Dakshinkali Temple
Dakshinkali Temple to the south of the valley is 22 km away from Kathmandu and was built in dedication to Goddess Kali, the consort of Lord Shiva. Kali is the bloodthirsty embodiment of power, time and change. There is strong believe upon the devotee that she fulfill the wishes made by the devotee and the enemies get destroyed when a sacrifice was done to please her. The goddess asks for to bath her with the fresh blood of Cockerels and male goats to quench her thirst twice a week. This pious land gets more crowded during Saturday and Tuesday in a week and during Dashain, the main festival of Hindu. During the event, the premise gets dyed with red blood. This temple is very pious to Hindu and off limits to non-Hindu. Non-Hindu doesn’t get the privilege to see the goddess statue, however, they can visit the premises and enjoy the moments. The interesting part about the visit to this holy place is the animal sacrifice being made but keep in mind, you have to be more respectful and ask before you take any photographs or video.
Behind the main Dakshinkali Temple, there is a small path that leads to another temple called Mata Temple on the hilltop. The view from the top is beautiful and you can see the people gathering at a place, the area being clouded with fire smoke, making fire camp for the picnic, and enjoying the holiday.