Potters' Sq

On the northern side of the square a small hillock is topped by a Ganesh shrine and a shady pipal tree. There are fine views over the river to the hills south of Bhaktapur. The square itself has two small temples: a solid-brick central Vishnu Temple and the double-roofed Jeth Ganesh Temple. The latter is an indicator of how long the activity all around the square has been going on - a wealthy potter donated the temple in 1646 and to this day its priest is chosen from the potter caste.

Pottery is very clearly what this square is all about; the southern side of the square is lined with clay stores and potters' wheels, and the square (and other parts of town) is often filled with hundreds of pots drying in the sun. After the harvest in October, which is when most tourists visit, the pots have largely been exchanged for piles of drying rice. An alleyway to the south reveals a traditional mud-and-straw-covered kiln. Potters' Sq can be approached from Durbar Sq, Taumadhi Tole or along the western road into town from Lion's Gate.