Kathmandu Durbar Square
Listed as one of the eight Cultural World Heritage site by
UNESCO, Kathmandu Durbar Square is a cluster of ancient temples, palaces,
courtyards and streets that date back to the 12th and 18th centuries. The
square is known to be the social, religious and urban focal point of the
Capital City.
The Palace Complex was the royal Nepalese residence until
the 19th century and is the site of important ceremonies, such as the
coronation of the Nepalese monarch. The palace is decorated with
elaborately-carved wooden windows and panels an. It houses the King Tribhuwan
Memorial Museum and the Mahendra Museum.
Fast Facts
|
Location |
Kathmandu |
|
Significance |
UNICSCO World Heritage Sites |
|
UNICSCO Category |
Culture |
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Built In |
16th and 17the Centuries |
|
Major Attractions |
Taleju Temple and Hanuman Dhoka |
Major Attractions
Taleju Temple
The temple is a famous Hindu and Jain religious site. The
three-tiered temple is the first to be erected with more than two roofs and
raised on a tall stepped platform. It is said that the mandir was built in the
shape of a yantra on the advice of the Taleju Goddess herself and that she
appeared to the King at the dedication ceremony disguised as a bee.
Mahendreshvara Temple
The simple yet beautiful temple was built by King Mahendra
Malla and is dedicated to the Hindu Lord Shiva in the form of Pashupati. The
temple was destroyed in a 1934 earthquake and rebuilt thereafter. The temple is
a memorial to its founder.
Jagannath Temple
The Jagannath Temple is recognized as the finest of the
group near Hanuman Dhoka. Exquisite wood-carvings embellish the doors, windows
and roof struts, depicting a panoply of gods from the Hindu pantheon.
Originally dedicated to Vishnu the shrine was later re-dedicated to Jagannath.
Dequtale Temple
The temple was built by Shivasimha Malla honoring the
Mallas' family deity, Degutale. It resembles Taleju's shrine but with a
tower-like base in place of the stepped platform. The worship of Degutale has
its origins in a nature cult, the images being pieces of rock which the Newaris
set up and worshipped.
Hanuman Dhoka: Palace
facade turns at right angles between the Degutale Temple and the Taleju Mandir.
This way is created Hanuman Dhoka (Hanuman is a monkey god). Hanuman idol
placed in the dhoka has been anointed with mustard oil and vermilion through
the centuries.
Nasal Chowk
Nasal Chowk takes its name from the little statue of the
dancing Krishna in the shrine on the east side of the court. In Malla times the
podium in the center of the court was used for dancing displays. The Shah kings
chose to be crowned in Nasal Chowk, a tradition which continues today.
Mul Chowk
As the occasional abode of the goddess Taleju, the court is
barred to visitors, though it is often possible to peep in through the gate and
have a look at the exquisite beauty of the palace. The Chowk is opened to
Hindus once a year when, on the ninth day of the Dasain Festival, hundreds of
buffaloes and goats are sacrificed to the goddess.
Bhandarkal
Bhandarkal is a botanical garden created by King Pratap Mall
in the mid 17th century. With its diverse flora, Bhandarkal is a treat for
nature lovers and ecologists. The garden has been named after a seven-storied
palace that possesses a statue of the Sleeping Vishnu, Jalashayana Narayan.
Vilar Temple
Between the Lalitpur and Basantpur Towers can be seen the
magnificently carved façade of the three-storied Vilas Mandir, of a richness
truly befitting a Temple of Luxury.
Trailokya Mohan
Narayan Temple
The three storied temple has the figure of Garuda placed in
its front and incarnations of Lord Vishnu within the temple. It was built by
Prithvi Bendra Malla in 1680.
Shiva Temple
The Shiva Temple in Darbar Square is a replica of the Jaisi
Deval and was built by Riddhi Lakshmi in 1690.
Shiv Parvati Temple
The long low building on the northern side of Durbar Square
contains the beautiful shrines of Shiva and Parvati. This somewhat unusual
building is believed to date from the time of Bahadur Shah. It is probably a
reconstruction, the stepped platform on which it stands being considerably
older than the temple itself.
Manju Deval
Dedicated to Shiva the large three-storied Manju Deval on
its unusually high stepped base seems to dominate Durbar Square. It was built
in 1692 by the mother of Bhupatindra Malla of Bhaktapur. Inside the temple
there is a Shiva lingam. The small shikhara (temple tower in the North Indian
style) at the foot of the steps honors Kam Dev, Shiva's shakti.
Kumari Bahal
The house of the Living Goddess, the Kumari Bahal looks like
the monastery that was constructed in 1757 by Jaya Prakash Malla. Inside it
lives the young girl who is selected to be the town's living goddess, until she
reaches her first puberty and reverts to being a normal mortal.
Kasthamandapa
Kasthamandap or house of wood is the building which gave
Kathmandu its name. Legend narrates that the whole building is constructed from
a Single Sal tree. At first it was a community hall where local people gathered
for important ceremonies but later it was converted to a Temple of Gorakhnath.
The image of Gorakhnath glitters at the center of the building.
Ashok Binayak Shrine
The Ashok Binayak Shrine is the principle shrine of Lord
Ganesha in the Kathmandu Valley. The stone image of Lord Ganesha stands beneath
a golden replica of the Ashok tree which once shaded the shrine and eventually
gave it its name.
Simha Sattal
Simla Sattal is located at the southern end of the Kathmandu
Durbar Square. The residential style temple contains the Garuda Narayan figure,
strange looking effigies and a little shrine of Harikrishna.
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