The śikhara temples of Lamjī are unique monuments in the history of west Nepal’s architecture. The temples are built following the concept of a pañcāyatana (“five altars”) setting, thus creating a pañcadevala plan (devala is the term used in western Nepal for śikhara temples).

While śikharas are usually constituted of a curvilinear tower, the tower of the central temple in Lamjī Pañcadevala is rectilinear. Other than Lamjī, this feature is only seen at the Dewal Bajh temple in Bajhang District. Another unique feature of this site is the presence of a finely carved śivaliṅga on top of the northeastern śikhara. This śivaliṅga was most probably moved from one of the temples’ sanctum to its current location. The rectilinear tower of the central temple is an interesting indicator of the creativity of medieval builders of western Nepal who produced variations on a well-established style of architecture. Thus, the Lamjī Pañcadevala appears as an important historical site for the study of Nepalese architecture.

For more information about Lamjī Pañcadevala, please visit DANAM.