Nepal: Bhaktapur, Nov 2024

I had planned to visit Nepal 9 years ago but many of the centuries-old UNESCO sites were reduced to rubble by the earthquake of April 2015.  The restoration work took a while to begin partly because there were not enough craftsmen adept at traditional architectural techniques such as stone masonry and metal work.  The palaces and temples that were damaged date back to the period between the 12th and 18th centuries when the Kathmandu Valley was divided into the three kingdoms of Kathmandu, Patan, and Bhaktapur.  The skilled craftsmen who carved and sculpted these spectacular temples and palaces were exclusively from families of the Newa ethnic group who passed the skills on through the generations.  Slowly, the younger generations did not want to learn the crafts and opted for other professions.  The earthquake reignited the need for these skilled craftsmen and many began to practice the trade.  By now, over 80% of the 920 heritage monuments that were destroyed have been reconstructed.
Like Bhutan, Nepal is landlocked and situated in the Himalayas.  It is an interesting country that is multi-ethnic, multi-lingual, multi-religious and multi-cultural.  Hinduism is the predominant religion of Nepal where the name “Nepal” was first recorded in Hindu texts from the Vedic period.  Buddhism is also important in Nepal given that Gautama Buddha, the founder of Buddhism, was born in Lumbini in southern Nepal in the middle of the first millennium BC.  In other parts of Nepal, such as the north, Tibetan Buddhism and the culture of Tibet reign.  Nepal was never colonized but served as a buffer state between Imperial China and British India.  The world’s last Hindu monarchy ended after the Nepalese Civil War in the 1990s and early 2000s.  The ancient cities of Kathmandu, Patan, and Bhaktapur in the Kathmandu Valley were once independent states ruled by the Malla kings from the 12th to 18th centuries.  There are 7 UNESCO World Heritage sites in the valley as well as hundreds of Newari monuments and temples.  The Newars were the original inhabitants of the valley whose craft skills were not only championed by the Malla kings but even valued by the Mongol rulers of 18th century China.  My short trip to Nepal this time will focus on Kathmandu Valley mainly because I am reluctant to take any domestic flights due to safety reasons and frequent cancellations.  I also rejected the option to travel by car because each journey can easily take over 6-7 hours on windy mountain roads.  I stayed at the modern Marriott Hotel in downtown Kathmandu.

Marriott Hotel Kathmandu

First stop is the UNESCO city of Bhaktapur, located in the eastern corner of Kathmandu Valley and about an hour from Kathmandu.  Bhaktapur literally translates to the City of Devotees.  It is the smallest and most densely populated city of Nepal.  The old city of Bhaktapur is considered the best preserved of the three royal Newari cities in the valley.  Visiting the well preserved temples, palaces, shrines and brick-paved squares here is like traveling through a time machine back to the reign of the Malla kings.  Bhaktapur was the capital during the first half of the Malla Dynasty from the 12th century until 1482 when the country split into 3 independent kingdoms.  There are 4 squares in Bhaktapur: Durbar Square, Taumadhi Square, Pottery Square, and Dattatraya Square.

Bhaktapur

 

One of the many resting pavilions in Bhaktapur

 

Bhaktapur

 

Bhaktapur

 

Bhaktapur

Bhaktapur Durbar (royal palace) Square is the former royal palace complex of Bhaktapur surrounded by buildings dating from the 13th to 18th century.  It is said that Bhaktapur Durbar Square once had 99 chowks or courtyards with only a dozen or so remaining now.  Pachpanna Jhyale Durbar, the 15th century Palace of 55 Carved Windows, and the Golden Gate palace entrance are the highlights of the square.

The golden gate, also known as the Swarnadwar, is one of the best creations of the Malla reign. The gate demonstrates Nepalese architecture in the roofing style, carvings, symbols, and inscriptions.

Pachpanna Jhyale Durbar or the Palace of 55 Windows was constructed in 1697 during the reign of Bhupatindra Malla.  The 3-storey building has two brickwork levels interspersed with a series of alternating doors and windows.  The upper level displays a balcony with 55 latticed wooden windows. The palace offers great mural paintings and intricate wood carvings of the Malla era. In the 2000s, much of the structure was carefully disassembled and then reconstructed using the original materials whenever possible and this is likely the reason the palace survived the earthquake of April 2015.

Bhaktapur Durbar Square

 

Bhaktapur Durbar Square

 

Bhaktapur Durbar Square

 

Royal Bath

 

The National Art Museum displaying treasured sculptures from the Malla and Lichhavi periods is housed in the Simhadhwakha Lyaku Palace.  Flanking the entrance to the museum are two stone lions and two stone images of Hanumanta Bhairav and Narasimha.

 

The Vatsala Devi or Vatsala Durga is a sikhara-style monument dedicated to the Vatsala manifestation of the Hindu deity Durga.  The temple is constructed on a multi-tiered plinth with a staircase flanked by stone animals.  Inside there is a small central sanctum with an altar dedicated to Durga.  Durga is not represented in human form but instead represented by a kalasa pot which is a symbol of fecundity and renewal sprouting an abundance of leaves and topped by a srivantra which looks like Star of David.  There is a bronze bell on the terrace known as the Bell of Barking Dogs that used to be rung at the beginning and end of a daily curfew.
Vatsala Devi
Vatsala Devi

Bhaktapur Durbar Square

 

Bhaktapur Durbar Square

 

Bhaktapur Durbar Square

 

Bhaktapur Durbar Square

 

Like the Vatsala Devi, Siddhi Lakshmi Temple is another shikhara-style temple standing in Bhaktapur Durbar Square.  This temple is dedicated to Siddhi Lakshmi, a manifestation of the Hindu goddess Durga, who is a patron deity of the Malla Kings.  The goddess was believed to have the power to drive away evil spirits and served as the protector of the royal family.  Shaped like a low stepped pyramid, the temple stands on a 7-tier diminishing plinth with sculptures of animals lining the path up the plinth.

Siddhi Lakshmi Temple

 

Siddhi Lakshmi Temple

 

Bhaktapur Durbar Square

 

Chyasilin Mandap

Bhaktapur Durbar Square

 

Mahadeva Temple, dedicated to Shiva, is the tallest temple of Bhaktapur Durbar Square and more often called Phasidega or Phasidegal because of its pumpkin-like appearance.  Guarding the temple are a pair of elephants, lions and bulls.  Inside the temple is a small cell housing a chatur vyuha linga (four-faced stone linga) representing Shiva.

Bhaktapur Durbar Square

 

Bhaktapur

 

Bhaktapur

To the east of Bhaktapur Durbar Square is Taumadhi Square, best known for the 5-storied pagoda-style Nyatapola Temple which is said to be the tallest in Nepal.  Also on this square is the 3-storied Bhairava Temple dedicated to Shiva, a small temple named Betal Temple, and the Til Madhav Narayan Temple.

Taumadhi Square

 

Bhairavnath Temple, also known as the Kasi Biswonath or the Pantali mandir, is a 3-storied temple dedicated to the god of terror, Bhairav, an incarnation of Lord Shiva.  This particular temple is said to be the residence of Akash Bhairav or the sky Bhairav.  The entrance to the temple is not on the square and instead to the side.  The facade facing the square has a ground-level shrine with a miniature Bhairav statue on a small metal throne.  On either side are hammered copper plates depicting Bhairav’s eyes, two pairs of hands, and two dogs.  Only the head of Bhairav sits in the inner sanctum.  Legend has it that Bhairav’s head was cut off by a tantric priestess in order to keep him in Bhaktapur.  A chariot with the head of Bhairav, used in the annual Bisket-Jatra festival, is dismantled and stored here until it is reassembled again before the next festival.  During the festival, two teams compete in a tug-of-war trying to pull the chariot toward its side.  As the chariot is tugged in opposite directions, it moves slowly along the streets depending on which team is stronger.  Regardless of which team wins, the chariot ultimately will move to the Yahshaiyah square for New Year’s Eve.

Bhairavnath Temple

 

Bhairavnath Temple

 

Taumadhi Square

 

Nyatapola Temple, literally means “five-stepped” (nyata) and “roof” (pola), is also called the Panch Talee Mandir because of its 5 stories.  This 5-storied pagoda-style temple of wood and brick, built in 1702 by King Bhupatindra Malla, is said to be the tallest of its kind in Nepal.  The temple survived both the 1934 8.3 earthquake as well as the 2015 earthquake without significant damage. Nyatapola Temple is dedicated to the tantric goddess Siddhi Lakshmi, an incarnation of the goddess Durga, considered to be the personal deity of the royal couple.  Flanking the steps leading up to the temple are deities and mythical beasts of ascending power.  First are the wrestlers Jayamel and Phattu, followed by elephants, lions, gryphons, and just before the temple doors, the goddesses Baghini (the Tigress) and Singhini (the Lioness).

Nyatapola Temple

 

Taumadhi Square

A few minutes walk from Bhaktapur Durbar Square is the Pottery Square filled with pottery works.  In the center of the square are clay wares and other Nepali handicrafts.  There are several shrines and temple on this small square namely, Ganesh shrine, Vishnu temple, Gorakhnath temple, Aakhandasheel Mahavihar, and Jeth Ganesh temple.  Unlike other temples, carved images of Astamatrikas and Astabhairavas can be found on the struts of the Jeth Ganesh Temple.  Also on the square are a pottery training center and thangka painting schools.
Pottery Square

Pottery Square

 

Bhaktapur

 

Bhaktapur

 

Bhaktapur

 

Bhaktapur

 

Bhaktapur

 

Bhaktapur

 

Dattatreya Square, also known as Tachapal tole, is the oldest square of Bhaktapur dating back to the early 15th century.  It is named after the 3-storied pagoda-style Dattatreya Temple here.  Also on the square are a Ganesh temple and pond, a Bhimsen (god of trade) Temple, and a Vishnu Temple.  The Pujari Math, a former palace of the Malla Kings, has been converted into a Woodcraft and Bronze Museum.  It has exquisitely carved peacock windows along the eastern side lane.  The masterpiece peacock window here is also known as the Mona-Lisa of Nepal.  The circular wooden window has an intricately designed peacock at the center with its feathers filling the entire window.

Dattatreya Square

 

The Pujari Math, a former palace of the Malla Kings, has been converted into a Woodcraft and Bronze Museum.

 

It has exquisitely carved peacock windows along the eastern side lane.  The masterpiece peacock window here is also known as the Mona-Lisa of Nepal.  The circular wooden window has an intricately designed peacock at the center with its feathers filling the entire window.

The Pujari Math

 

The 3-storied pagoda-style Dattatreya Temple is dedicated to Guru Dattatreya, a three-headed combination of the three principal Hindu deities, Brahma (the creator), Vishnu (the preserver), and Shiva (the destroyer).  It is the only temple in Nepal that worships the Trinity of the gods.  The temple was built during the reign of King Yaksha Malla and opened around 1486 after his demise.  It is said that the temple was constructed from the trunk of a single tree.  Flanking the entrance are the two Jaiput wrestlers, Jaimala and Pata, a chakra disc, and a gilded metal statue of the bird-like deity, Garuda.  There are erotic carvings on the temple’s terracotta base.

Dattatreya Square

 

Dattatreya Square

 

Wakupati Narayan Temple is a two-story pagoda temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu.  People who are unable to go to Changu Narayan Temple can come here to worship.

Wakupati Narayan Temple

 

Garudas on pillars facing the temple as Garuda is the mount of Lord Vishnu.

 

Wakupati Narayan Temple

 

Wakupati Narayan Temple

Next post will be on another ancient city of the Kathmandu Valley, Patan.  Stay tuned!

 

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8 Responses

  4. So many Nepal blog posts I see only focus on the hiking aspect, it’s great to see the other side of Nepal and what else it offers.
    Fascinating read and it’s really cool seeing your photos. Some of the squares and temples look really interesting!

    Reply

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