Despite its height, the Mahabouddha Temple (Temple of a Thousand Buddhas) is totally hidden in a courtyard dwarfed by other buildings. The shikhara temple takes its name from the terracotta tiles that cover it, each bearing an image of the Buddha.
It’s modelled on the Mahabouddha Temple at Bodhgava in India, where the Buddha gained enlightenment.
The building probably dates from 1535, but suffered severe damage in the 1934 earthquake and was totally rebuilt. Unfortunately, without plans to work from, the builders ended up with a different-looking temple and there were enough bricks left over to construct a shikhara-style shrine to Maya Devi, the Buddha’s mother, which stands to the southwest. The Mahabouddha Temple is about 10 minutes walk southeast of Durbar Sq. A signpost points down a lane full of shops selling Buddhist statuary to the temple. The roof terrace of the shops at the back of the courtyard has a good view of the temple; follow the signs as there’s no pressure to shop here.