Kathmandu Durbar Square
Kathmandu Durbar Square (Hanuman Dhoka Royal Palace) is an ancient royal palace in the Kathmandu Valley three royal palaces. Kathmandu Durbar Square is one of the UNESCO World Heritage sites out of Nepal's ten world heritage sites.
Several temples and buildings were damaged during the April 25th, 2015 earthquake. The Durbar Square area has been surrounded by attractive architecture and skillful Newar artists for centuries. Two different dynasties ruled Kathmandu Durbar Square: the Malla and Shaha. The palace area has beautiful courtyards, Pagoda temples, and more.
Highlights of the Kathmandu Durbar Square
- Pagoda temples were made twelve to eighteen centuries
- An ancient royal palace with a museum
- Kashthamandap (which was named the city of Kathmandu)
- Living Goddess Kumari
- Black Bhairava (God of death)
- Beautiful carvings on the windows, doors, and around the temples
- Souvenir shops at the Basantapur Dabali
Some buildings were built earlier in the third century of the Lichhavi period. They were different shapes and changed in the Malla period. Only one king ruled the Kathmandu Valley, which became independent in 1484 and was ruled by Ratna Malla until 1520. When Prithvi Narayan Shaha from the Gorkha kingdom invaded the Kathmandu valley in 1769 and used this palace to lead the country, other generations of the Shaha dynasty also ruled from here until 1896, when they moved to the Narayan Hiti royal palace.
Ratna Malla built the Taleju temple (the Family goddess of royal people) on the northern side of the palace in 1501. The Nasal Chok (the Main courtyard) is used for royal functions. According to the story, the Kashthamandap was built out of the wood of a single tree in the 12th century, and this building was named Kathmandu.
The museum, which displays the works of the kings and other things, is inside the main palace, which was closed to the public after the earthquake. The living goddess is the Hindus, and Buddhists worship a very young virgin lady (formed of goddess Taleju). It is good to see and visit this place. The wooden carvings were mainly developed in the medieval period when the Malla kings ruled and were attractive.
The quick visit takes about 2 hours and can last a whole day. You can also explore this place and enjoy its sights.
