Town or village · 1,360 m
Bungamati
A Newar village on a spur above the Bagmati, home of the rain god Rato Machhindranath and known for its woodcarvers.
Patan (Lalitpur)खोकना
Khokana
A traditional Newar farming village south of Patan, known for mustard-oil pressing and the Rudrayani temple.
- Altitude
- 1,340 m*
- Best months
- Feb-Apr, Oct-Dec
- Type
- Town or village
- District
- Lalitpur, Bagmati
- Permit
- Entry fee
Why go
Khokana is a compact Newar village on a low plateau about 8 km south of Kathmandu, on the outskirts of Patan and now part of Lalitpur Metropolitan City. Its brick houses, many with carved windows and drying racks on their balconies, line an unusually wide main street that opens into a central square with a three-tiered temple to the goddess Rudrayani and a large ritual pond. Around the village, terraced fields run down towards the Bagmati.
For visitors, Khokana offers a glimpse of village life that has changed less than in the cities: grain and chillies drying on the street, wool being spun, and, in season, the traditional oil mills pressing mustard seed into the dark oil that made the village famous. Some mills welcome visitors to watch. The village was badly damaged in the 2015 earthquake, and rebuilding has been uneven, with traditional and new houses side by side.
Khokana is one of several villages and sights in Lalitpur district south of Patan. It is usually paired with Bungamati, a similar Newar village about 1 km away across a small stream, and the two can be walked between in 20-30 minutes.
History and culture
Local tradition holds that the Rudrayani temple was rebuilt by King Amar Malla in the early 16th century, who also named the settlement Jitapur. A village legend explains the name Khokana with a story of a priest from Kathmandu and his wife, left for dead on a funeral pyre, who fled weeping (khona in Newar) and settled here under the protection of the goddess Shikali. The village was among the first places in Nepal to receive electric light, from the Pharping hydropower plant in 1911.
The inhabitants are mostly Newar farmers of the Maharjan and Dangol communities. Instead of the usual Dashain rituals, Khokana celebrates its own Shikali Jatra, a festival of several days in the Dashain period with masked dances. Khokana has been proposed for UNESCO World Heritage status as a vernacular village with a mustard-oil industry, but it is only on Nepal's tentative list and is not a World Heritage site. Large infrastructure plans, including the Kathmandu-Terai expressway nearby, have caused local disputes over land.
Things to do in Khokana
Watch mustard oil pressing
Ask in the village for a working oil mill, where seed is crushed and pressed in the traditional way.
Walk to Bungamati
Follow the path about 1 km across the stream to Bungamati, 20-30 minutes.
Visit Rudrayani temple
See the temple and square, the centre of village life and festivals.
Weather and the best time to visit Khokana
Weather in Khokana
Forecast for 1,340 m. Conditions change fast in the mountains.
Weather data: MET Norway, licensed CC BY 4.0. A forecast, not a guarantee.
Best time to visit
Feb-Apr, Oct-Dec
- Jan
- Good month: Feb
- Good month: Mar
- Good month: Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Good month: Oct
- Good month: Nov
- Good month: Dec
- Autumn (Sep-Nov)
- October and November are clear and harvest time, with grain drying in the streets and the Shikali Jatra festival.
- Winter (Dec-Feb)
- December to February is dry and sunny; mustard fields can be in flower around the turn of the year.
- Spring (Mar-May)
- March and April are warm and pleasant for walking between villages.
- Monsoon (Jun-Aug)
- June to August is green and wet, with rice planting in the fields; paths can be muddy.
Where to stay
HomestaysGuesthouses
A few homestays; most visitors come on a day trip from Patan or Kathmandu.
No partner stays are listed here yet. List a property.
Getting there
Khokana is about 8 km south of central Kathmandu, beyond Patan.
Nearest hub: Kathmandu
- roadTaxi from Patan, about 6-8 km, 20-40 minutes; from Thamel 40-60 minutes depending on traffic.
- roadLocal buses from Lagankhel in Patan run towards Bungamati and Khokana.
- walkBetween Khokana and Bungamati, about 1 km, 20-30 minutes on foot.
Getting to Khokana, by mode
Nearest hub: Kathmandu. Times are typical ranges, not schedules, and vary with roadworks, weather and the season.
By busfrom Patan (Lalitpur)about 0.5-0.8 hLocal buses
Local buses from Lagankhel in Patan run towards Bungamati and Khokana through the day.
By car or jeepfrom Patan (Lalitpur)about 0.3-0.7 h
About 6 to 8 km south of Patan and 8 km from central Kathmandu; from Thamel allow 40 to 60 minutes.
Road: Sealed to the village edge, then a single brick-paved main street.
By motorbikefrom Patan (Lalitpur)about 0.25-0.6 hEasy riding
Easy short run; park at the top of the main street.
Road: Sealed roads via the Ring Road; the last lanes into the old quarters are narrow and sometimes brick-paved.
On footfrom Bungamatiabout 0.3-0.5 h20-30 minutes from Bungamati, about 1 km, flat
The field path between the two villages.
Where people go next
- Bungamation foot, about 0.3-0.5 hThe neighbouring Machhindranath village.
- Patan (Lalitpur)by bus, about 0.5-0.8 hBack to Lagankhel.
- Pharpingby car or jeep, about 0.7-1.2 hSouth-west towards the cave monasteries.
Permits and fees
Entry fee
A small local entry fee has been collected from foreign visitors at the village entrance in recent years to support conservation.
- Village entry ticket: Collected at the entrance by a local committee; check the current amount on arrival.
Verify before travel: permit rules and fees change. Checked 2026-10-06 against Khokana, Wikipedia.
Risks and conditions
Seasonal risks around Khokana
What this place is typically exposed to, and when. These are seasonal patterns, not a report on conditions now.
Othermoderate in a typical yearDec-Apr
Dry-season dust and haze are a normal feature of the Kathmandu valley, where measured PM2.5 has run several times the WHO guideline level. Visitors prone to asthma usually do better on early mornings and after rain.
Floodinglow in a typical yearJun-Sep
The village sits on a terrace above the Bagmati bottomlands, which flood from June to September; the field paths and the lane down to the Sikali shrine turn to mud.
Road blockageslow in a typical yearJun-Sep
About two thirds of the valley's rain falls between June and September, and sustained downpours typically waterlog junctions and slow valley roads, so short cross-city journeys can take much longer than planned.
Coldlow in a typical yearDec-Feb
Valley nights from December to February typically fall to around freezing, with morning fog burning off by mid-morning, and few buildings have heating.
Otherlow in a typical yearJun-Sep
Brick lanes and the path to Bungamati are slippery in the monsoon rain.
Check current conditions before you travel
Roads, trails, passes and flights change with the weather and with roadworks, and nothing on this page describes conditions today. Before you set off, check the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology for weather and flood warnings, the Nepal Disaster Risk Reduction Portal for incidents, and the local authority, police or your licensed operator for road, trail and flight status.
Practical tips
- Ask before photographing people at work or at home.
- Animal sacrifice is part of some local festivals; step away if you prefer not to watch.
- Bring cash; there are few or no ATMs in the village.
- Do not enter temple sanctums unless invited.
Questions about Khokana
How do I get to Khokana from Kathmandu?
Take a taxi via Patan, about 40-60 minutes from Thamel, or a local bus from Lagankhel in Patan.
Is Khokana a UNESCO World Heritage Site?
No. It is on Nepal's tentative list as a vernacular village, but it has not been inscribed as World Heritage.
What is Khokana famous for?
Its traditional mustard-oil pressing, the Rudrayani temple and its well-preserved Newar village life.
More in Patan (Lalitpur)
All of Patan (Lalitpur)
Town or village · 1,520 m
Godawari
A green corner at the foot of Phulchowki, south-east of Patan, with Nepal's national botanical garden, sacred springs and forest walks.
Temple, monastery or heritage site · 1,330 m
Patan Durbar Square
The former royal square of Patan, a row of Malla-era temples facing a palace that now houses one of Nepal's finest museums.
Viewpoint · 2,782 m
Phulchowki
The highest point on the Kathmandu Valley rim, a forested hill above Godawari known for birds, rhododendrons and mountain views.
Nearby
Town or village · 1,350 m
Patan (Lalitpur)
The old Newar city of Lalitpur across the Bagmati from Kathmandu, known for its Durbar Square, Buddhist courtyards and metalwork.
Town or village · 1,400 m
Kirtipur
An old Newar hill town on Kathmandu's south-western edge, with temples, valley views and a dramatic history of resistance.
Town or village · 1,570 m
Pharping
A small Newar town on the southern rim of the Kathmandu Valley, sacred to Vajrayana Buddhists for Guru Rinpoche's meditation caves.
Editorial draft: facts are being checked against the sources below. Last checked 2026-10-06. Sources: Khokana, Wikipedia, Khokana, OpenStreetMap, Tentative Lists (Nepal), UNESCO World Heritage Centre