The temple of Guhyeshwori located in Goldhunga VDC of Kathmandu is known as old (purano) Guhyeswori, while the Guhyeshwori of Pashupati Mrigadavan is known as new Guhyeshwori. The temple houses an idol of Parvati as Guhyeshwori surrounded by idols of Ganesh, Buddha, Surya, and Kumara. Two ponds, named Chandra and Surya, lie near the temple along with the temple of old Pashupatinath.
According to the most popular legend surrounding the establishment of the temple, Lord Shiva was travelling with his wife, Parvati, to Gosaikunda when they stopped here for the night. During the night Parvati began to have her periods, and as it was considered inauspicious for menstruating women to travel with their husbands, she remained behind and stayed here for four days while he journeyed on towards the lake. While a lot of devotees used to visit the temple in the past, today it is considered a less important site than the other Guhyeshwori and, as a consequence, receives far fewer visitors. A fair number of pilgrims, however, do visit the temple during Astami and Navami of each lunar month, and also during the festival of Navaratra.
काठमाडौंको गोलढुंगामा पुरानो गुह्येश्वरीको मन्दिर छ । पशुपति मृगदावनकी गुह्येश्वरीलाई नयाँ गुह्येश्वरी र गोलढुंगाकी गुह्येश्वरीलाई पुरानो गुह्येश्वरी भन्ने गरिन्छ । पुरानो गुह्येश्वरीसँग सम्बन्धित एउटा किंवदन्ती अनुसार, परापूर्वकालमा कालकूट विष गलामा राखेर हिंडेका शिवजी विषको दहन खप्न नसकी चिसो ठाउँमा रहेको गोसाईंकुण्डतिर जाँदा यस ठाउँमा विश्राम गरेछन् । यता उनका साथमा आएकी पार्वती त्यही स्थानमा रजस्वला भएकाले रजस्वला हुँदा श्रीमान्का साथमा हिंडडुल गर्न हुँदैन भनी यही स्थानमा चार दिन बसिछन् । यसरी शिवजीले विश्राम गरेको र पार्वती चार दिनसम्म बसेको स्थानका रूपमा पुरानो गुह्येश्वरीको ख्याति बढेको हो । तर हाल आएर यस स्थानको ख्याति कम हुँदै गएको छ र मानिसहरू पुरानो गुह्येश्वरीका बदलामा नयंाँ गुह्येश्वरीतिर आकर्षित हुँदै गएका छन् । पुरानो गुह्येश्वरीमा नवमी र अष्टमी तिथि तथा बडादशैंका अवरमा भक्तहरूको भीड लाग्ने गर्दछ । यसको ख्याति धेरै टाढासम्म भने फैलिएको छैन । मन्दिरभित्र गणेश, बुद्ध, सूर्य र कुमारका मूर्तिहरू छन् । तिनीहरूका बीचमा गुह्येश्वरीको मूर्ति छ । यस भेगमा चन्द्र र सूर्य नामका दुइटा पोखरी पनि छन् । कतिपय मानिसहरू यस स्थानलाई पनि सतीदेवीको गुह्य पतन भएको गुह्येश्वरी मान्दछन् ।
