National Art Gallery
The National Art Gallery is located in the beautiful historical
city Bhaktapur and is housed in the old Malla Palace of 55 Windows in the
Bhaktapur Durbar Square. The main attraction of the museum is Collection of Manuscripts and chronicles
The museum has a rich collection of paubha scroll paintings, bronze, brass,
stone and wooden images.
Inside the gallery you have an impressive collection of
paintings and murals from the days of dominance of Buddhism. There are some
very old paintings that are known as Thangakas. Buddhist monks used these
paintings for concentration at the time of prayers. These oil-on-canvas
paintings are very old and dates back to Mallas era. Then there are
stone-carved figures that dates back to Licchhavis and Mallas era. Most of
these figures are of Hindu and Buddhist deities and, as typical of that era,
have sexual overtones.
The another interesting things about the The National Art
Gallery is the fact that stonework is especially fine and a room outlines the
life and times of the Shah kings of Nepal. There are also samples of everyday
items used in the past by famous people. Among the displays are scriptures that
are among the most valuable in the kingdom.
The second floor is entirely dedicated to historical
chronicles and manuscripts. These documents belong to various monarchs from Rana
and Shah dynasties and provide a deep insight in to the political, cultural,
social and economical conditions of that era. Some of the documents are
classified and are not on public display. If you are a student of history or a
researcher, then this place will be of great interest. Nevertheless,
researchers are required to take a prior permission from the Ministry of
Culture for getting access to the classified documents
Open daily, except Sundays, Mondays and holidays, from 9:30
AM to 4:30 PM. Entrance costs Rs.10 for SAARC nationals and Rs.20 for other
foreign visitors.
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