Great Bell

Kathmandu


On your left as you leave the southern part of Durbar Sq along Makhan Tole is the Great Bell. The bell’s ring drives off evil spirits, but it is only rung during puja (worship) at the nearby Degutaleju Temple. Across from the Great Bell is a very ornate corner balcony, decorated in gorgeous copper and ivory, from where members of the royal court could view the festival action taking place in Durbar Sq.

The bell is elevated atop a white building erected by Rana Bahadur Shah (son of Prithvi Narayan Shah) in 1797.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Kathmandu attractions

1. Shiva-Parvati Temple

0.01 MILES

Looking north from the plinth of the wrecked Maju Deval, a pair of much-photographed white images of Shiva and his consort look out from the upstairs…

2. Bhagwati Temple

0.02 MILES

On the northwest corner of the Gaddhi Baithak, this triple-storey, triple-roofed temple is easily missed because it surmounts the building below it. The…

3. Krishna Narayan Temple

0.02 MILES

This three-tiered Narayan (Vishnu) temple to the west of the Shiva-Parvati Temple was destroyed in the 2015 earthquake. A pile of bricks sits unattended…

4. Krishna Temple

0.02 MILES

The octagonal Krishna Temple was built in 1648–49 by Pratap Malla, perhaps as a response to rival Siddhinarsingh’s magnificent Krishna Temple in Patan…

5. Seto (White) Bhairab

0.02 MILES

Seto (White) Bhairab’s horrible face is hidden away behind a grille in an earthquake-damaged pavilion opposite King Pratap Malla’s Column. The huge mask…

6. Degutaleju Temple

0.03 MILES

This triple-roofed temple is actually part of the darker, red-brick Hanuman Dhoka, surmounting the buildings below it, but it is most easily seen from…

7. Great Drums & Kot Square

0.03 MILES

Once used to warn the city of impending danger, the Great Drums still stand in a restored pavilion to the north of Hanuman Dhoka. Traditionally, a goat…

8. King Pratap Malla’s Column

0.03 MILES

The square stone pillar, known as the Pratap Dhvaja, was previously topped by a famous statue of King Pratap Malla (r 1641–74), looking towards his…