Legend has that King Suryaketu had it constructed during his reign but it lay buried for many centuries after an earthquake. Late, King Dharmagat saw the image and the location of the Budhanikantha in a dream and he excavated the ground. The people believe that the excavation caused the unparalleled image small damage on its nose. Others believe it was a farmer who discovered the image while working on his field.
Another interesting aspect related with the Vishnu idol at Budhanilkantha is that the king of Nepal is not supposed to view the statue, as it has been prophesized that death will occur if he does so. It is said that Lord Vishnu forbade the kings from visiting him because King Pratap Malla constructed a replica of the Budhanilkanntha against God’s will.
