Sights in Kathmandu
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Garden of Dreams
The beautifully restored Swapna Bagaicha, or Garden of Dreams is one of the most serene and beautiful enclaves in Kathmandu.
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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.
At most times, but especially Sundays, you'll see locals walk around the shrine, touch a coin to their heads, throw it into the temple and ring the bell above them.
Nearby the smaller two-storey Ganesh shrine is coated in bathroom tiles. To the south is the Yita Chapal (Southern Pavilion) …
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Freak Street
Kathmandu's most famous street from the hippy overland days of the 1960s and '70s runs south from Basantapur Square. Its real name is Jochne but since the early '70s it has been better known as Freak Street. In its prime, the street's squalor and beauty was irresistible.
The smell of sweet incense, children fluttering prayer wheels, cheap hotels, ad hoc restaurants and shops selling enlightenment, were standard sights on Freak Street. Not surprisingly, it made an instant rapport with the dusty-haired 'freaks' who gave the street its name. Love-ins are a thing of the past, but Freak Street's history and plum position in the heart of old Kathmandu still make it a popular de…
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Durbar Square
Kathmandu’s Durbar Square 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 though the king no longer lives in the Hanuman Dhoka – the palace was moved north to Narayanhiti about a century ago.
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Tribhuvan Museum
The part of the palace west of Nasal Chowk, overlooking the main Durbar Sq area, was constructed by the Ranas in the middle to late part of the 19th century. Ironically, it is now home to a museum that celebrates King Tribhuvan (ruled 1911-55) and his successful revolt against their regime, along with memorials to Kings Mahendra (1955-72) and Birendra (1972-2001).
Exhibits with names such as 'the Royal Babyhood' include some fascinating re-creations of the foppish king's bedroom and study, with genuine personal effects that give quite an eerie insight into his life. Some of the exhibits, like the king's favourite stuffed bird (looking a bit worse for wear these days!), hi…
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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).
The nine-storey Basantapur (Kathmandu) Tower looms over the southern end of the courtyard.
The rectangular courtyard is aligned north-south and the entrance is at the northwestern corner. Just by the entrance there is a surprisingly small but…
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Seto Machhendranath Temple
Southwest of Asan Tole, this important temple attracts both Buddhists and Hindus - Buddhists consider Seto (White) Machhendranath to be a form of Avalokiteshvara, while to Hindus he is a rain-bringing incarnation of Shiva. The temple's age is not known but it was restored during the 17th century. The arched entrance to the temple is marked by a small Buddha figure on a high stone pillar in front of two metal lions.
In the courtyard there are numerous small shrines, chaityas and statues, including a mysteriously European-looking female figure surrounded by candles who faces the temple. It may well have been an import from Europe that has simply been accepted into the panth…
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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.
A chaitya in front of the entrance has been completely shattered by a bodhi tree, which has grown right up through its centre. In autumn and winter the square is decorated in ornate swirling patterns of drying grain.
Inside the Kichandra Bahal is a central pagoda-like sanctuary, and…
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Kumari Bahal
At the junction of Durbar and Basantapur Sqs is a red brick, three-storey building with some incredible intricately carved windows. This is the Kumari Bahal, home to the Kumari, the young girl who is selected to be the town's living goddess until she reaches puberty and reverts to being a normal mortal. The building, in the style of the courtyarded Buddhist vihara (monastic abodes) of the valley, was built in 1757 by Jaya Prakash Malla.
Inside the building the three-storey courtyard, or Kumari Chowk, is enclosed by magnificently carved wooden balconies and windows, making it quite possibly the most beautiful courtyard in Nepal. Photographing the goddess is forbidden, but…
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Pachali Bhairab & the Southern Ghats
Between Tripureshwar Marg and the Bagmati River at Pachali Bhairab a huge, ancient pipal tree forms a natural sanctuary for an image of Bhairab Pachali, surrounded by tridents (Pachali is a form of Shiva). To the side lies the brass body of Baital, one of Shiva's manifestations. Worshippers gather here on Tuesday and Saturday. It is particularly busy here during the festival of Pachali Bhairab Jatra.
From the temple you could explore the temples and ghats that line the holy, polluted, Bagmati River. Head south of Pachali Bhairab to the ghats on the riverbank to find a collection of lovely statuary. To the west is the Newari-style pagoda of the Lakshmi Mishwar Mahadev; to …
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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.
The silver image inside is visible through the open windows from out in the street, and during important festivals, particularly Indra Jatra (September), the image is displayed in the square. A large lingam (phallic symbol) is also erected in the centre of the square at that time.
In…
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Kasthamandap
Kathmandu owes its very name to the Kasthamandap, in the southwestern corner of the square. Although its history is uncertain, local tradition says the three-roofed building was constructed around the 12th century from the wood of a single sal tree. At first it served as a community centre where visitors gathered before major ceremonies - a mandap is a 16-pillared pilgrim shelter.
Later it was converted to a temple dedicated to Gorakhnath, a 13th-century ascetic who was subsequently linked to the royal family.
The last disciples were kicked out in the 1960s.
A central wooden enclosure houses the image of the god, which is noteworthy since Gorakhnath is generally represente…
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Taleju Temple
The square's most magnificent temple stands at to the northeast but is not open to the public. Even Hindus can only visit the temple briefly during the annual Dasain festival. The Taleju Temple was built in 1564 by Mahendra Malla. Taleju Bhawani was originally a goddess from the south of India, but she became the titular deity, or royal goddess, of the Malla kings in the 14th century. Taleju temples were erected in her honour in Patan and Bhaktapur, as well as in Kathmandu.
The temple stands on a 12-stage plinth and reaches more than 35m high, dominating the Durbar Sq area. The eighth stage of the plinth forms a wall around the temple, in front of which are 12 miniature t…
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Maju Deval
A pleasant half hour can easily be spent sitting on the steps of this Shiva temple. In fact the nine-stage ochre platform of the Maju Deval is probably the most popular meeting place in the city. From here you can watch the constant activity of fruit and vegetable hawkers, the comings and goings of taxis and rickshaws, and the flute and other souvenir sellers importuning tourists.
The large, triple-roofed temple has erotic carvings on its roof struts and offers great views over the square and across the roofs of the city. Marigold sellers set up shop on the ground level. The temple dates from 1690 and was built by the mother of Bhaktapur's King Bhupatindra Malla. The tem…
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Rani Pokhari
This large fenced tank is said to have been built by King Pratap Malla in 1667 to console his queen over the death of their son (who was trampled by an elephant). The pool (pokhari means pool or small lake) was apparently used during the Malla era for trials by ordeal and later became a favourite suicide spot.
Perhaps because of the high suicide rate, the gate to the tank and its central Shiva Temple is unlocked only one day each year, during the festival of Tihar. The footbridge over the nearby chowkaffords the best views of Rani Pokhari. The chowk has rather optimistically been declared a no-horn zone.
Across Kantipath is a long imposing building originally known as the …
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Dhum Varahi Shrine
In an unprepossessing schoolyard just inside Kathmandu's Ring Rd to the northeast of Kathmandu, a huge pipal tree encloses a small shrine and a dramatic 5th-century sculpture of Vishnu as a wild boar with a stocky human body, holding Prithvi, the earth goddess, on his left elbow.
The statue is interesting because it is one of the earliest depictions of an animal-human, created before iconographic rules were established, which perhaps contributes to the unusual sense of movement and vitality that the statue possesses. The statue shows Vishnu rescuing Prithvi from the clutches of a demon.
To get here head north along the Ring Rd from Pashupatinath and take a left about 200m …
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Jaisi Deval Temple
The south of Kathmandu's old city was the heart of the ancient city in the Licchavi period (4th to 9th centuries) and its major temple is the tall, triple-roofed Jaisi Deval Temple, built just two years before Durbar Sq's famous Maju Deval (which is one platform higher). It's a Shiva temple, as indicated by the bull on the first few steps and the mildly erotic carvings on some of the temple struts.
Right across the road from the temple is a stone lingam rising a good 2m from a yoni (female equivalent of a phallic symbol). This is definitely a god-sized phallic symbol and a prayer here is said to aid fertility.
In its procession around the town during the Indra Jatra festiv…
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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.
The column was erected in 1670 by Pratap Malla and preceded the similar columns in Patan and Bhaktapur.
This area and its monuments are usually covered in hundreds if not thousands of pig…
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Kathesimbhu Stupa
The most popular Tibetan pilgrimage site in the old town is this lovely stupa, a small copy dating from around 1650 of the great Swayambhunath complex. Just as at Swayambhunath, there is a two-storey pagoda to Harti, the goddess of smallpox, right behind the main stupa. The entrance is flanked by metal lions atop red ochre concrete pillars, just a couple of minutes' walk south of Thamel.
Various statues and smaller chaityas (small stupas) stand around the temple, including a fine standing Avalokiteshvara statue enclosed in a glass case and protective metal cage in the northeast corner. Avalokiteshvara carries a lotus flower in his left hand, and the Dhyani Buddha Amitabha…
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Ashok Binayak
On the northern side of Kasthamandap, at the top of Maru Tole, stands the tiny golden Ashok Binayak, or Maru Ganesh Shrine. The small size of this shrine belies its importance, as this is one of the four most important Ganesh shrines in the valley. Ganesh is a much-loved god and there is a constant stream of visitors, helping themselves to the self-serve tika dispenser and then ringing the bells at the back.
A visit to this shrine is thought to ensure safety on a forthcoming journey so make an offering here if you are headed on a trek.
It's uncertain how old the temple is, although its gilded roof was added in the 19th century. Look for the golden shrew (Ganesh's vehicle…
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Bhagwati Temple
Next to the Gaddhi Baithak, this triple-storey, triple-roofed Bhagwati Temple is easily missed since it surmounts the building below it, which currently has thangka (religious Tibetan paintings) shops along its front. The best view of the temple and its golden roofs is probably from the Maju Deval, across the square.
The temple was built by Jagat Jaya Malla and originally had an image of Narayan. This image was stolen in 1766, so when Prithvi Narayan Shah conquered the valley two years later he simply substituted it with an image of the goddess Bhagwati. In April each year the image of the goddess is conveyed to the village of Nuwakot, 65km to the north, then returned a f…
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Nara Devi Temple
Halfway between Chhetrapati and Durbar Sq, the Nara Devi Temple is dedicated to Kali, Shiva's destructive consort. It's also known as the Seto Kali (White Kali) Temple.
Although the temple, with its three tiers, golden roof and red and white guardian lions, is quite old, some of the decorations are clearly more recent additions. It is said that Kali's powers protected the temple from the 1934 earthquake, which destroyed so many other temples in the valley. A Malla king once stipulated that a dancing ceremony should be held for the goddess every 12 years, and dances are still performed on the small dance platform that is across the road from the temple.
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Kala (Black) Bhairab
Behind the Jagannath Temple is the large figure of Kala (Black) Bhairab. Bhairab is Shiva in his most fearsome aspect, and this huge stone image of the terrifying Kala Bhairab has six arms, wears a garland of skulls and tramples a corpse, which is symbolic of human ignorance. The figure is said to have been brought here by Pratap Malla, having been found in a field to the north of the city. The image was originally cut from a single stone, but the upper left-hand corner has since been repaired.
It is said that telling a lie while standing before Kala Bhairab will bring instant death and it was once used as a form of trial by ordeal.
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Hanuman Dhoka
The inner palace complex of the Hanuman Dhoka was originally founded during the Licchavi period (4th to 8th centuries AD) but, as it stands today, most of it was constructed by King Pratap Malla in the 17th century. The royal palace has been renovated many times over the years. The oldest parts are the smaller Sundari Chowk and Mohan Chowk at the northern part of the palace (both closed). The complex originally housed 35 courtyards and spread as far as New Rd, but the 1934 earthquake reduced the palace to today’s 10 chowks (courtyards). Cameras are allowed only in the courtyards, not inside the buildings of the complex.
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Seto Bhairab
Seto (White) Bhairab's horrible face is hidden away behind a grille opposite King Pratap Malla's column. The huge mask dates from 1794, during the reign of Rana Bahadur Shah, the third Shah dynasty king. Each September during the Indra Jatra festival the gates open to reveal the mask for a few days. At that time the face is covered in flowers and rice and at the start of the festivities beer is poured through the horrific mouth, as crowds of men fight to get a drink of the blessed brew.
At other times of the year you can peek through the lattice to see the mask, which is used as the symbol of Royal Nepal Airlines.
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