BHAKTAPUR: The Changunarayan Temple in Bhaktapur district, listed in the UNESCO World Heritage Site, attracted a total of 31,225 foreign tourists in the fiscal year 2024/25.

According to the Chief of the Changunarayan Tourism Centre, Sabita Basnet, among the tourists visiting the Temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu, 5,756 were from the SAARC countries.

Similarly, 25,459 European tourists arrived in the ancient Temple situated atop a small hill to the east of Kathmandu. The influx of foreign tourists into the one of the most elaborate Temples in the Kathmandu Valley fetched over Rs 11.9 million in revenue to Changunarayan Municipality, it was informed.

The SAARC countries’ tourists have to pay Rs 300 per person as an entry fee, while the entry fee is set at Rs 400 per person from countries other than the SAARC region.

The revenue collected from the arrival of foreign tourists will be spent on the development and preservation of the historical, religious and tourist sites within the Changunarayan Municipality, said Jivan Khattri, Mayor of the Municipality.