Museum sights in Bhaktapur
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Pujari Math
There are 10 buildings around the square that were originally used as maths (Hindu monasteries).The best known was the Pujari Math. It was originally constructed in the 15th century during the reign of King Yaksha Malla, but was rebuilt in 1763. German experts renovated the building in 1979 as a wedding gift for the then King Birendra. Until the 20th century, an annual caravan brought tributes to the monastery from Tibet.
The Pujari Math is principally famed for the superb 15th-century peacock window, 30m down a small alley on the right-hand side. It is reputed to be the finest carved window in the valley and is the subject of countless postcards and photographs. The shop…
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Woodcarving Museum
The Pujari Math houses the small Woodcarving Museum, with some fine examples of Bhaktapur woodcarving displayed in dark, creaky rooms. There isn’t enough light to justify paying the camera fee, but it’s worth a visit, not least for the extravagantly carved windows in the inner courtyard. Head upstairs to see the mechanism that operates the window shutters. The same ticket covers entry to the nearby Brass & Bronze Museum and the National Art Gallery.
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National Art Gallery
The western end of the palace contains Nepal’s National Art Gallery, the best of the three museums in Bhaktapur. The entrance to the gallery is flanked by two huge guardian lions, one male and one female (with almost human breasts). Beside the lions are some imposing 17th-century statues of Hanuman the monkey god, in his four-armed Tantric form, and Vishnu, as the gut-ripping Narsingha.
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Brass & Bronze Museum
Directly across the square, in an old math with lighting problems, is the Brass & Bronze Museum. It has some excellent examples of traditional metalwork, including ceremonial lamps and ritual vessels from around the valley.
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