Ichangu Narayan

Ichangu Narayan is a village and former Village Development Committee that is now part of Nagarjun Municipality in Province No. 3 of central Nepal. At the time of the 2011 Nepal census it had a population of 24,425 and had 6,288 households in it.

Toponymy

Language origin

Linguistic family: Sino-Tibetan / Indoeuropean
Language: Newari / Sanskrit

Etymology

“Ichangu” is likely of Newar origin, though its precise etymology is unclear; it refers to a local settlement or ancient toponym. “Narayan” is an epithet of the Hindu god Vishnu. Therefore, Ichangu Narayan means “the temple of Vishnu at Ichangu.”
Ichangu likely from Newar/Nepal Bhasa, possibly related to terrain or clan names, but the etymology is uncertain. Narayan is an epithet of Vishnu, from Sanskrit नारायण meaning “the resting place of man / the supreme being.” The toponym Ichangu Narayan is a hybrid name, combining a local Newar settlement name with a Sanskrit religious epithet, indicating the sacred Vishnu temple located at Ichangu, west of Kathmandu.