Bhaktapur - City of Devotees
Bhaktapur (27.67°N 85.43°E. Also Bhadgaon or Khwopa) is an
ancient Newari town in the east corner of the Kathmandu Valley, Nepal. It is
located in Bhaktapur District and has approx. 78.000 inhabitants. This city has
a special type of cap and is called Bhaad-gaaule topi and a local variety of
yoghurt or curd ju-ju Dhauking of curd. We can see the use of this cap in the
following video - a Newari song - as well as in the images below.
Bhaktapur
From time immemorial it lay on the trade route between
Tibet/China and India This position on
the main caravan route made the town rich and prosperous: each autumn the
traders from Tibet came with sheep ("changra"), fitting nicely with
the main Nepali holidays, 'Dasain' (Hindi: Dussehra), when nearly everyone in
Nepal sacrificed male animals to the goddess Durga. On the return trek the
traders brought back to Tibet grains, sugar or Buddhist scriptures.This
prosperity fueled the cultural life: ie. the temple builders developed a
Pagoda-style, spreading it through Tibet all the way to Japan. Finest of all is
the five-tiered, heaven piercing Nyatapole.Bhaktapur is a popular day-trip
destination for tourists visiting Kathmandu. Lately, with the horrendous
air-pollution of Kathmandu, more and more tourists are staying in Bhaktapur for
a few days, before arrangements for trekking are finished .Places to visit in
Bhaktapur
How to go Bhaktapur?
From Kathmandu, take a taxi or a bus or ride a bike. Ride
should not cost more than Rs 300 for a taxi or Rs 10 for a public bus that
leaves from Bagbazaar Bus Station. By taxi you will arrive in Bhaktapur in
about 30 minutes, and about 45 minutes by public bus. You can also ride a bike
to get to the city in about 45 to 50 minutes.
Situated at an altitude of 1401 meters, is a home of
medieval art and architecture. The urban city covers an area of 4 square miles.
Shaped like a conch shell, Bhaktapur means “the city of devotees”. Pottery and
weaving are its traditional industries. The city lies about 14 kilometers east
of Kathmandu and can be reached by public transport and by trolly buses. The
major sightseeing places in Bhaktapur include:
Durbar Square:
The main square of the city contains innumerable temples and
other architectural showpieces like: the Lion Gate, a statue of King
Bhupatindra Malla, a picture Gallery, the Golden Gate, the palace of 55
Windows, the Batsala Temple, the Bell of Barking Dogs, and a replica of
Pashupatinath Temple.
The Lion Gate which was built during the region of King
Bhupatindra Malla is adorned with stone figures of Hanuman, Bhairav, and
Narasingh Narayan. A statue of the Malla King in the act of worship is placed
on a column facing the palace. Of the many statues in Nepal, this is considered
to be the most magnificient.
The Picture Gallery contains ancient paintings belonging to
Hindu and Buddhist schools of Tantrism of various periods and description.
The Golden Gate is the entrance to the main courtyard and the
palace of 55 windows. It was built by King Ranjit Malla and is one of the most
beautiful and richly carved specimens of its kind showing the Goddess Kali and
Garuda, the winged carrier of Lord Vishnu. This gate is embellished with
monsters of marvelous intricacy.
The Palace of 55 Windows was built in the Seventeenth
century by King Bhupatindra Malla. Among the brick walls, with their gracious
setting and sculptural design, is a balcony is a masterpiece of wood carvinig.
The stone temple of Batsala Devi, which is also located in
the Durbar Square, is full of intricate
carvings. This temple is also shows a beautiful example of Shikhara style
architecture in Nepal. There is a bronze bell on the terrace of the temple
which is also known as the “bell of barking dogs.” When it peals, the local
dogs start barking. This bell, placed in 1737 A.D. by King Ranjit Malla, was
used to sound curfew during his reign. The bell is rung every morning while worshipping the Goddess Taleju.
Nyatapola Temple:
This five storeyed pagoda was built in 1702 A.D. by King
Bhupatindra Malla. It stands on a five storey terraced platform. On each of the
terraces there is squat pairs of figures; two famous wrestlers, two elephants,
two lions, two griffins, and Baghini and Singhini, the tiger and the lion
goddesses. Each pair of figures is considered ten times stronger than the ones
immediately below, while the lowest pair, the two strong men, Jaya Malla and
Fatteh Malla, were reputedly ten times stronger than any other men. This is one
of the tallest pagodas and is famous for its massive structure and suble
workmanship. The temple was built for Goddess Laxmi.
Bhairavnath Temple
This temple was first built as o one-storey pagoda during
the reign of King Jagat Jyoti Malla, and later changed into a three storeyed
temple in 1718 A.D. by king Bhupatindra Malla. The temple is noted for its
artistic grandeur. It is decided to Lord Bhairav, the god of Terror.
Dattatraya Temple
This temple is said to have been built from the trunk of a
single tree. It was built in 1427 A.D. during the reign of King Yakchhya Malla
and was repaired in 1458 A.D. by King Bishowr Malla.
Pujari Math
Near the Dattatraya temple is a monastry with carved peacock
windows. This monastry was built by king Yakchhya Malla and later renovatd by
priest Ram Dutt Giri.
Surya Vinayak
This is a shrine of Ganesh, the elephant-headed God,
situated in the beautiful surroundings of Bhadgoan, places in a sylvan settting
to catch the first rays of the rising sun. The view of the city of Bhaktapur is
seen from here with snow-capped peaks in the back-ground. Nestled in a thick
forest, it is good picnic spot flanked by many attractive landscapes. It is
easily accessible by trolley bus.
Changu Narayan
Located at the end of a long ridge, which runs well into the
Valley, this temple is said to be have been build in 323 A.D. by King Hari
Dutta Verma. The temple is richly decorated with sculptures and carvings. It is
said to be the oldest temple in the valley. Situated about 153 meters above the level of Kathmandu
Valley, it affords a beautiful view of the surrounding countryside. An
all-weather motorable road connects it with Bhaktapur city.
Nagarkot
Nagarkot is a popular tourist resort. It is located 32
kilometeres east of Kathmandu at an altitude of 2175 meters sea level. A
panorama of the major peaks of the eastern Nepal Himalayas, including
Sagarmatha (Mt. Everest), can be seen from here. Himalayan peaks like Manaslu
(8463), Ganesh Himal (7111), Langan (7246), Choba Bhamre (6016) and Gaurisanker
(7134) are also clearly seen from Nagarkot with Bhaktapur.
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