Nepal: The Taleju Temple built in 1559 by King Mahendra Malla, Kathmandu (1996)

The towering Taleju Temple was constructed in its present form by Mahendra Malla in 1559 to house the Mallas’ family goddess Taleju Bhavani, a manifestation of the ferocious Kali or Durga. Unusually, there is no image or statue of her in the main shrine; instead she is represented by a yantra, a magical diagram. The temple reaches a height of 35 metres, making it the highest temple in the Kathmandu Valley. Such height was necessary in order to enable Taleju to 'communicate spiritually' with another Taleju temple in Bhaktapur, which was located at a slightly higher elevation. Aside from its unusual height, the temple was given a unique design, with a five-tiered base covered by a three-tiered, richly ornamented roof.