Bhaktapur Durbar Square Nepal – Places To See | Things To Do | Attractions

Bhaktapur Durbar Square: – Bhaktapur – is a very ancient city of Nepal, included in the top three royal cities in the valley of Kathmandu.  The richest cultural and historical heritage and a large number of shrines truly justify its name, which translates as “City of Devotees” or “City of Saints.”

Bhaktapur is located 16 km east of the capital of Nepal and is the center of the district of the same name in the area of ​​Bagmati.  The territory of the city is located at an altitude of 1300-1400 m, from the north and west is limited by the river Manohara, surrounded by mountains from other sides. Tourists from around the world come here to see the unusual structures of red bricks in our own, in which wooden roofs are a carved decoration of the whole city.

The founding date of Bhaktapur is considered to be the 889th year.  At this time, the first settlement appeared at the crossroads of trade routes.  There were routes between three countries: Tibet, China, and India.  This location favored economic growth.  In addition, it contributed to the development of architecture.  However, the city as a whole began to flourish during the Malla dynasty.

The convenient location of Bhaktapur in Nepal at the intersection of caravan routes from Tibet, China, and India accelerated the accumulation of wealth by the city.  In the 14th century, it became the capital of the Nepalese kingdom and actively flourished.  Craftsmanship (woodcarving, stone and metal carving, pottery and weaving, jewelry) was developing rapidly in the XVII century.

This period is considered the golden age of Bhaktapur.  At this time, the Nepalese city begins to expand its influence on the villages that were located next door in the valley of Kathmandu. 

Craft art is gaining momentum.  However, to replace good successful days, times of despondency and recession are coming.  In the middle of the eighteenth century, the city begins to lose its former power and authority among other settlements. 

This is because many regions of Nepal are united in a single state.  But despite this, this settlement is a city with developed art and rich architecture. Bhaktapur loses but remains the cultural capital of Nepal, where you can plunge into its ancient traditions and customs.

At the end of 2015, a terrible earthquake occurred in the city, which claimed thousands of lives of citizens and destroyed many architectural monuments.  However, it could not destroy either the charming atmosphere of antiquity or the optimism of the locals! 

The inhabitants of these poor, in terms of material wealth, countries manage to radiate happiness and joy no matter what.  The ability to be happy is one of the features of the national character. Nevertheless, Bhaktapur is still an amazing place where you can stroll through the busy streets, see the works of street masters and plunge into the atmosphere of an ancient Newari town.

Bhaktapur has a temperate climate with an average annual temperature of +18.4 ° C.  The warmest months are June and when the thermometers show + 25 … + 27 ° C. The coldest in December and January at this time the temperature is kept at + 10 ° C.  Precipitation in Bhaktapur is quite abundant, with 1249 mm falls in a year. 

Especially a lot of rain is observed from mid-July to the end of September. Bhaktapur is located at an altitude of 1,341 meters above sea level and is classified as temperate rather than tropical.  Temperatures never rise above 30 degrees Celsius in the summer, and below zero are not expected in winter. 

Since rainfall during the monsoon season is stronger but not as extreme as in other regions from mid-June to mid-September, Bhaktapur is suitable as a tourist destination all year round. 

Due to the relative unpredictability of the monsoon season and the heavy rainfall in other parts of the country, the best time to travel to Nepal, and therefore to Bhaktapur, is between October and April.  In these months, it is a bit cooler in the old royal city of Bhaktapur, but it is rarely expected to rain.

The atmosphere of Bhaktapur is fundamentally different from the stunning cacophony of street sounds in Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal, 14 kilometers to the west. 

Here, as if you find yourself in a village with an evenly flowing life, where the locals spend most of the day on the street. They communicate, work, cook and eat, make, and trade.  And in the evening the city is filled with peasants with hoes, coming from the rice fields that surround the city from all sides.

Most of the population of the Kathmandu valley, where Bhaktapur is located, are Newari (Nevers).  This is an ancient ethnos, whose culture and skill are admired, probably, in all branches of art. 

The skills of these people have been improved for many hundreds of years, thanks to which their architecture, sculpture, wood, and metal carvings amaze with their elegance and magnificence.  The Nepalese pagodas, designed by New York architects, were taken over by other Asian countries and became symbols of China and Japan.

Here you can slowly walk through the busy streets and enjoy the temples, monuments, and street craftsmen who create their masterpieces right on the and just watch the life of the local population.

Inside the city, you can only walk on foot.  Rickshaws, tuk-tuks, and taxis in the old city are not allowed.  Compensation for this will be clean air and calm. Bhaktapur is the center of pottery crafts. You will see them everywhere – dried in the sun, exhibited on tables and regiments in front of shops and houses.

The city is also known for making masks of black clay with painting. Masks depicting various deities are used at festivals. Tourist restaurants can be found in almost any building surrounding Durbar. In small restaurants for local menu, most likely gave Bhat Tarkari – a vegetarian dish of rice, beans, and vegetables.

And non-vegetarian items like – Samay Baji (from rice, pickled meat buffalo, lentils, vegetables, potatoes, bamboo sprouts), tea, and momo (Tibetan dumplings). In terms of residence, Bhaktapur is an excellent alternative to Kathmandu.

To preserve these unique monuments, the movement of vehicles in the central part of Bhaktapur is dramatically limited, which makes walking on it unusually pleasant and calm. Narrow streets with old houses, temples, and pagodas have kept their view from deep antiquity.

Modern Bhaktapur masters do not give up under the onslaught of “civilization”, and their golden hands continue to preserve their unique skills.  According to the old methods, they continue to process wood, make jewelry, jewelry made of gold and silver, wool, stone, and metals, paint pictures, make carpets, and a special kind of yogurt.

But the most famous craft of Bhaktapur is undoubtedly pottery.  The whole district of the city is occupied by the workshops of local potters who, from morning to evening, make jugs, pots, vases, candlesticks, piggy banks, and other clay products.

One of the important holidays and festivals celebrated in Bhaktapur is the Bisket Jatra or New Year’s party. Here the new year is celebrated for a whole week according to the Nepalese calendar (mid-April) in which a cart dedicated to the god Bhairava paraded, one of the manifestations of Shiva.

Bhaktapur is a teletransport machine in itself that throws you fully into the Middle Ages. But not to that Middle Age to which you are more than accustomed with feudal lords and castles. To a time and place unknown, in which the eyes are like dishes to contemplate temples you’ve never imagined, smells you’ve never smelled, and sounded you’ve never heard. Enter this city, the heritage of humanity, to immerse yourself in the past as an old browser.

Because of its more than 150 music and 100 cultural groups Bhaktapur is called the capital of the performing arts of Nepal.  The inhabitants of Bhaktapur belong ethnically to the Newar and are characterized by a high portion of 60 percent of farmers of the Jyapu caste. 

The inhabitants are almost 90 percent Hindus and ten percent Buddhists.  Many of the 172 temples, the 32 artificial ponds, and the residential buildings decorated with wooden reliefs date back to this period.

Without a doubt, Bhaktapur is one of the most amazing cities in the world, a real fairy tale, a real oasis of poetry and antiquities in the soulless world of “high technology”.  Welcome to Bhaktapur – the city of poor, but happy and free people.

Sights of Bhaktapur

The city is very rich in interesting places and monuments of architecture. Bhaktapur is in itself a rich city in architecture, culture, music, and literature. While in Bhaktapur, be sure to visit:

1. Temple of Dattatreya.

Built in the 15th century by the decree of King Yaksha Malla, the three-story square temple is dedicated to the gods Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva. This is one of the most important places of worship for Vishnuites and Buddhists. Guard him 2 wrestler Malla.

2. Garden of the Shiva.

A modest size of garden on a mountain in Southern Nepal. The garden of rooms of certain acts of Indians is located, including the highest in the world of the statue of God Shiva. Height of 44 m, called Kailashnath Mahadev. He was made of copper, cement, zinc, and steel and takes 32 lines among the largest statues on the planet. The garden receives the daily visits of about 5 thousand people, and on the days of national holidays and festivals, the number of guests is even more.

3. The Royal Water Overwheel of Naga Pokhari.

The Royal Water Overwheel of Naga Pokhari was built in the XVII century to conduct ritual baths for the goddess. The tank is a pool with brick walls and stone laying, the perimeter has sculptures of snakes from the stone. And in the center – a column with the head of the cobra. From here the name of the tank of Naga Pokhari came, in the translation means “Cobra”, which is very revered in the Hindu religion.

4. The bell

Amongst the people, it is called “Large Bell”. It is located in the temple of Watsala Durga at the Bhaktapur Durbar Square. The bell has been installed in 1737 to scale evil spirits. Now the bells are routed to be heard in the morning.

5. Known Durbar Square

This is a real city treasure man with Nepali architecture and sculptures located on it. The squares are palaces and temples made to the Nature-General Observer Lands, the Royal Palace of Yaksha Malla, and the churches of Char Dham. And Chisalin Mandap, the Golden Gate, leading to the palace of 55 windows, etc. The Durbar Square is especially revered in place in Bhaktapur, the entry on any transport on it is prohibited.

6. Palace of 55 windows

It was built in the XV century during the Board of King Yaksha Mall. On the balcony of the building, there are 55 windows with amazing wood carvings, which were given to the palace. Up to 1769, it was the official residence of the King of

7. The golden gate

They were built in the Royal Gallery and are the entrance to the palace with 55 windows. The gate is amazingly beautiful and richly decorated with a fine mouth of supernatural serpents. In the center of the Golden Gate – the sculpture with a 4-headed and 10-handed goddess Kali and Garuda, surrounded by snakes.

8. church

This is the highest church of Bhaktapur, the translation of its name means “five-story”. Devotes the pagoda of the tantric goddess of the prosperity of Sidhi Lakshmi. During the earthquake, the temple did not suffer. On the top, you can climb the stairs, and from a height of 30 m see the Taumadhi Tole.

9. Pot The Pole Pacific

A very famous place in Nepal, as it is here you can look, at how are the pots in the traditional way are made. Get acquainted with masters and see their creations. The production of clay products is a very honorary craft in the sense such dishes often are used both for everyday and religious purposes and festive celebrations.

10. Monastery of Namo Buddha

The monastery along with the steps of Swaymbhunath and Bodhnath enters the three most important places of worship of Buddhists in Nepal. In the vicinity of Namo Buddha created a whole monastery complex, including temples, a monastery school, a college, Tibetan art, and even a clinic.

Bhaktapur Durbar Square

Bhaktapur Durbar Square or Dubar Square in Bhaktapur is a historic square with a large number of UNESCO World Heritage sites.  A must-see site in the Kathmandu Valley, this large square, is made up of four small squares (Durbar Square, Taumadhi Square, Dattatreya Square, and Pottery Square). It is an open-air museum.

This is truly a treasure trove of Bhaktapur.  Here you can see a large number of masterpieces of Nepalese architecture, as well as get acquainted with the traditional sculptures of the region.  During the period when this settlement was the capital center of the Nepalese kingdom, this place was the beginning of the construction of palaces and temples.

Durbar Square in Bhaktapur is more similar but less crowded with temples. And not at all loaded with residents and tourists from all three royal cities of the Kathmandu valley. But it was not planned at all that way.  In the old days, it was filled with temples and historic buildings, but the devastating earthquake of 1934 destroyed many of them.

And today only bare bases indicate the place where famous monuments once stood. Most of the buildings on Bhaktapur Durbar Square were built between the 15th and 17th  when it became the residence of the royal dynasty.  Bhaktapur Durbar Square has largely regained its former glory thanks to a large-scale restoration project funded by a German charitable foundation in the 1970s.

In 1979, the area was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.  Surrounded by magnificent architecture, it vividly demonstrates the high skill of artists and artisans of the Newari for several centuries.

The preserved complex of Buddhist pagodas and Hindu temples is concentrated around the Palace 55 windows.  Wooden sculptures are found everywhere in this square – racks, timpanis, gates, door, and window openings, everything looks beautiful and organic. 

Among the buildings on Bhaktapur Durbar Square, we find the 55-window Palace which was built by King Jitamitra Malla and was the royal residence until 1769. Now it is a national gallery.  Nearby is the golden portal, which leads into the Mulchok court which houses the Temple of Taleju. 

This temple, like the other one in the capital of the Kathmandu valley, is dedicated to the goddess Taleju Bhawani and includes the shrines of Taleju Bhawani and Kumari.  Entrance to the temple is restricted to Hindus and the living goddess cannot be photographed strictly.

Bhaktapur Durbar Square to this day is the most revered among the local population, as well as among the guests so you can not enter the square in any vehicle. Local authorities have banned visiting the sights, as they carefully treat it and do not allow destroying its surface. 

History of Bhaktapur Durbar square

For the period from the 7th century BC to the 2nd century AD, Bhaktapur adopted a city culture of Kirati originating from northern India.  The village is said to have worn the name Khoo.  In the epoch of Licchavi (3rd to 9th century AD) the city was called Khopring Drang.

The Licchavi kings succeeded in building up a state that could almost be called imperial, the extent of which was to be restored only in the eighteenth century.  Koehring was expanded at that time to a trading post and received the necessary administrative tasks. 

About the history of the city from the 9th to the 12th Century is next to nothing known.  But the introduction of a new era in 879 indicates a new dynasty, probably the Thakur.  In a manuscript from 1038, a village called Khrimprimbrumayam in the place of today’s Bhaktapur is called.

The chronicle Gopal Raj Vamsavali and other chronicles designate Anand Deva as the founder of the city Bhaktapur in 1197. He is said to have built the old royal palace, which has had the name Tripura.  At the end of the 13th and beginning of the 14th century, Nepal was the victim of several invasions by its southern and western neighbors.  There are five plunderings by the Khasa tribes and the Tirhutiyas.

However, the major history of the city emerged from the rule of the Malla dynasty around the mid of 14th century. The Malla rulers of the 17th century attempted to portray themselves as direct descendants of the Kshatriya dynasty of Narasimha Deva by manipulating their lineage.

Capital of the Kingdom of Greater Malla until the 15th century AD, Bhaktapur was founded in the 12th century by King Ananda Malla. But it was not until the beginning of the 18th century that the city took its present form.  It was at this time that many of its most prestigious monuments were built by the Malla rulers.

The city would be built in the form of a triangle formed by the three temples of the god Ganesha on the outskirts of the city that protect it. Until the sixteenth century, the city dominated politically and economically throughout Nepal. 

After the Gorkha conquest in 1769, the city closed in on itself maintaining autarky and independence both economic and political. Many of its inhabitants, especially the elderly, do not speak Nepali, but Newari.  The organization of the city corresponds to Newari’s planning art. The city is divided into different neighborhoods (toles) articulated around a Bhaktapur durbar square with a well or a public fountain and a permanent religious altar.

In the past, the city acquired its harmony because of its privileged location on the India-Tibet route.  The taxes and tolls charged to the merchants gave him great wealth.  Each autumn, merchants brought sheep from Tibet to coincide with the Nepalese holiday of Dasain (Hindi Dussehra) in which male animals are sacrificed to the goddess Durga.  On their return trip, merchants carried grain, sugar, or Buddhist inscriptions.

This prosperity encouraged cultural life.  The temple builders developed their style of the pagoda that was later extended from Tibet to Japan. Just as the meaning of its name says (‘city of the devotees’) Bhaktapur has not lost at any time its importance as a religious center.

At the end of the 20th century and thanks to a German project, the city was largely renovated and restored, becoming one of the main tourist attractions in Nepal.

Bhaktapur Square and all its remains were strongly affected during the massive earthquake of 1934. The recent earthquake of 2015 has finally weakened the last monuments still standing and unfortunately it is important historical remains that we discover today in ruins.

Temples and medieval-style palaces create a unique atmosphere in the royal city of Bhaktapur, making the city seem like an open-air museum.  The historically and culturally interesting UNESCO World Heritage Site transports you through many interesting buildings, such as the Royal Palace, into completely different times. 

Explore the oldest of the royal cities of Nepal and discover the former heart of the Malla Empire, which left its mark on the city from the 14th to the 18th century.  Although the traces of the earthquakes are visible in various historic buildings, there are many interesting buildings in Bhaktapur and an atmosphere that enchants guests directly.

Why visit Bhaktapur and Bhaktapur Durbar square?

Bhaktapur is a city museum replete with monuments, mostly terracotta with carved wooden columns.  In it, you will find temples and palaces with elaborate sculptures, golden roofs, and open patios. Walking around Bhaktapur you feel as if you were in another era. 

It is worth the visit to get lost in its streets and enjoy observing the life of its inhabitants. Potters drying their pottery in the sun, children playing soccer in any corner, women raking wheat grains, etc.

During its history, Bhaktapur has been repeatedly damaged by earthquakes.  The 2015 earthquake, whose epicenter was 90km from the city, affected many of its historic buildings, including some in Bhaktapur Durbar Square.  Due to the importance of tourism in Nepal, the authorities were very involved in restoring the damage but there are still some temples to be rebuilt.

Not only a tourist destination, but it is also famous as a culinary destination. For the various festivals, the Newar prepare special dishes, and drinks.  The best known is the Dahi (दही), a special yogurt dish.  The beer-like then, which is red and white, is an indispensable part of the Newar ceremonies. 

The Chatanmari is a kind of rice crepe.  Chelsea and Kachila, on the other hand, are specially prepared water buffalo meat dishes.  The most widely used dessert is probably Lakhamari, made from flour, sugar, and butter.

Bhaktapur and Bhaktapur Durbar square has everything for everybody. Now if you are a music lover, Bhaktapur can be the perfect spot for you. With more than 150 music groups, Bhaktapur has a rich reservoir of musicians, especially drummers of the dhimay, a widespread in the Kathmandu valley zweelligen cylinder drum. 

But players of the bamboo flute bansuri and vocal groups are also numerous.  As a special feature, the singing of nine (Nava) different drums (data) is accompanied by a few Navadapha groups. Each of these drums has its repertoire and its style. 

Some of them are played by only one player in turn. In Bhaktapur also live the members of the Mahakali pyakhan dance troupes that perform each year in Kathmandu at the Indra Jatra, a festival at the end of the rainy season in September. Regular festivals of traditional music are organized, such as in 1990, the “Festival of Traditional Music Dhin Dha Tum Tak”. 

Nepal’s traditional musical instruments are on display in a permanent exhibition at the Department of Music of the University of Kathmandu in Bhaktapur. This field office, which is unique in Asia, was established in 1996.

The cultural enrichment of Bhaktapur will hold you in a magical trance. Cultural and religious festivals take place throughout the year in Bhaktapur to honor gods and remember history.  Some of the major festivals are Dashain, Tihar, and Bisket Jatra. 

Dashain is the longest festival every year that lasts for 15 days in September / October in honor of Goddess Durga. Residents celebrated by giving offerings during the festival took place, including slaughtering thousands of animals.  Tihar is a light festival in honor of Laksmi, the Goddess of Prosperity in October. 

Residents will light their homes with oil lamps, candles, and other lights to invite Dewi Laksmi into their place.  Bisket Jatra is a Nepalese New Year celebration held in April.  This celebration is usually filled with picnics and private events with family and closest relatives.

Bisket Jatra or biska Jatra is the identity of Bhaktapur as this jatra is only celebrated in Bhaktapur. In the spring, when the trees in the Himalayan valleys bloom and the air temperature becomes very comfortable.

The Nepalese people celebrate the New Year festival Bisket for nine days.  It usually begins on April 10 and lasts until April 19.  Basket is celebrated not by the lunar, but by the solar calendar, so the dates of the holiday do not change.

Residents of cities take to the streets, sing and dance, praising the beginning of the new year. The festivities begin with the fact that the huge chariot, on which the figure of the god Bhairava (the awesome form of Shiva) and the goddess Bhadrakali stand, creaks in the center of the city.

Interesting events are unfolding here – rope pulling between residents of the eastern and western districts of the city of Bhaktapur.  The ropes are tied to chariots.  Each group tries to pull the ancient chariot to its side.

A real battle is unfolding between the teams, after which the chariots follow to the river bank. where the men try their best to raise the ceremonial lingam 25 meters high, made of bamboo.  The lingam has a transverse beam with two strips of fabric hanging from it. 

This is the symbol of two dead snakes.  The ceremonial lingam rises to the next day.  When the lingam is installed, there is a thunder of applause and triumphs of victory.

 After dawn, on the first day of the new year, a huge pillar is toppled to the ground. And every inhabitant tries to get a piece of cloth that supposedly brings good luck in the new year. New Year’s Day is celebrated.  And again, the inhabitants of the city are involved in the tug of war. 

The chariots again come to the place where there is a huge lingam.  In the evening it must be turned down by the participants of the processions.  At this time, many Nepalese perform ablutions, sacrifices, and other rites to appease the gods and goddesses.  As soon as the lingam is on the ground, the Nepali New Year begins.  The holiday continues after that for three more days.

The holiday got its name thanks to the legend of a princess whose lovers did not live up to the morning. Because of snakes who lived in the body of a girl and killed men willing to share a bed with her. One of the princes was able to kill the snakes, which are now reminded of pieces of cloth tied to a pole.  

You can witness this amazing never seen culture only in Bhaktapur. At the crossroads of the tol are Chwasa stones, called the Tajima (‘grandmother’). On which the inhabitants of the tol deposit impure food, the placenta and the umbilical cord of newborns, clothes of the deceased, and once a year unusable pottery.  The Tools play a central role in the rituals of the city, especially during the Bisket Jatra festival and during the city tours of the Nava Durga dancers.  

The place is the resting point for trekkers and mountain climbers. Bhaktapur is located in the low mountain region, on the southern edge of the Himalayas in Kathmandu valley. 

This valley with a north-south extension of 25 kilometers and an east-west extension of 19 kilometers is surrounded by a towering up to 2900 meters mountain range, with the valley floor at 1340 meters. The river system of the valley is independent of the high mountains and is drained by the Bagmati. 

In addition to the Vishnumati, Manohara, Dhobi, and Nakhu Kolar, the tributary rivers include the Hanuman, the river where Bhaktapur lies.  The fertile, alluvial soil of the Kathmandu valley is composed of sand and loam.  The exact cause of the deposition is not yet but could be based in a former lake here.

Hotels, guest houses, cafes, restaurants, and boutiques all are open in this place. This is the perfect place for tired tourists who can enjoy the calm serene environment of the city. Away from the noise and pollution, this place is small heaven.

Visit Bhaktapur Durbar Square

Bhaktapur durbar square is a cluster of at least four squares in front of the royal palace of the ancient kingdom of Bhaktapur. Bhaktapur Durbar Square is located in the current city of Bhaktapur, which is 13 km east of Kathmandu. 

While the complex is composed of at least four distinct squares (Durbar Square, Taumadhi Square, Dattatreya Square, and Pottery Square), the whole is informally known as Durbar Square, is a very visited place in the Kathmandu valley. The entire Bhaktapur Durbar Square complex is a fabulous association of ancient arts, cultural traditions, religious values ​​, and prestigious architectural works. 

The square reveals all the identity of the city and marks the spirits by the profusion of historical remains. For the most part, inscribed on the list of World Heritage of Unesco.  Unsurprisingly, Bhaktapur Durbar Square is at the top of the ranking of the main sights in the Kathmandu Valley.

Here we find the typical Nepalese pagoda-shaped but compared to those of the capital they seem much more refined and valued, also thanks to the pedestrianization of the center. In any case, there is something to see on every corner, places of worship, squares, and courtyards, but also scenes of everyday life. The entire square is surrounded by centuries-old buildings.  At a glance, we will feel ourselves going back in time.

The best plan you can make in this World Heritage city is to walk around. Do not be afraid, browse everything you want and more.  Get lost in the back streets and watch the life of the Nepalis. Surely hallucinated with many things, for example, the sadhus. These monks are a typical picture of India, where Hinduism is the majority religion, but in Nepal, you can also see them kicking.

Darbar Square in Bhaktapur was severely damaged by an earthquake in 1934 and therefore appears more spacious than the others located in Kathmandu and Patan.  Originally, there were 99 courtyards attached to this place, but now only six remain.  Before the earthquake, there were three distinct groups of temples.  But today, the place itself is surrounded only by buildings that survived the earthquake.

To better understand the attraction of this open-air museum, we must look at the different palaces and temples that surround it.

Places To See / Things To Do / Attractions of Bhaktapur Durbar Square Area

1. The palace with 55 windows:

The palace with 55 windows (55 Windows Palace) is perhaps the most emblematic in the place. Built-in the 15th century, and renovated in the 17th century, the palace stands out with its balcony and its 55 perfectly carved windows in the wood.

A palace of 55 windows was built by Yaksha Malla in the 15th century. The building received its name thanks to 55 windows placed on the balcony, which is considered to be a real masterpiece of woodcarving art. One of the window openings was closed by a window glass brought from India, which at the time was considered almost a miracle.

After the earthquake of 1934, this majestic building was severely destroyed, the last restoration was carried out 10 years ago. The palace in 1769 was the official royal residence. It is located at the highest point of the plateau of the square similar to a fortress.

The oldest part of the palace is considered to be a mul Chouk, built in the XIV century as a home of the goddess to the Taleju. According to the legend of the century, the goddess was brought to Bhaktapur from the hiragana. Its main door, known as the Golden Gate is also not foreign to the notoriety of the palace.

Considered one of the most beautiful gates of its kind in the world. The Golden Gate, called Sun Dhoka, is one of the most beautiful manifestations of architecture in the whole valley. The ten-armed goddess Taleju is depicted in the center of the gilded toran (arch).

The gate leads to the Palace of the Fifty-Five Windows, built in the XVII century by King Bhupatindra Malla. The Golden Gate, surmounted by a statue of Hindu goddesses Kali and Garuda, unveils other mythical creatures Hindu, all made in great complexity. The gates are decorated with demons and deities of extraordinarily fine work.

On the gate are depicted the golden figures of Hanuman, Narasingh Narayan, and Bhairava. Now the palace houses the National Art Gallery with ancient samples of Buddhist and Hindu art (portraits of kings, stone sculptures, mandalas and tanks, ancient manuscripts, and paintings). The gallery is open every day except Tuesday.

2. Golden gate: Places To See in Bhaktapur Durbar Square Area

Golden Gate is recognized not only as one of the greatest phenomena of Nepalese architecture but also as one of the finest works of architecture in the world. They are located on Bhaktapur Durbar Square, which is listed as a UNESCO heritage site. The Golden Gate, also known as Sun Dhoka, was built by King Ranjit Malla.

They are a gilded arch, richly decorated with carvings of mythical creatures. In the central part of the gate, you can see the figure of the goddess Taleju with ten hands, surrounded, like a halo, by snakes. And at her feet are located the bird-person Garuda and the goddess Kali, accompanied by two nymphs.