Lalitpur is a major city located southwest of Kathmandu Valley, Nepal. It is easy to travel here, being a few hours away from Kathmandu. Otherwise known as Patan, this city has been granted the status of World Heritage Site. Lalitpur means ‘City of Beauty’ and is known as the artistic and cultural focal point of Nepal. Temples, pagodas, sculptures can be seen here. The main attraction of Lalitpur is the Patan Durbar Square.
The Patan Durbar Square was once home to the Patan Royal Family. In it is a complex of nineteen monuments, all based on Newari architecture. There are three main courtyards that make up the Patan Durbar Square namely; the Mul Chowk, Sundari Chowk and the Keshan Narayan Chowk. Among these, the Mul Chowk is the oldest. One of the major attractions in Lalitpur is the Krishna Temple that was dedicated to Krishna, the Hindu Lord, and has twenty-one golden pinnacles.
Another famous temple is the Mahaboudha Temple that shows off exquisite terra cota work. The Lord Siva Temple, also known as Kumbeshwor, is another sight to behold in the Patan Durbar Square. It stands five storeys high and was built pagoda-style. A natural spring can be found inside, which is claimed to come from the famous glacial lake of Gosainkunda.
The Jagat Narayan Temple meanwhile is dedicated to Lord Vishnu which houses magnificent metal statues of Garuda and Hanuman that are related to Hindu mythology. Another major attraction is the Tusahity Royal Bath which can be seen in Sundari Chowk.
If you wish to bask in the rich culture and artistry of Nepal, then Lalitpur should be one of your target destinations.
Patan Durbar Square
The square, situated in the heart of the city, consists of enchanting melange of palace buildings, artistic courtyards and graceful pagoda temples. The former royal palace complex is the center of Patan's religious and social life and houses a museum containing an array of bronze statues and religious objects. There are three main courtyards or chowks, so named central Mul Chowk, Sundari Chowk and Keshav Narayan Chowk in the square. The Sundari Chowk holds in its center a masterpiece of stone architecture, the Royal bath called Tushahity.
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Krisnhna Mandir
Krishna Mandir is Nepal's finest piece of stone architecture. Siddhi Narsingh, a passionate devotee of Krishna, built this temple in the 17thcentury when he dreamed Krishna and Radha being union at this spot. This magnificent temple is a delicate, airy creation which defies its heavy material. The first storey of the temple consists of scenes from the Hindu holy book Mahabharat; the second storey pavilions are banded by friezes from the Ramayana. Atop a stone pillar in front, a brilliantly executed large metal Garuda (the bird on which Lord Krishna rides) kneels in homage.
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Mahabouddha
A little further east from the southern end of Durbar Square and then turning right at the sunken water taps lies this Buddhist monument. The temple, made of clay bricks with thousands of images of Lord Buddha engraved, is an excellent example of terra cotta art form. The terra-cotta structure is one of the fourteen-century Nepalese architectural masterpieces.
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Kwa Bahal "Golden Temple"
This Buddhist monastery is a three storey golden pagoda of Lokeshwor (Lord Buddha). The monastery, built in the 12th century by King Bhaskar Verma, is embellished with exceptionally fine woodcarvings and repousse work. Inside the upper storey of the pagoda, there are the golden image of Lord Buddha and a large prayer wheel. It is a five-minute walk west and north from the northern end of Durbar Square.
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The Ashokan Stupas
Emperor Ashoka of India visited Nepal in 250 B.C and built four ancient stupas at the four corners of Patan. The four stupas are situated in Pulchowk, Lagankhel, Ebahi and in Teta (way to Sano Gaon) respectively. These stupas give evidence to the city's ancient religious importance.
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Temple of Machhendranath and Minnath
The pagoda of Red Machhendranath was built in 1408 AD and is situated in Tabahal. For six months the deity is taken to its other shrine in Bunmati. The temple of Minnath is situated in Tangal on the way to Tabahal.
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The Central Zoo
Situated at Jawalakhel, the zoo has many animals, birds and reptiles in its collections mostly representing the Himalayan fauna. There is a beautiful pond built in 17th AD. One can go for boating in this pond. It opens daily except Mondays, from 10am to 4pm.
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Bajra Barahi
Situated in a small woodland park, it is around 10 km south of Patan near the village of Chapagaon. A visit to Tika Bhairav and Lele from here is worthwhile.
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Godavari Royal Botanical Garden
Situated at the foothills of Phulchowki, this Royal Botanical Garden has a splendid natural beauty. The road from Patan City runs to Godavari to the southeast, passing through the small, old towns of Harsisiddhi, Thaiba and Bedegaun. The garden opens daily including Saturdays and government holidays.
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National libary
It is located insided Harihar Bhavan in Pulchowk, Patan. The library contains about 70,000 books, most of which in English with remaining rest in Sanskrit, Nepali, Hindi and Nepalbhasa. The library preserves some rare scholary books in Sanskrit and English dating from the 17th century.
The Pahadi Bheg is the heart of Nepal and accounts for around 57% percent of the total population of Nepal It includes fertile valleys such as Kathmandu and Pokhara, high hills and snow fed rivers that cut across the high hills and valleys acting as the life suppost system of the area. The hills which have been inhabited for centuries, supports nearly half of the country's population.
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