The Royal Bhaktapur Durbar Square

Bhaktapur Durbar Square is located in Bhaktapur town which lies 13 Km east of the capital of Nepal Kathmandu.  

   The fascinating royal palaces were constructed early during the Licchavi period in the third century, however, the masterpieces that we see at the moment is an extensive and repeated renovation by the Mallas, the palaces placed in the square are the royal palaces for the Malla Kingdom. The history for the square is still not clearly known but the biggest palace in the square is credited to the poet, social-religious reformer, and playwright Sankardev as he was the first king of the independent Kathmandu city. And then the Mallas came and started renovating the city, they built many temples and palaces to extend the square and make a non-defeated kingdom.  

    Bhaktapur Durbar Square is one of the astonishing architectural masterpieces of Nepal. It represents the ancient art of Nepal as it is a mixture of the Pagoda and Shikhara style made by the Newa People. Most of the temples are dedicated to the Hindu gods and goddesses built in the 15th century. What makes the square one of the charming places all over the world, the statues of the kings and gods made with gold which perched on top of the stacked stone monoliths, and the guardian gods looking out of their sanctuaries, the lovely wood carvings placed all over the place, sills, drums, gates and windows designed to be a well-curated symphony. Pottery and weaving are its major traditional industries.

    The Durbar Square principle palace constructed by King Jitamitra Malla contains 55 windows; it was the royal palace for the Malla kingdom until 1769. It is now a national gallery surrounded by the golden gate which leads to Mulchok court. This court has the Taleju Temple which is dedicated to the goddess Taleju Bhawni, entrance of the temple is not allowed at all as there is a living goddess inside and they cannot be photographed. The Durbar square is surrounded by fascinating architecture and shows the skills of the Newari artists and craftsmen over several centuries.

Bhaktapur Durbar Square is one of the amazing sites in Nepal, and the attractions there are countless. But here are some recommendations for things you can do in Bhaktapur Durbar Square.

Vatsala Temple: Vatsala Temple is one of the important sites in the square known as the stone temple dedicated to the goddess Vatsala Devi. it contains charming carvings and it's famous for its huge silver bell, the local residents call it the dog barking bell as when it rang all the dogs of the city are gathered in front of the palace.

Lion's Gate: The enormous and amazing gate built by the artisans by an order from the envious and jealous Bhadgoan king, as he cut the hands of the artisans immediately after they built the gate to avoid building anything else to other kings.

Golden Gate: The golden gate is the main entrance for the main palace in the square and it is also known as heaven's gate as the craftsman who worked on this gate made it look very peacefully and fascinating.

Mini Pashupati Temple: The Pashupati Temple is dedicated to god Shiva, The King Bhadgoan dreamed of building this temple so he built it directly in front of the main palace.

Nyatapola Temple: The highest temple in Nepal and one of the unique and perfect architecture, the temple is dedicated to the god Shiddhilaxmi. What makes the temple one of the artistic beauties, its staircase, and the statues of the guardians of the temple placed on the two sides of the staircase. The temple is open once a year during Dashain celebrations.

Autumn (oct. – Nov.): It's the best time to visit the square, the weather is ideal and the sky is crystal clear. That is the peak season for tourists.  

Winter (Dec. – Feb.): Winters in Bhaktapur are not rough like other hilly areas in the country but during the night it gets very cold because of the high humidity and during the morning it gets hazy, but during the afternoon it can get clear and well.

Spring (Mar. – Apr.): Spring comes in the 2nd place after Autumn, pleasant weather with flowers in bloom.

Summer (May - sep.): May is the hottest month in Nepal, it is not recommended to do the visit in this period as it will be non-enjoyable.

The only airport in Nepal is Kathmandu Airport it is 13 km from the square. It will take 15 minutes from the airport to reach the square.