Sankhu

Sankhu is the ancient Newar town located in the north-eastern corner of Kathmandu Valley in about 17 km from the capital city Kathmandu. Sankhu, also known as Shankharapur for its famous ancient Sankha-shaped town structure, was formerly divided into 3 Village Development Committee namely Pukhulachhi, Suntol and Bajrayogini. Recently the town of Sankhu has been declared as Shankharapur Municipality merging 3 above mentioned VDCs and other neighbouring VDCs. At the time of the 2011 Nepal census it had a population of 4333 living in 928 individual households.This place is also known as the Eighty Siddhas as there are four of five caves where the siddhas of India are said to have stayed. One of the caves is also said to have been the practice cave of Nagarjuna, and an image of the great master which was originally in the cave has been taken outside and placed some distance away.The town used to have 8 gates originally, at all the boundary entrances of the town. But at present, many got dilapidated and disappeared while 5 of them were reconstructed namely the Bhau Dhwaha, Mhyamachaa Dhwakha, Dhunlla Dhwakha, Mahadyo Dhwakha and Naari Dhwakha. These gates used to have a paati, Dhungedhara and ponds next to it but only few of them still exists.