| | | Durbar Square
Hanuman Dhoka Durbar Square
UNESCO World Heritage Site : 1979
Kathmandu (Népal)
| | | | The original centre of Kathmandu goes by the name Basantapur, Hanuman Dhoka and Durbar Square, all denoting pretty much the same location. | | Durbar Square : Virtual tour |  | 42 sections and 8 items |
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Durbar Square : Building(s) (11)
|  | Agam Chen
Agam Chen means God's house or shrine.
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|  | Bhimsen Tower (Dharahara)
1826
South of Kathmandu Durbar Square is the white, minaret-like Bhimsen Tower (Dharahara). The tower was originally built in 1826 by the Rana prime minister, Bhimsen Thapa, as part of the city's first European-style palace. It was rebuilt after being severely damaged in the 1934 earthquake.
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|  | Gaddhi Baithak
between 1905 and 1908
The Eastern Part of the city Palace is closed off by this white neoclassical building. This imported european style building was built in 1908.
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|  | Great Drums
Just beyond the Krishna Temple are the Great Drums, to which a goat and a buffalo must be sacrificed twice a year. In front of these is the police headquarters building. Beyond here is the closed-off Kot Square.
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|  | Kumari Palace
Kumari Ghar - Kumari Chowk
1757
A big brick building on Durbar Square in Kathmandu, the Kumari Ghar (or Kumari Chowk) houses the living goddess of Kathmandu. Built in 1757, the temple is known for its magnificent carvings as well as its divine inhabitant.
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|  | Lakshmi Narayan Sattal
Laksmi Narayan Sattal
approx. between the XVIth and the XVIIth century
The Laxmi Narayan Temple, destroyed in the 1934 earthquake, was rebuilt in an unoriginal style. Photographic records were consulted to reconstruct it in its original form.
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|  | Lakyu Bahal
between the XVIth and the XVIIth century
Lakyu is the old Newari term for the word "palace" and refers to only palatial buildings.
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|  | Pratapa Malla's Column
1670
Between Degutale Mandir and Jagannath Mandir stands Pratapa Malla's Column. The king sits on a lion throne atop the lotus-shaped capital, his two wives one on either side.
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|  | Silyan Sattal
approx. between the XVIth and the XVIIth century
This large house is located south of Kasthamandap. According to legend it was built with the wood left over from the construction of Kasthamandap.
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|  | Tago Gän
Tagogan - Great Bell - Taleju Bell
1797
This big bell is supported by town stone pillars and has tiled roof. King Rana Bahadur Shah and his queen Raj Rajeswori built it in 1797. The bell is rung only when worship (puja) is being offered in Degutaleju.
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Durbar Square : People (1)
Durbar Square : Place(s) of worship (24)
|  | Degu Taleju Temple (1)
Taleju Mandir - Degutaleju
1564
Construction of the huge three-tiered Taleju Mandir heralded a new phase in the architecture of the Kathmandu Valley. It was the first temple erected with more than two roofs and the first to be raised on a tall stepped platform.
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|  | Indrapur Temple
This temple has been renovated recently. Little is known of its history. The god to which it is dedicated is controversial. The lingam inside indicates that it is a Shiva temple but the Garuda image half-buried on the southern side indicates that it is dedicated to Vishnu. The temple's name indicates it is dedicated to Indra !
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|  | Jagannath Temple (2)
between 1560 and 1563
This temple located at the beginning of Makhan Tole was built in 1560/1563 by Mahendra Malla, so it´s one of the oldests buildings in Durbar.
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|  | Kakeshwar Temple
1681
Kakeshwar Temple was originally built in 1681 but, like so many other structures, was rebuilt after it was badly damaged in the 1934 earthquake. It may have been considerably altered at that time as the temple is a strange combination of styles.
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|  | Kakeshwar Temple
1681
Kakeshwar Temple was originally built in 1681 but, like so many other structures, was rebuilt after it was badly damaged in the 1934 earthquake.
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|  | Kam Dev Temple
At the bottom of the Maju Deval temple stairway, on the east side, is a small temple to Kam Dev, a 'companion' of Shiva. It was built in the Indian shikhara style, with a tall corncob-like spire.
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|  | Kasthamandap (1)
Maru Satal
Kaasthamandap
1596
Kasthamandap (Sanskrit: काष्ठमन्डप, Nepal Bhasa : मरु सत्तल Maru Sattal - literally "Wood-Covered Shelter") is a three storied temple situated in Maru Tole of Kathmandu. It is one of the largest and most noted pagodas of Nepal. The pagoda enshrines a statue of Gorakhnath.
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|  | Kavindrapur Temple
XVIIth century
Kavindrapur, the building on the east side of the square, is particularly associated with Pratapa Malla. As well as being a temple to Narashima it is the home of the Narashima dancers, who keep up a tradition instituted by the King.
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|  | Mahavishnu Temple
Next door to Kotilingeshwar Mahadev Temple is the Mahavishnu Temple, which was damaged in the 1934 earthquake.
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|  | Mahendreshwar Temple
Mahendreshvara Temple
between 1561 and 1562
This temple dates back from 1561/1562, during Mahendra Malla's reign. This temple lies at the extreme north of the Durbar square and is dedicated to Shiva.
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|  | Maju Deval
Shiva Temple
1690
Maybe the most visited temple in Durbar, and a popular meeting place. This triple-roofed temple dedicated to Shiva was built in 1690 by the mother of Bakthapur King Bhupatindra Malla, and contains a Shiva Lingam (Phallic Symbol).
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|  | Narayan Temple
1680
Narayana (Sanskrit: नारायण (nārāyaṇa) - Kannada : ನಾರಾಯಣ -Telugu : నారాయణ - Tamil: நாராயணன்) or Narayan is an important Sanskrit name for Vishnu, and in many contemporary vernaculars a common Indian name.
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|  | Shiva-Parvati Temple (1)
XVIIIth century
The Shiva-Parvati Temple, where the much-photographed images of Shiva and his consort look out from the upstairs window, was built in the late 1700s by Bahadur Shah, the son of Prithvi Narayan Shah.
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|  | Trailokya Mohan Narayan Temple
1680
This small three-storey and five roofed temple was built in 1680 by Prithvi Bendra and was dedicated to Narayan/Vishnu, it has some beautiful wooden carvings in the windows.
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Durbar Square : Sculpture (4)
|  | Hanuman Statue
The kneeling figure of Hanuman, the Hindu God always depicted in the form of a monkey, sits on a tall stone. To the right of this image is the golden main door of the Hanuman Dhoka Palace, guarded by a pair of stone lions.
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|  | Kal (Black) Bhairab
Kal (Black) Bhairav
1794
This huge stone image of Bhairab, just behind the Jagganath Temple, represents deity Shiva in his destructive manifestation, crushing the demon Vetala underfoot. It is undated, but was set in its present location by King Pratap Malla after it was found in a field north of the city.
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|  | Seto (White) Bhairab
1794
Next to the palace is a 3 meters high gilded fearful head of Seto - or Sweta - Bhairab (White Bhairab) who is behind a wooden latticed-screen door.
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|  | Kot Square
Next to the Police Headquarters is Kot Square, where Jung Bahadur Rana arranged the famous 1846 massacre.
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| | Durbar Square : Visit Guide | |
Tickets cost 200 Rupees for Foreign tourists and 25 rupees for all others. This ticket is only valid for one day, although if your stay is longer in Kathmandu you can go to the site office in Durbar Square and exchange this ticket for a visitors pass, which you need one passport pic and your passport and they will extend your pass till the end of your visa.You will need this pass as there are officials who check as you pass through Durbar Square to get to Freak street and other places to ensure you have a ticket. | | Durbar Square : Description | |
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Like the royal squares of the other city kingdoms of Kathmandu Valley Patan, Bhaktapur and Kirtipur, Kathmandu's Durbar Square is made up of various historical royal and governmental institutions mixed with temples of different styles and ages. It is roughly L-shaped seen from a pedestrian's view. Cars are half-heartedly kept away, but local drivers pass. Surprising how many they are! The guards are better at catching tourists who have to pay a fee to enter the area. If you stay for a while, bring a passport photo and stick it to your ticket, get a stamp and you will be done with that one-time fee. The center pieces appear to be Hanuman Dhoka (limited access) and the Kumari temple, but both are hyped up compared with some of the other temples around. The place can be noisy and confusing, but if you have a lot of time and patience with providers of all kinds of mostly unwanted services, you'll be seeing some of the finest "templescapes" in the world. It is a living museum, with commercial activities, religious ceremonies and all sorts of things going on as may have been the case since the 14th century. My favorite is to climb atop one of the pyramid shaped pagoda temples and just enjoy the view for a while. Durbar square is a fantastic place for photography, just ask people first if it is ok. Durbar Square is a good place to pick up a souvenir to them back home, just beware of the quality and price. On the actual market square there are rows upon rows of souvenir sellers old-looking stuff, but for the most part quite recently made. Next to the square are two of Nepal's best tea shops also, Everest and Nepal Tea Shop. There is a night market toward New Road, and plenty of shopping for all kinds of clothes and knick-knacks up Asan and Indra Chowk roads. For a description of Durbar Square and events there, look at the brochure you get with your ticket as you enter, or any guide book.
The literal meaning of Durbar Square is a place of palaces. There are three preserved Durbar Squares in Kathmandu valley and one unpreserved in Kirtipur. The Durbar Square of Kathmandu is located in the old city and has heritage buildings representing four kingdoms (Kantipur, Lalitpur, Bhaktapur, Kirtipur), built over centuries, the earliest being the Licchavi dynasty. There were further additions and refurbishments during the reign of Mallas (9th century) and then the Ranas. The complex has 50 temples and is distributed in two quadrangles of the Durbar Square. The outer quadrangle has the Kasthamandap, Kumari Ghar and Shiva-Parvati Temple while the inner quadrangle has the Hanuman Dhoka and the main palace.
Durbar square is the heart of Kathmandu. Tis ancient square crowded with palaces and temples, including the current incarnation of the Kasthamandap or "Wooden house" that gives the city its name. The square has been in active use since the construction of a palace around 1000 AD. This site is the most popular UNESCO World Heritage Site in Nepal.
Magical in the very early morning and evening, Durbar Square can be an exhausting experience due to the overwhelming number of young men offering to be "guides. " Be firm with saying "no" if you are not interested, but realize that looking at a map, or even standing still for a moment will be an invitation to a dozen other would-be "helpers". Ask at the Tourist Information Office at the entrance if you do want a guide. A place not to be missed is a visit to Kathmandu Durbar Square Museum.
There are more than a dozen buildings and statues of note in this small area. They include:
* Taleju Temple One of the oldest temples in the square, this three-roofed temple with its pyramid shaped bases, is an example of the typical Newari architectural style.
* Ashok Binayak
* Shiva Temple
* Maju Deval
* Narayan Temple
* Shiva-Parvati Temple
* Kumari Palace- home of "the Kumari", or living goddess, a young girl. South side of Durbar square,
* Bhagwati Temple
* Saraswati Temple The Goddess of Knowledge and Learning
* Krishna Temple
* Sweta Bhairab Statue shown only during the Indra Jatra festival.
* Kal Bhairab
* Indrapur Temple
* Vishnu temple
* Mahendreswar Temple
It is possible to climb the steps of many of the temples for a better look, or to join the people sat at the top watching the bustle below. | | Durbar Square : History | |
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The Kathmandu Durbar Square holds the palaces of the Malla and Shah kings who ruled over the city. Along with these palaces, the square also surrounds quadrangles revealing courtyards and temples. The square is presently known as Hanuman Dhoka, a name derived from the statue of Hanuman, the monkey devotee of Lord Ram, near the entrance of the palace. The preference for the construction of royal palaces at this site dates back to as early as the Licchavi period in the third century. Even though the present palaces and temples have undergone repeated and extensive renovations and nothing physical remains from that period, names like Gunapo and Gupo, which are the names referred to the palaces in the square in early scriptures, imply that the palaces were built by Gunakamadev, a king ruling late in the tenth century. When Kathmandu City became independent under the rule of King Ratna Malla (1484-1520) the palaces in the square became the royal palaces for its Malla kings. When Prithvi Narayan Shah invaded the Kathmandu Valley in 1769, he also favored the Kathmandu Durbar Square for his palace. Other subsequent Shah kings continued to rule from the square until 1896 when they moved to the Narayan Hiti Palace. However, the square is still the center of important royal events like the coronation of King Birendra Bir Bikram Shah in 1975 and King Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah in 2001.
Though there are not any written archives stating the history of the Kathmandu Durbar Square, the construction of the palace in the square is credited to Sankharadev (1069-1083). As the first king of the independent Kathmandu City, Ratna Malla is said to have built a Taleju temple at the Northern side of the palace in 1501. For this to be true then the temple would have had to have been built in the vihara style as part of the palace premise surrounding the Mul Chok courtyard for no evidence of a separate structure that would match this temple can be found within the square.
The construction of the Karnel Chok is also not clearly stated in any historical inscriptions although it is probably the oldest among all the courtyards in the square. A Bhagavati Temple, originally known as a Narayan Temple, rises above the mansions surrounding it and was added during the time of Jagajaya Malla in the early eighteenth century. The Narayan idol within the temple was stolen so Prithvi Narayan Shah replaced it with an image of Bhagavati, completely transforming the name of the temple.
The oldest temples in the square are those built by Mahendra Malla (1560-1574). They are the temples of Jagannath, Kotilingeswara Mahadev, Mahendreswara, and the Taleju Temple. This three-roofed Taleju Temple was established in 1564, in a typical Newari architectural style and is elevated on platforms that form a pyramid-like structure. It is said that Mahendra Malla, when he was residing in Bhaktapur, was highly devoted to the Taleju Temple there; the Goddess being pleased with his devotion gave him a vision asking him to build a temple for her in the Kathmandu Durbar Square. Then with a help of a hermit, he designed the temple to give it its present form and the Goddess entered the temple in the form of a bee.
His successors Sadasiva (1575-1581), his son, Shiva Simha (1578-1619), and his grandson, Laksminar Simha (1619-1641), do not seem to have made any major additions to the square. During this period of three generations the only constructions to have occurred were the establishment of Degutale Temple dedicated to Goddess Mother Taleju by Shiva Simha and some enhancement in the royal palace by Laksminar Simha.
It was in the time of Pratap Malla, son of Laksminar Simha, that the square was extensively developed. He was an intellectual, a pious devotee, and he was especially interested in arts. He called himself a Kavindra, king of poets, and boasted that he was learned in fifteen different languages. A passionate builder, following his coronation as a king, he immediately began enlargements to his royal palace, and rebuilt some old temples and constructed new temples, shrines and stupas around his kingdom.
During the construction of his palace, he added a small entrance in the traditional, low and narrow Newari style. The door was elaborately decorated with carvings and paintings of deities and auspicious sings and was later transferred to the entrance of Mohan Chok. In front of the entrance he placed the statue of Hanuman thinking that Hanuman would strengthen his army and protect his home. The entrance leads to Nasal Chok, the courtyard where most royal events such as coronation, performances, and yagyas, holy fire rituals, take place. It was named after Nasadya, the God of Dance, and during the time of Pratap Malla the sacred mask dance dramas performed in Nasal Chok were widely famed. In one of these dramas, it is said that Pratap Malla himself played the role of Lord Vishnu and that the spirit of the Lord remained in the king's body even after the play. After consulting his Tantric leaders, he ordered a stone image of Lord Vishnu in his incarnation as Nara Simha, the half lion and half human form, and then transferred the spirit into the stone. This fine image of Nara Simha made in 1673 still stands in the Nasal Chok. In 1650, he commissioned for the construction of Mohan Chok in the palace. This chok remained the royal residential courtyard for many years and is believed to store a great amount of treasure under its surface. Pratap Malla also built Sundari Chok about this time. He placed a slab engraved with lines in fifteen languages and proclaimed that he who can understand the inscription would produce the flow of milk instead of water from Tutedhara, a fountain set in the outer walls of Mohan Chok. However elaborate his constructions may have been, they were not simply intended to emphasize his luxuries but also his and the importance of others' devotion towards deities. He made extensive donations to temples and had the older ones renovated. Next to the palace, he built a Krishna temple, the Vamsagopala, in an octagonal shape in 1649. He dedicated this temple to his two Indian wives, Rupamati and Rajamati, as both had died during the year it was built. In Mohan Chok, he erected a three roofed Agamachem temple and a unique temple with five superimposing roofs. After completely restoring the Mul Chok, he also donated to the adjoining Taleju Temple. To the main temple of Taleju, he donated metal doors in 1670. He rebuilt the Degutale Temple built by his grandfather, Siva Simha, and the Taleju Temple in the palace square. As a substitute to the Indreswara Mahadeva Temple in the distant village of Panauti he built a Shiva temple, Indrapura, near his palace in the square. He carved hymns on the walls of the Jagannath Temple as prayers to Taleju in the form of Kali.
At the Southern end of the square, near the Kasthamandapa, which was the main city crossroads for early traders, he built another pavilion named Kavindrapura, the mansion of the king of poets. In this mansion he set an idol of dancing Shiva, Nasadyo, which today is highly worshipped by dancers in the Valley.
In the process of beautifying his palace, he added fountains, ponds, and baths. In Sundari Chok, he established a low bath with a golden fountain. He also built a small pond, the Naga Pokhari, in the palace adorned with Nagakastha, a wooden serpent, which is said he had ordered stolen from the royal pond in the Bhaktapur Durbar Square. He also restored the Licchavi stone sculptures such as the Jalasayana Narayana, the Kaliyadamana, and the Kala Bhairav. An idol of Jalasayana Narayana was placed in a newly created pond in the Bhandarkhal garden in the Eastern wing of the palace. As a substitute to the idol of Jalasayana Narayana in Buddhanilkantha, he channeled water from Buddhanilkantha to the pond in Bhandarkhal due bestow authenticity. The Kalyadana, a manifestation of Lord Krishna destroying Kaliya, a water serpent, is placed in Kalindi Chok, which is adjacent to the Mohan Chok. The approximately ten feet high image of terrifyingly portrayed Kal Bhairav is placed near the Jagannath Temple. This image is the focus of worship in the chok especially during Durga Puja.
With the death of Pratap Malla in 1674, the overall emphasis on the importance of the square also came to a halt. His successors retained relatively insignificant power and the prevailing ministers took control of most of the royal rule. The ministers encountered little influence under these kings and, increasingly, interest of the arts and additions to the square was lost on them. They focused less on culture than Pratap Malla during the three decades that followed his death, steering the city and country more towards the arenas of politics and power, with only a few minor constructions made in the square. These projects included Parthivendra Malla building a temple referred to as Trailokya Mohan or Dasavatara, dedicated to Lord Vishnu in 1679. A large statue of Garuda, the mount of Lord Vishnu, was added in front of it a decade later. Parthivendra Malla also added a pillar with image of his family in front of the Taleju Temple.
Around 1692, Radhilasmi, the widowed queen of Pratap Malla, erected the tall temples of Shiva known as Maju Deval near the Garuda image in the square. This temple stands on nine stepped platforms and is one of the tallest buildings in the square. Then her son, Bhupalendra Malla, took the throne and banished the widowed queen to the hills. His death came early at the age of twenty one and his widowed queen, Bhuvanalaksmi, built a temple in the square known as Kageswara Mahadev. The temple was built in the Newari style and acted as a substitute for worship of a distant temple in the hills. After the earthquake in 1934, the temple was restored with a dome roof, which was alien to the Newari architecture.
Jayaprakash Malla, the last Malla king to rule Kathmandu, built a temple for Kumari, Durga in her virginal state. The temple was named Kumari Bahal and was structured like a typical Newari vihara. In his house resides the Kumari, an immature girl who is revered as the living goddess. He also made a chariot for Kumari and in the courtyard had detailed terra cotta tiles of that time laid down.
During the Shah dynasty that followed, the Kathmandu Durbar Square saw a number of changes. Two of the most unique temples in the square were built during this time. One is the Nautale, a nine storied building known as Vasantapur Durbar. It has four roofs and stands at the end of Nasal Chok at the East side of the palace. It is said that this building was set as a pleasure house. The lower three stories were made in the Newari farmhouse style. The upper floors have Newari style windows, sanjhya and tikijhya, and some of them are slightly projected from the wall. The other temple is annexed to the Vasantapur Durbar and has four-stories. This building was initially known as Vilasamandira, or Lohom Chok, but is now commonly known as Basantapur or Tejarat Chok. The lower floors of the Basantapur Chok display extensive woodcarvings and the roofs are made in popular the Mughal style. Archives state that Prthivi Narayan Shah built these two buildings in 1770.
Rana Bahadur Shah was enthroned at the age of two. Bahadur Shah, the second son of Prithivi Narayan Shah, ruled as a regent for his young nephew Rana Bahadur Shah for a close to a decade from 1785 to 1794 and built a temple of Shiva Parvati in the square. This one roofed temple is designed in the Newari style and is remarkably similar to previous temples built by the Mallas. It is rectangular in shape, and enshrines the Navadurga, a group of goddesses, on the ground floor. It has a wooden image of Shiva and Parvati at the window of the upper floor, looking out at the passersby in the square. Another significant donation made during the time of Rana Bahadur Shah is the metal-plated head of Swet Bhairav near the Degutale Temple. It was donated during the festival of Indra Jatra in 1795, and continues to play a major role during the festival every year. This approximately twelve feet high face of Bhairav is concealed behind a latticed wooden screen for the rest of the year. The following this donation Rana Bahadur donated a huge bronze bell as an offering to the Goddess Taleju. Together with the beating of the huge drums donated by his son Girvan Yudha, the bell was rung every day during the daily ritual worship to the goddess. Later these instruments were also used as an alarm system. However, after the death of his beloved third wife Kanimati Devi due to smallpox, Rana Bahadur Shah turned mad with grief and had many images of gods and goddesses smashed including the Taleju statue and bell, and Sitala, the goddess of smallpox.
In 1908, a palace, Gaddi Durbar, was built using European architectural designs. The Rana Prime Ministers who had taken over the power but not the throne of the country from the Shahs Kings from 1846 to 1951 were highly influenced by European styles. The Gaddi Durbar is covered in white plaster, has Greek columns and adjoins a large audience hall, all foreign features to Nepali architecture. The balconies of this durbar were reserved for the royal family during festivals to view the square below.
Time and again the temples and the palaces in the square have gone through reconstruction after being damaged by natural causes or neglect. Presently there are less than ten quadrangles in the square. The temples are being preserved as national heritage sites and the palace is being used as a museum. Only a few parts of the palace are open for visitors and the Taleju Temples are only open for people of Hindu and Buddhist faith.
Some of the parts of the square like the Hatti Chok near the Kumari Bahal in the Southern section of the square were removed during restoration after the devastating earthquake in 1934. While building the New Road, the Southeastern part of the palace was cleared away, leaving only fragments in places as reminders of their past. Though decreased from its original size and attractiveness from its earlier seventeenth century architecture, the Kathmandu Durbar Square still displays an ancient surrounding that spans abound five acres of land. It has palaces, temples, quadrangles, courtyards, ponds, and images that were brought together over three centuries of the Malla, the Shah, and the Rana dynasties. | | Durbar Square : More pictures | |
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