The Three Durbar Squares of the Kathmandu Valley

Nepal is a country that is situated right in the middle of ancient civilizations. It makes up for its lack of size with height and opulent multiculturalism. Eight of the ten tallest mountains of the world lies in Nepal, including Mount Everest- the highest mountain on the planet. The country is quite famous for trekking adventures and leisurely holidays. Every year, thousands of tourists visit the country for trekking, pilgrimage and tourist visits. Among the many trekking destinations, the most famous ones include the Everest region (also called the Khumbu), the Annapurna region, the region of Manaslu and the Mustang region. Nepal also has one of the densest concentrations of Heritage Sites in Kathmandu Valley, where about more than 120 important temples, old monuments and Buddhist and Hindu pilgrimage sites are located. There are seven UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the valley of Kathmandu alone, distributed among the three ancient cities of Kathmandu, Bhaktapur and Lalitpur. Kathmandu valley is also the most developed and populated place in the country with a population of 2.5 million people. It is the economic and cultural epicenter of Nepal. The three ancient cities of the valley, Kathmandu- the capital, Bhaktapur and Lalitpur (Patan) each consists of many buildings and temples constructed in unique Nepali architecture and their own respective Durbar Squares named after them. The Durbar Squares are a complex of areas that consist of old royal Palaces that belonged to the ruling monarchs of the respective cities in medieval times (before the unification of Nepal by King Prithivi Narayan Shah), religious temples, open courts, beautiful statues, sculptures and idols of Kings, Gods and heroes, water fountains, small ponds and buildings that are decorated with amazing artistic integrity. Nepal was once a divided land that had many small and large kingdoms with their own monarchs, and the Durbar Squares were the ruling seat of royal power. All of the divided kingdoms were unified by the then King of Gorkha- His Royal Highness King Prithivi Narayan Shah. His unification campaign led to the annexation of the Valley and the city of Kathmandu was then made into the capital of a united country. The three Durbar Squares are the most prominent remnants of the old kingdoms of Nepal and all three of them are listed under the UNESCO World Heritage Sites List.

Tourists are required to pay a certain fee to enter the Durbar Square area. The cost of entering for foreigners is Rs. 1000. People from SAARC countries are required to pay Rs. 250 only. Nepali people can enter the site for free. All three of the Durbar Squares suffered damages in the earthquake of 2015. Many of the temples and monuments were severely damaged or completely destroyed. The reconstruction and preservation of the sites is being undertaken by Nepal’s government but the reconstruction process is very slow.

The Kathmandu Durbar Square

The Kathmandu Durbar Square was the place where the coronation ceremony of the city’s royalty used to take place. The last king of Nepal also had his last coronation ceremony held here. It lies in the heart of the city and contains old buildings and palaces that belonged to the Malla and Shah Kings. It consist of many revealing courtyards, quadrangles, temples and the main royal palace- the Hanuman Dhoka Palace which was the resident of Nepali royalty until the 19th century. Today, the palace is a museum that houses many old artifacts and treasures of the past. Most of the buildings and temples within the Durbar Square complex are built in the traditional Newari architecture with pagoda roofs and intricate wood, stone and metal carvings. The whole complex is divided into two main sub-areas- the outer and the inner complexes. The outer complex is where important temples and buildings like the Kumari Ghar (the temple of the living Goddess), Kasthamandup (destroyed in the 2015 earthquake), the Shiva Parvathi Temple, the Jaggannath Temple and the Big Bell among many other temples are located. The inner complex consists of the Hanuman Dhoka Palace and its courtyards- the Nasal Chowk, the Mul Chowk and the Sundari Chowk. The Kathmandu Durbar Square is also where many Jatras (street festivals) of the city take place- like Indrajatra (the festival celebrating the God of Rain) and Gaijatra (the festival of the dead). Apart from the temples and the palaces, it also has many shrines and statues. The massive statue of Kal Bhairav can be seen in the square, besides massive drums that were used to sound the alarm. Many people flock to the Durbar Square area during Nepal’s biggest festival of Dashain as well. Many temples and the palace of the Durbar Square were damaged during the devastating earthquake that occurred in 2015. The Kasthamandup, the Maju Dega and Narayan Vishnu Temples, the Trilokya Mohan Temple and the Krishna Dega Temple are among some of the buildings that were completely destroyed during the earthquake. Despite this, the Durbar Square is still visited by many tourists and travelers. Trekkers also visit the Kathmandu Durbar Square before starting the famous Everest Base Camp Trek journey.

The Bhaktapur Durbar Square

The Bhaktapur Durbar Square is located in the city of Bhadgaon (Bhaktapur) 13 kilometers east of Kathmandu. Because of the city’ encompassment of many statues, idols, stone taps, traditional houses and architecturally amazing buildings, Bhaktapur is also often referred as an open museum. Some of the major attractions of the Durbar Square of Bhaktapur consist of the 55-window Palace, the Batsala Temple, the Nyatapol, the temple of Bhairav Nath, the Golden Gate and the Lion’s Gate among many others. The Durbar Square area consists of four distinct squares- the Durbar Square itself, the Taumadhi Square, the Dattatreya Square and the Pottery Square. The whole complex of the Durbar Square area consists of the most spectacular architectural showpieces in the valley. Most of the temples and buildings of the square are built in the traditional shikhara and pagoda style of Newa architecture. The royal palace of the ancient kingdom of Bhaktapur is now a national museum. There are many temples in the Durbar Square Area complex as well, and each are ornamented with very delicately intricate sculptures and stone masonry.

The Patan Durbar Square

The Patan Durbar Square is located in the city of Lalitpur (Patan). Patan is the oldest city among the three ancient cities of the valley. Patan is also considered the oldest Buddhist city in the world. The Durbar Square of Patan consists of many bronze gateways, idols of deities and beguiling carvings done on the buildings. The floor is tiled with red bricks and the Durbar Square area also includes old Newari residential houses. The square is divided into three main courtyards- the Mul Chowk, the Sundari Chowk and the Keshav Narayan Chowk. Major highlights of the Patan Durbar Square include the Patan Museum (the former royal palace of the then reigning Malla kings of the city), the Hiranya Varna Mahavihar, the Golden Window, the Krishna Mandir, the Bhimsen Temple, the temple of Goddess Taleju Bhawani, the Mahabouddha Temple and the Vishwanath temple among many others. Many of the carvings done on the temple depict events and stories from religious Hindu epics like the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. It also consists of a royal bath, called Tusha Hiti, which is ornamented with one of the most amazingly complex stone sculptures of deities in the entire country.