in Patan is a terracotta temple in the North Indian shikhara style, its tall tower covered in thousands of clay tiles each bearing an image of the Buddha, earning it the name Temple of a Thousand Buddhas. Tucked in a tight courtyard reached through a narrow alley, it was rebuilt after an earlier earthquake using original bricks. The dense ornamentation and vertical form set it apart from the valley's typical pagodas. Visitors squeeze into the enclosed court to appreciate the detail, amid metalwork shops reflecting Patan's craft.