Patan Durbar Square is situated at the centre of the city of Lalitpur in

Nepal Nepal (; ne, नेपाल ), formerly the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal ( ne, सङ्घीय लोकतान्त्रिक गणतन्त्र नेपाल ), is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is mai ...

. It is one of the three

Durbar Square Durbar Square, which means Royal Squares in English, is the generic name used to describe plazas and areas opposite the old royal palaces in Nepal. The name comes from Persian دربار ( Darbar). It consists of temples, idols, open courts, water ...

s in the

Kathmandu Valley The Kathmandu Valley ( ne, काठमाडौं उपत्यका; also known as the Nepal Valley or Nepa Valley ( ne, नेपाः उपत्यका, Nepal Bhasa: 𑐣𑐾𑐥𑐵𑑅 𑐐𑐵𑑅, नेपाः गाः)), ...

, all of which are

UNESCO World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...

s. One of its attractions is the ancient royal palace where the

Malla Kings Malla may refer to: Places ;Bolivia *Malla, Bolivia, a locality *Malla Jawira, a river * Malla Jaqhi, a mountain *Malla Municipality *Malla Qullu, a mountain ;India * Mallapuram, Tamil Nadu *Malla (tribe), an ancient republic, one of the sixte ...

of Lalitpur resided. The Durbar Square is a marvel of Newar architecture. The square floor is tiled with red bricks. There are many

temples A temple (from the Latin ) is a building reserved for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. Religions which erect temples include Christianity (whose temples are typically called churches), Hinduism (whose temples ...

and statues in the area. The main temples are aligned opposite of the western face of the palace. The entrance of the temples faces east, towards the palace. There is also a bell situated in the alignment beside the main temples. The Square also holds old Newari residential houses. There are other temples and structures in and around Patan Durbar Square built by the

Newa People Newar (; new, नेवार, endonym: Newa; new, नेवा, Pracalit script:) or Nepami, are the historical inhabitants of the Kathmandu Valley and its surrounding areas in Nepal and the creators of its historic heritage and civilisation ...

. A center of both

Hinduism and Buddhism Hinduism and Buddhism have common origins in the culture of Ancient India. Buddhism arose in the eastern Ganges culture of northern India during the "second urbanisation" around 500 BCE. Hinduism developed out of the ancient Vedic religion, a ...

, Patan Durbar Square has 136 (courtyards) and 55 major temples. The square was heavily damaged by the earthquake in April 2015. Krishna Mandir debris

History

The history of Durbar Square is not clear. Although the Malla Kings of Lalitpur are credited with the establishment of the royal square, it is known that the site is an ancient crossroad. The

Pradhan Pradhan (Devanagari: प्रधान) is generally ministerial title of Sanskrit origin in cultures of Hindu tradition, mainly used in the Indian subcontinent. The Sanskrit ''pradhāna'' translates to "major" or "prime"; however, the more modern ...

as, who settled around the site before the Mallas, have connections with the Durbar Square. Some chronicles hint that the

Thakuri dynasty Thakuri dynasty (; ) was a Hindu dynasty that mostly ruled the present-day Nuwakot, near central Nepal. It was purportedly established in 600 CE by Rajput's who fled to Nepal due to the Muslim invasions in Rajasthan. The Thakuri dynasty's exi ...

built a palace and made reforms to the locality, but there is little evidence of this. Scholars are certain that Patan was a prosperous city since ancient times. The Malla Kings made important changes to the square. Most of the current architecture is from the 1600s, constructed during the reign of King Siddhi Narsingh Malla and his son Srinivasa Sukriti. Some of the notable Malla Kings who improved the square include Purandarasimha, Sivasimha Malla and Yoganarendra Malla.

Important buildings

Statue of Lion in Entrance of Patan Museum -Bijay-IMG 3564

Patan is one of the oldest Buddhist cities. It is a center of both

Hinduism Hinduism () is an Indian religion or '' dharma'', a religious and universal order or way of life by which followers abide. As a religion, it is the world's third-largest, with over 1.2–1.35 billion followers, or 15–16% of the global p ...

and

Buddhism Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and gra ...

with 136 or courtyards and 55 major temples. Most of these structures are in the vicinity of the Durbar Square.

Krishna Mandir

Krishna temple is the most important temple in Patan Durbar Square. A three-storied structure, it was built in the local variety of

Shikhara ''Shikhara'' ( IAST: '), a Sanskrit word translating literally to "mountain peak", refers to the rising tower in the Hindu temple architecture of North India, and also often used in Jain temples. A ''shikhara'' over the ''garbhagriha'' chambe ...

style called Granthakuta. The stone carvings along the beam above the first and second-floor pillar are most notable. The first-floor pillar carvings narrate the events of the

Mahabharata The ''Mahābhārata'' ( ; sa, महाभारतम्, ', ) is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India in Hinduism, the other being the ''Rāmāyaṇa''. It narrates the struggle between two groups of cousins in the Kuruk ...

, while on the second floor there are visual carvings from

Ramayana The ''Rāmāyana'' (; sa, रामायणम्, ) is a Sanskrit literature, Sanskrit Indian epic poetry, epic composed over a period of nearly a millennium, with scholars' estimates for the earliest stage of the text ranging from the 8th ...

. The temple was built in 1667 by King Siddhi Narsingh Malla. It is said that one night the King saw Lord

Krishna Krishna (; sa, कृष्ण ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the eighth avatar of Vishnu and also as the Supreme god in his own right. He is the god of protection, compassion, tenderness, and love; and is one ...

and his consort Srimati

Radha Radha ( sa, राधा, ), also called Radhika, is a Hindu goddess and the chief consort of the god Krishna. She is worshiped as the goddess of love, tenderness, compassion, and devotion. She is the avatar of goddess Lakshmi and is also de ...

standing in front of the royal palace. He ordered a temple to be built on the same spot. There are 21 golden

pinnacle A pinnacle is an architectural element originally forming the cap or crown of a buttress or small turret, but afterwards used on parapets at the corners of towers and in many other situations. The pinnacle looks like a small spire. It was mainly ...

s in the temple. Below the pinnacles are three stories. The first floor holds the main shrine of Lord

with shrines of

and

Rukmini Rukmini ( sa, रुक्मिणी, , ) is a Hindu goddess and the first queen and chief wife of Krishna. In Vaishnava tradition, she is described as Krishna's principal queen in Dvaraka, as well as the chief of his wives. She is an inc ...

at each side. The second floor is dedicated to Lord

Shiva Shiva (; sa, शिव, lit=The Auspicious One, Śiva ), also known as Mahadeva (; ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐ, or Hara, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions within Hindu ...

and the third to Lokeshwor ( Avalokiteshvara). The square is crowded with thousands of Hindu Pilgrims and devotees during

Krishnastami Krishna Janmashtami , also known simply as Krishnashtami, Janmashtami, or Gokulashtami, is an annual Hindu festival that celebrates the birth of Krishna, the eighth avatar of Vishnu. According to the Hindu lunisolar calendar, it is observed ...

Bhimsen Temple

Bhimsen (Bhin : dya) Temple was built by Srinivasa Malla in 1680. It is renowned for its three interconnected golden windows. Bhimsen is a great personality in

. He was known to be brave and strong. In Newa, he is traditionally worshiped as a god of business and trade.Gudrun Bühnemann. “Bhīmasena as Bhairava in Nepal.” Zeitschrift Der Deutschen Morgenländischen Gesellschaft, vol. 163, no. 2, 2013, pp. 455–476. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/10.13173/zeitdeutmorggese.163.2.0455. Tourists are not allowed inside the temple.

Vishwanath Temple

Vishwanath Temple is dedicated to God Shiva. It was built in 1627 during the reign of Siddhi Narsingh Malla. The roof supports are decorated with erotic carvings similar to imagery widespread in Shiva temples in India. The temple is guarded by two stone elephants in the front entrance. On the other side of the temple is the sculpture of a bull, Shiva's vehicle. A stone

linga A lingam ( sa, लिङ्ग , lit. "sign, symbol or mark"), sometimes referred to as linga or Shiva linga, is an abstract or aniconic representation of the Hindu god Shiva in Shaivism. It is typically the primary ''murti'' or devotional im ...

is enshrined inside the temple.

Taleju Bhawani Temple

Taleju temple was built by Siddhi Narsingh Malla in 1640 and rebuilt by Srinivasa Malla in 1667 after a fire. Taleju Bhawani was the personal deity of the Malla kings. It is a five-storey temple with triple-roofs. The 14th century chronicle of Gopala kings hint a Taleju temple was built by the Pradhanas before the Mallas.

Layout of the Palace

The three main courtyards in the palace are Mul Chowk, Sundari Chowk and Keshav Narayan Chowk. Besides these courtyards, the complex boasts impressive temples, religious shrines, and historical places, all noted for their exquisite carvings and beautiful display of ancient Newari architecture.

Keshav Narayan Chowk

Keshav Narayan Chowk is, inside the

Patan Museum The Patan Museum is a museum located in Patan, Lalitpur, Nepal. The museum falls under the UNESCO's World Heritage Sites. The Patan Museum was inaugurated in 1997 by Late King Birendra Bir Bikram Shah. The Patan Museum displays the traditional ...

, to the north of the Mul Chowk. Keshav Narayan Temple is located at the center of this chowk and gave the chowk its name.

Mul Chowk

Mul Chowk is the central courtyard. It is the most famous and largest courtyard among the three main chowks. Vidya Temple is located at its center and Taleju temples stand around the courtyard. The doorway to the Shrine of Taleju, on the southern side of the courtyard, is confined by the statues of the river goddesses Ganga, on a tortoise, and Jamuna, on a carved makura (mythical crocodile).

Sundari Chowk

Sundari Chowk is to the south of the Mul Chowk. It is designed with a sunken tank known as

Tusha Hiti The Tusha Hiti, also known as Royal Bath, is a sunken bath used by the Malla royal family in Nepal. It is at the courtyard of Sundari Chowk, Patan Durbar Square, Lalitpur. King Siddhinarasimha Malla is credited with building the bath in the 1 ...

. Smaller than the Mul Chowk, it is now open to the public. The entrance of the chowk is guarded by the stone statues of

Hanuman Hanuman (; sa, हनुमान, ), also called Anjaneya (), is a Hindu god and a divine '' vanara'' companion of the god Rama. Hanuman is one of the central characters of the Hindu epic ''Ramayana''. He is an ardent devotee of Rama and on ...

Ganesh Ganesha ( sa, गणेश, ), also known as Ganapati, Vinayaka, and Pillaiyar, is one of the best-known and most worshipped deities in the Hindu pantheon and is the Supreme God in Ganapatya sect. His image is found throughout India. Hindu ...

, and Nara Singha, man-lion forms of

Vishnu Vishnu ( ; , ), also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism. Vishnu is known as "The Preserver" within t ...

. As one enters through, the chowk, they can see various local shops selling typical Newari cuisine. The Newari cuisine consists of yomari, kachela, chhoila, black beans, beaten rice, vegetables along with the Newari drink called chhyang which is made from rice. Sundari chowk is known for the nightlife and recently there is a gigantic self-illuminating moon placed in the chowk which has now become the attraction for tourists as well as the local people.

Gallery

File:Patan Durbar Square 2007-12-0278 (2580566218).jpg File:Patan Durbar Square 2007-12-0276 (2580565868).jpg File:Patan Durbar Square 2007-12-0263 (2579733541).jpg File:007 Bhandarkhal Water Tank and Taleju Temple,Patan Durbar Square.jpg, Bhandarkhal Garden and water tank File:Inside The Patan Durbar Square Lalitpur-IMG 4740.jpg, Under construction during renovation of Patan Durbar Square File:Inside The Patan Durbar Square Lalitpur-IMG 4738.jpg File:Inside The Patan Durbar Square Lalitpur-IMG 4735.jpg, An agriculture stone sculpture inside the Patan Durbar Square File:Inside The Patan Durbar Square Lalitpur-IMG 4731.jpg File:Patan Durbar Square 20180603 145233-05.jpg File:Inside The Patan Durbar Square Lalitpur-IMG 4695.jpg File:Inside The Patan Durbar Square Lalitpur-IMG 4597.jpg File:Inside The Patan Durbar Square Lalitpur-IMG 4600.jpg File:Inside The Patan Durbar Square Lalitpur-IMG 4603.jpg File:Inside The Patan Durbar Square Lalitpur-IMG 4555.jpg File:Inside The Patan Durbar Square Lalitpur-IMG 4544.jpg File:Patan Durbar 20180719A GDK.jpg File:Patan Durbar Square 003.jpg, Patan Durbar Square as seen in the night