KHOKANA, a town that has been nominated to be listed as a UNESCO World Heritage, represents “the vernacular village and its mustard-oil seed industrial heritage.” Khokana is an indigenous Newa medieval village located in the southern belt of the Kathmandu valley.

According to experts, the village of Khokana can be considered an ancient human settlement model with an arrangement of ponds and canals (crossroads). Like elsewhere in the Newa settlement in Nepal, it is the city where people can see Buddhist stupas and Hindu temples that lies in the nooks and crannies of the village, representing the cultural and religious harmony of the people of Khokana. Fixed with customary houses, the all-around cleared avenues of Khokana lead to the predominant three-storied pagoda style temple of Goddess Rudrayani, (another venerated form of Goddess Durga) at the focal point of the town. The temple with the finest wood carving work in the slanted struts was built during the reigns of King Amar Malla in 1513 AD (Nepal Samvat 633). Close to the sanctuary is the customary lake known as ‘De Pukhu’, the scene of another celebration remarkable to this town.