Tilmadhav

A simple and honest merchant of Kathmandu named Dharmadatta made his living by trading in sesame seeds.

Once he carried a great load of sesame seeds to Taumadhi Square in Bhaktapur to sell. He poured the sesame out in the middle of the square and began to sell it at a cheap price. Because of his sweet speech and honesty, a long line of people wanting to buy the sesame formed.

Though he sold basketful after basketful of sesame throughout the day and filled a purse with gold coins, the heap of sesame in the square did not diminish by even a grain; on the contrary, it kept growing larger and larger.

Astonished by this wondrous sight, Dharmadatta folded his hands reverently and praised Lord Vishnu. Toward evening the heap of sesame suddenly split into two, and from its midst the four-armed Narayan (Madhav) appeared in person.

Lord Vishnu granted Dharmadatta his heart's desire and then vanished. With all the wealth Dharmadatta had obtained from selling the sesame, he built a magnificent temple on that very spot and installed the idol of Narayan. Because he had appeared from a heap of sesame, that lord came to be called 'Tilmadhav Narayan'.