Bhaktapur Durbar Square - 1 Day

About Trip:

Bhaktapur lies only a short distance from the capital, but it could be another planet, so great is the difference in the atmosphere and sense of history. It really feels, despite the gradual encroachment of satellite dishes, that little has changed here for centuries.

There are so many points of interest between the focal centres of Durbar Square, Taumadhi Square and Dattatraya Square that it would be impossible to detail them all. A stroll through the town at a leisurely pace, however, will leave you with a sense of awe and enchantment at the beautifully preserved setting, which nevertheless has a prosaic life of its own.

In Bhaktapur there is the National Museum of woodcarving a Bronze and Brass museum and the National Art Gallery. Visit the Lion gate, Picture Gallery, Golden gate and the Palace of fifty five windows. Four kilometres away stands the stunning Changu Narayan temple, with a history dating back to the 4th century. The building itself is 7th century but many of the images to be found here have a longer history, and its relatively untouristed nature makes this one of the more atmospheric temples to visit in Kathmandu.

Bhaktapur, literally the city of Devotees’, is renowned for its elegant art, fabulous culture, colorful festivals, traditional dances and the typical Newar life style. Tourists visiting Nepal feel their visit incomplete unless they get a mesmerizing glimpse of this ancient city of culture. Old dances and festival are still observed by the locals with the same fervor and enthusiasm as their ancestors did in the past. King Yarsh Mall (15th century) heavily fortified this city. The Hindus and the Buddhists have coexisted in harmony and drawn inspirations from each other through the ages. Bhaktapur is predominantly comprised of the peasantry, painting, carving, masonry, bronze casting, jewelry; pottery, etc are other traditional enterprises still existing. Monuments and artistic carvings on wood, stone and metals are strewn all over the historical core of the city. Alleys and narrow and zigzagged lanes lead you to see the Environment of Newar medieval settlements.