Akash Bhairav

Akash Bhairav is a Hindu deity. Considered the "god of the sky", several large temples in Kathmandu are dedicated to him. The head of the Aakash Bhairav was dug up several hundred years ago in Kathmandu. The head now resides in a Hindu temple in Kathmandu not far from Durbar Square and is taken out of the temple once a year and is blessed by the Kumari - the living goddess who lives in the nearby Kumari Chowk. He is also known as King Yalamber of Kirat, Aju dya for Newars, and Barbarik, grandson of Bhimsen, In the common Kathmandu myth he is the god who will always fight for the weak or the losing side. Hence he is one of the beloved gods of the people of Kathmandu and is considered as the ancestor god of the people of Kathmandu.

In September of 2007 Nepal's state-run airline confirmed that it had sacrificed two goats to appease Akash Bhairab, whose symbol is seen on the company's planes, following technical problems with one of its aircraft. Nepal Airlines said the animals were slaughtered in front of the plane - a Boeing 757 - at Kathmandu airport. . The airline said that after the ceremony the plane successfully completed a flight to Hong Kong. "The snag in the plane has now been fixed and the aircraft has resumed its flights," senior airline official Raju KC was quoted as saying. The company did not say what the problem was, but reports in local media had blamed an electrical fault.