Showing 1-13 of 13 results
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Asan Tole
From dawn until late at night the six-road junction of Asan Tole is jammed with buyers, sellers and passers-by, making it the busiest square in Kathmandu. Every day, produce is carried to this popular marketplace from all over the valley so it is fitting that the three-storey Annapurna Temple is dedicated to the goddess of abundance, Annapurna, represented by a purana bowl full of grain.
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Balcony
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.
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Basantapur Tower
The nine-storey Basantapur Tower, which was extensively restored prior to King Birendra's coronation is inside the Tribhuvan Museum. There are superb views over the palace and the city from the top. The struts along the facade of the Basantapur Tower, particularly those facing out to Basantapur Sq, are decorated with erotic carvings.
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Bhimsen Tower (Dharahara)
Towering like a lighthouse over the old town, this white, minaret-like tower is a useful landmark near the main post office. The views from 61.88m up - 213 steps above the city - are the best you can get. There is a small Shiva shrine right at the very top.
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Durbar Square
Kathmandu's Durbar Sq was where the city's kings were once crowned and legitimised, and from where they ruled ( durbar means 'palace'). As such, the square remains the traditional heart of the old town and Kathmandu's most spectacular legacy of traditional architecture, even thought the king no longer lives in the Hanuman Dhoka - the palace was moved north to Narayanhiti about a century ago.
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Hanuman Dhoka
The inner palace complex of the Hanuman Dhoka was originally founded during the Licchavi period, but as it stands today most of it was constructed by King Pratap Malla in the 17th century. The royal palace was renovated many times in later years. The oldest parts are the smaller Sundari Chowk and Mohan Chowk at the northern part of the palace (both closed).
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Indra Chowk
The busy shopping street of Makhan Tole spills into Indra Chowk, the courtyard named after the ancient Vedic deity, Indra. On the right of the square is the Akash Bhairab Temple, or Bhairab of the Sky Temple. From the balcony four metal lions rear out over the street. The temple's entrance is at the right-hand side of the building, guarded by two more metal lions, but non-Hindus cannot enter.
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Itum Bahal
The long, rectangular courtyard of the Itum Bahal is the largest Buddhist bahal (courtyard) in the old town and remains a haven of tranquillity in the chaotic surroundings. A small, white-painted stupa stands in the centre of the courtyard. On the western side of the courtyard is the Kichandra Bahal or 'Keshchandra Paravarta Mahar Bihar', one of the oldest bahals in the city, dating from 1381.
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King Pratap Malla's Column
Across from the Krishna Temple is a host of smaller temples and other structures, all standing on a slightly raised platform in front of the Hanuman Dhoka and the towering Taleju Temple behind. The square stone pillar, known as the Pratap Dhvaja, is topped by a statue of the famous King Pratap Malla (1641-74), seated with folded hands and surrounded by his two wives and his five (including an infant) sons. He looks towards his private prayer room on the 3rd floor of the Degutaleju Temple.
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Kot Sq
Beyond the Great Drums (near the Krishna Temple) is the closed-off Kot Sq where Jung Bahadur Rana perpetrated the famous 1846 massacre that led to a hundred years of Rana rule. Kot means 'armoury' or 'fort'. During the Dasain festival each year, blood again flows in Kot Sq as hundreds of buffaloes and goats are sacrificed. Young soldiers are supposed to lop off each head with a single blow.
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Lohan Chowk
King Prithvi Narayan Shah was involved in the construction of the four red-coloured towers around the Lohan Chowk. The towers represent the four ancient cities of the valley, the towers include the Kathmandu or Basantapur Tower; the Kirtipur Tower; the Bhaktapur Tower or Lakshmi Bilas; and the Patan or Lalitpur Tower.
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Maru Hiti
Just 30m from Durbar Sq down Maru Tole is Maru Hiti, one of the finest sunken water conduits in the city.
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Nasal Chowk
From the entrance gate of the Hanuman Dhoka you immediately enter its most famous chowk. Although the courtyard was constructed in the Malla period, many of the buildings around the square are later Rana constructions. During that time Nasal Chowk became the square used for coronations, a practice that continues to this day on the coronation platform in the centre of the courtyard (the current King Gyanendra was crowned here in 2001).
Showing 1-13 of 13 results
