Patan - City of Fine Arts
Patan or Lalitpur is a city of fine arts. It is situated
about 5 km south-east of Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal. Lalitpur is an
ancient little city that is jam-packed with interesting history and heritage,
epitomized by the Buddhist monuments and Hindu temples. The diversity of the
medieval culture that allowed both Hinduism and Buddhism to flourish has left a
rich legacy of impressive sightseeing in this city for today's visitors.
Lalitpur attracts many tourist each year. Of all the
activities available to do in Lalitpur, you will more than likely end up in a
historical building, museum or temple at one time or another. Lalitpur's
museums are genuine worth the visit, when visiting one of them you can be sure
to get a better understanding of the history of the Buddhism and Hinduism
cultures. Some other places that draw much attention include places such as,
The Patan Durbar
Square
The Patan Durbar Square is situated in the heart of the
city. It is the focus of visitor's attraction. The Square is full of ancient
palaces, temples and shrines, noted for their exquisite carvings. The Patan
Durbar square consists of three main chowks, the Central Mul Cowk, Sundaru
Chowk and Keshav Narayan Chowk. The Sundari Chowk holds in its centre a
masterpiece of stone architecture, the Royal bath called Tushahity. This Square
is definitely worth a visit.
The Ashokan Stupas
The Ashokan Stupas comprises of four ancient stupas
popularly believed to have been built in 250 B.C. by Emperor Ahoka at the four
corners of Patan.
The four stupas are situated in Pulchowk, Lagankhel, Ebahi
and in Teta respectively. These stupas give evidence to the city's ancient
religious importance. Lalitpur also has a zoo which is very popular
with tourist families. The zoo is situated at Jawalakhel and has many animals,
birds and reptiles, mostly representing the Himalayan fauna. It also has a
beautiful pond that was built in the 17 century A.D.
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