page_title: Sankhu
hierarchical_section_title: Sankhu
caption_attribution_description: English: Saankhu an ancient city near Kathmandu, Nepal
context_page_description: Sankhu is the ancient Newar town located in the north-eastern corner of Kathmandu Valley which is about 17 km from the city center of Kathmandu. Sankhu was formerly divided into three Village Development Committee, namely, Pukhulachhi, Suntol and Bajrayogini. Recently the town of Sankhu has been declared as Shankharapur Municipality merging three 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. Sankhu lies between river Salinakhu in east and Asakhu in the west.
  It is believed that the name Sakwa has two parts- Kvay and Samde, in total it means a town below Tibet. Sankhu is also known as Shankharapur for its famous ancient Sankha-shaped town structure.
  This place is also known as the Eighty Siddhas, because 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.
context_section_description: Sankhu (साखु) (alternative name: Sakwa (Nepal Bhasa: सक्व)) is the ancient Newar town located in the north-eastern corner of Kathmandu Valley which is about 17 km from the city center of Kathmandu. Sankhu was formerly divided into three Village Development Committee, namely, Pukhulachhi, Suntol and Bajrayogini. Recently the town of Sankhu has been declared as Shankharapur Municipality merging three 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. Sankhu lies between river Salinakhu (also Salinadi) in east and  Asakhu in the west.
  It is believed that the name Sakwa has two parts- Kvay (Meaning Tibet) and Samde (Meaning Below), in total it means a town below Tibet.  Sankhu is also known as Shankharapur for its famous ancient Sankha-shaped town structure.
  This place is also known as the Eighty Siddhas, because 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.
caption: Saankhu an ancient city near Kathmandu, Nepal
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