Places for visiting around bhaktapur

Bhaktapur founded by King Ananda Deva in 889 AD is one of three cities in Kathmandu Valley; it lies about 14 km east of Kathmandu. It is an inhabited museum of medieval charm as it retains past glories and structures of the Malla rulers. Throughout the city there are glorious examples of temples and pagodas dedicated to gods and goddesses plus palaces, monuments, woodcarvings, sculptures and pottery.

The central area and main attraction in Bhaktapur is Durbar Square featuring The Lion Gate (1696 A.D.) guarded by two enormous stone lions.

Another, The Golden Gate, is said to be the most beautiful and richly crafted specimen of its kind in the entire world; some have said it's the loveliest work of art in the whole Kingdom. The Palace of Fifty-five Windows built in 1427 of brick displays a balcony containing fifty-five windows, each a masterpiece of woodcarving. An amazing five-storied pagoda, Nyatapola Temple built in 1702, dominates the Square. It is the tallest temple in Kathmandu Valley and stands on a series of five terraces. Two other temples in Durbar Square are the three-storied Bhairab Nath Temple and the Temple of Dattatraya.

This latter one, it is believed, originally was craved out of the trunk of a tree and subsequently renovated in 1458. Many temples, bahals (monastery courtyards), and residences, the city is still a living proof of the highest craft standards in this part of the world. As the visitor wanders through narrow brick paved streets, many alleys will show hidden 

shrines and statues. Clay craftmanship as well as cloth weaving is still practiced here very much as in the past. Fourteen kilometers east of Kathmandu, this peaceful, conservative town stands in sharp contrast to the bustle of its two adjacent cities.

CHANGU NARAYAN

Changu Narayan is situated at the end of a long ridge, which runs well into the valley, it is said to have been built by King Hari Dutta in 323 AD and said to be the oldest temple in the valley. It was listed in the UNESCO World Heritage Monument List in 1979.

Bhaktapur Durbar Square

Bhaktapur Durbar Square is an assortment of pagoda and shikhara-style temples grouped around a fifty-five-window palace of brick and wood. The square is part of a charming valley as it highlights the idols of ancient kings perched on top of stone monoliths, the guardian deities looking out from their sanctuaries, the wood carvings in very place - struts, lintels, tympanums, gateways and windows - all seem to form a well orchestrated symphony.

The Palace of Fifty Five Windows

Keshav Narayan Chowk is the Northern-most part of the Patan Darbar palace complex, with the dominating Degutale temple next to it. This magnificent palace was built during the reign of King Yakshay Malla in AD 1427 and was subsequently remodeled by King Bhupatindra Malla in the seventeenth century. Among the brick walls with their gracious setting and sculptural design, is a balcony with fifty-five Windows, considered a unique masterpiece of woodcarving.

 Nyatapolo Temple 

The Nyatapola temple is the tallest building in the Bhaktapur, unique with its 5 roofs, and certainly one of Nepal’s most stupendous monuments, lying in the south face of the square which is named after its physical structure (five tiers of roofs). This is also one of the best examples of Newari temple architecture .The temple was founded in 1702 A.D by King Bhupatindra Malla, a great builder who commissioned an impressive number of structures and its design was so elegant and its construction was so well done that even the earthquake of 1934 A.D caused only upper storey damage.

The temple stands above the 5-Stage plinth and rises over 30m above the top plinth. The steep stairway leading up to the temple is flanked by guardian figures at each plinth level. The bottom plinth has the 2 high stone statues of the legendary wrestlers Jaya Malla and Patha Malla who also feature in the Dattatraya temple, said to have possessed the strength of 10 men, on the plinth above are two powerful elephants, then a pair of fierce stone lions. Above the lion are two griffins and at the very top are two goddess i.e. Baghini in the form of a tiger and Singhini in form of a lion. People believe that each figure is said to be ten times as strong as the figure on level below. There is a circumambulatory passage around the main entrance of the temple at the top of the steps and the roofs are supported with beautifully carved struts. The series culminates in the powerful tantric goddess hidden inside the temple, is the mysterious tantric goddess Siddhi Laxmi to whom the temple is dedicated. A special family of priests tends the temple, which may be entered only by the king. It is said that the goddess representing the most powerful female force. This powerful goddess is counterbalanced, ritually and aesthetically, with Kasi Biswanath on the eastern side of the square.

Bhairab Nath Temple

  At the eastern side of the square lies the huge rectangular shape temple erected is dedicated to Bhairab –the ferocious from of lord Shiva, originally built as a one storey temple in the early 17th century by Jagajjyotr Malla but later rebuilt with two storey temple by King Bhupatindra Malla in 1717.

Bhairab- the central image of the temple is a two faced image without its body can be seen in the 1st floor. According to the legend, Vishwa Nath is another name given to Shiva in the holy city Kashi (Banaras) once visited Bhaktapur to observe the Bisket Jatra. After having been recognizes, he was beheaded to make him stay for ever in bhaktapur and kept in the temple. Hence, the temple is also known as Kashi Vishwa Nath. Fantastically glided, it houses a once unruly Bhairab who reportedly calmed down after the Nyatapola goddess was brought in to offset him.  During the annual festival of Bisket, all the same image are brought out, placed on a chariot and conveyed around the city. A tiny image of Bhairab at the front wall of the ground floor is regarded as Nasa Deo (worshipped for skill development) which is worshipped by passers by at all times. Another image of Bhairab also known as 

Akash Bhairab can be seen painted on a straw and hung against the wall. The actual entrance is behind the small BETAL TEMPLE, a hobgoblin who accompanies Bhairab on his annual chariot ride, in the form of a metal mask on the prow. Betal is worshipped for half an hour a year as part of the Bisket Jatra and rest of the time he is tied, face down, to the topmost roof beams of his temple. The temple is guarded by two brass lions and there’s a host of interesting details on the front.

Taumadhi Square

Taumadhi square is the next place of interest after Durbar Square. It is the central square of Bhaktapur, tightly woven into daily life and rituals, and the most important location for the biggest festival of the town- Bisket Jatra and others, where a large number of people gather together. The short narrow lane goes past the Thangkas and Handicrafts shops leading directly to the Taumadhi square. This square divides the ancient town into the upper and lower halves. The square is dominated by many mesmerizing temples and other medieval architecture such as the Nyatapola temple, the Bhairab temple and till Mahadev Narayan temple are also major attractions. Being centrally located a lot of local activities depicting local life style and culture can be observed here throughout the day.

Til Mahadev Narayan Temple

 

It is hidden away behind the recent houses on the South east of the square; so one can easily miss the square’s 3rd interesting temple, Til Mahadev Narayan displays all the iconography of a lord Vishnu temple: a glided Sankha (conch), charka (wheel) and Garuda are all hoisted on pillars out front in a manner clearly imitating the great temple of Changu Narayan. Although the place was in use since 1080A.D.The icon were believed to be placed inside the temple only in 1170 A.D. 

The open courtyard of the temple is used for the sacred ceremony of Ihi-a ritual of young Newari girls being wedded to lord Vishnu.

 Kuamari Dyo Chhen 

The Kumari Devi is a young girl who lives in the building known as the Kumari Deo chhen. The cult of the Kumari –a prepubescent girl worshipped as a living incarnation of Durga, the demon-slaying Hindu mother goddess-probably goes back to the early middle ages.

The Kumari Bahal (House of the living Goddess), its door guarded by stone lions. The guilded cage of the Raj Kumari, Bhaktapur’s “living Goddess” and the pre-eminent of 11 such goddesses in the valley. Not only does Nepal have countless gods, goddesss,deities,Bodhisattvas, avatars(incarnations of deities living on earth)and manifestations, which are worshipped and revered a s statues, images, paintings and symbols, the country also has a real living goddess