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Bhaktapur is a home of medieval art
and architecture. Shaped like a conch shell,
Bhaktapur means the 'city of devotees'. Pottery and
weaving are its traditional industries. The City is
about 19 km from Kathmandu.
The city Bhaktapur known as Bhadgaon "City of
devotees" is 13 km east of Kathmandu. This is most
beautiful medieval town is the most preserved of
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the three medieval cities.
exquisitely carved 55 windows palace. The Golden
Gate an old palace, 5-stored Nyatapole temple and
Bhairav Temple near by and Dattatreya square etc.
can be observed.
Bhaktapur
Durbar Square
About 20 km east of Kathmandu is a town called
Bhaktapur (Bhadgaon), meaning the city of devotees.
It covers an area of 5 sq.km and was founded by King
Anand Dev (889 A.D.) in the shape of a conch shell,
which is a sacred symbol. The Malla's who built
magnificent temples; statues, etc once ruled in
Bhaktapur. The key attractions of this place are The
Lion Gate, he Golden Gate, the statute of King
Bhupatendra Malla, 55 windows Palace (Built in 1700
AD), Nyatapola temple (Built in 1702 AD), Dattatraya
temple (Built in 1427 AD), Bhairabnath temple (Built
in 1718A AD) etc. It was listed in the UNESCO World
Heritage Monuments in 1979.
Datta-Traya Temple
The temple of Dattatraya is as old as the Palace of
Fifty five Windows. Consecrated by King Yakshya
Malla in A. D. 1427, this temple, according to
popular belief, was built out of the trunk of a
single. The Datta-Traya Temple also built by late
King Vupatindra Malla in the 17th century is a
famous pagoda carrying an amusing history. This is a
wooden temple facing west; it is believed that the
timber used for its relevant construction was sawed
out of a single tree. So you can imagine how big the
tree must have been. The square has been
nomenclatured from the name of the Deity itself. The
three-storied temple is dedicated to the
three-headed Deity of the orthodox Hindus. It
symbolizes the divine triad, a mere combination of
Brahma (the Creator), Bishnu (the Preserver) and
Maheshwor (the Destroyer). The square as a whole can
be regarded as a marvelous gallery of intricate wood
carvings. One can smell environments of medieval
period around the square. In the periphery of the
temple, you can also see monasteries, Vimsen Temple
and a platform. There are a couple of handicraft
quarters around where watching the skills of the
carvers is a sheer joy. The Pujari-Math Temple has
the renowned Peacock Window in the landside facing
the cardinal direction of east. It is a pure wooden
structure, a master-piece indeed. Apart from these,
there exist two special museums-the Metal Craft
Museum and the Wood Craft Museum.
Changunarayan
This 5th century temple located over a hillock 15km
east of Kathmandu and is full of art works on metal
and wood. Inscriptions dating back to 464 A.D.,
found here, are the first epigraphic evidences of
Nepali history. The key attractions of this temple
are Vishworoop, Vishnu Vikranta, and Vishnu riding
Garuda, Nr-singha Vishnu etc. This temple is built
by King Hari Dutta. It was listed in the UNESCO
World Heritage Monuments in 1979. |
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