Call: +91 7384718607
Call: +91 7384718607
Kathmandu Durbar Square, otherwise called Basantapur Durbar Square, is one of the three Durbar Squares in the valley. Durbar Square, referred to as the “Royal Palace” or “a court held by prince,” used to be a significant spot for religious ceremonies, customs, regal festivals, and royal crowning; however, today it is looked to as a historical center portraying the rich history that Kathmandu brags about. Situated at the core of the city in Basantapur, the square conveys heaps of social and chronicled criticalness. It is likewise an UNESCO enlisted heritage site. The engineering around the square is spectacular and depicts the ingenuity of Newar craftmanship that goes back hundreds of years.
Kathmandu Durbar Square actually comprises three particularly dissipated temple squares. Basantapur Square lies to the south facing the north of the square. West of the Kathmandu Durbar Square has the most number of temples and famous sites. It is the primary area of Kathmandu Durbar Square. The sub zone of Durbar square has an entrance to the former palace and lies in the northeastern side of the square. The principle grand spots are Kasthamandap, Ashok Binayak, Kumari Bahal, Trailokya Mohan, Shiva – Parvati Mandir, Hanuman Dhoka (the old illustrious castle), Talaju Temple, and Kala Bairav. Kasthamandap is a decent spot to begin exploring Durbar Square.
Kalbhairab
History
What today stands as Durbar Square was once the royal palace of the Malla Dynasty and then the Shah Dynasty. The original palace was built during the 16th century in the eastern sid,e and later it went through extension during the Malla regime. The Malla regime ruled over Kathmandu from 13th to over the half of 18th century. Though there are no written inscriptions or documents stating the construction of Kathmandu Durbar Square, the credit, however, is given to Sankharadeva (1069-1083). Mahendra Malla is credited to have built some of the oldest temples in the Square, which include the temple of Jagannath, Kotilingeswara Mahadev, Mahendreswara, and the Taleju Temple. Taleju is one of the most important temples in the Durbar Square area. It is a 3-storeyed temple built in 1564 in a vintage Newari style architecture. The legend behind its construction is that King Mahendra Malla was highly devoted to Goddess Taleju. She was very happy with his devotion so she gave him a vision and asked to build her a temple in Kathmandu Durbar Square. It is believed that the Goddess entered the temple in the form of a bee.
Taleju Temple
After the defeat to the Shah Dynasty, the palace was occupied by the Shah kings before they relocated to Narayanhiti Palace in 1886. Since then, the old royal palace had been kept as a museum with King’s portraits, history of the Shah kingdom, their armors, coronation essentials, and so on. They built four more observatories to the southeast of Durbar Square. Two of the most unusual structures were added during this time: (1) Nautale or 9-storey building, which is said to be built as a pleasure house. It has four roofs and is located on the eastern side of the palace in Nasal Chowk and (2) the temple of Basantapur Durbar, which is a 4-storey building. It is built in the Mughal style, and the lower floors have extensive woodcarvings.
Today, a large part of Kathmandu Durbar Square is damaged and undergoing renovations due to the 2015 earthquake. One of the most important structures, Kasthamandap was demolished during the earthquake. Kathmandu derives its name from this very temple and is believed to have been built with wood from a single tree.
Getting to the Square
Kathmandu Durbar Square is situated in the south central part of Kathmandu. It is about 2 km south from Thamel Street and takes nearly 20 min to reach the Durbar Square. The shortest distance from Thamel to reach the square is from Nardevi via Chettrapati road, but if you like to stroll around and explore then walk through Tyouda to one of the oldest marketplaces in town – Ason. From Ason Chowk, take the second turning to your left and walk straight to Kathmandu Durbar Square passing through another ancient chowk – Indra Chowk.
Similarly, from Tribhuvan International Airport, it is about 7 km in distance (nearly a 25-min drive).
4 Interesting Things to do at Kathmandu Durbar Square
(1) Explore
Something to do in Basantapur or Basantapur Durbar Square is to investigate the environmental factors. Basantapur is the city of backstreets, practically like a labyrinth, and one anybody would discover hard to navigate through in the first run. While you meander around these alleys, ideally, you will find out about individuals and their method of living and obviously about the spot too.
(2) Don’t Forget about the Food
There are plenty of restaurants in and around Basantapur. From mainland cooking to typical bistros, the place won't frustrate you. If you are here and have not delighted your taste buds with Newari cuisine then you are missing out on one of the best cuisines in town or Nepal for that matter. Try Bhoe Chhen Newari Restaurant and Bar. If you love roadside snacks, you can discover them too.
(3) What about a Tattoo!
On the off chance that you are a tattoo fan, you must explore the tattoo parlors in Basantapur. Tik’e Jhya is considered as one of the best tattoo places in town. Other popular tattoo parlours include Kathmandu Tattoo Inn, Freak Street Tattoo, and Swastik Tattoo Studios.
(4) Souvenir Shopping
Kathmandu Durbar Square is wealthy in culture and history as is depicted in the fabulous engineering found in the area. There are a lot of souvenir shops and street stalls that mirror the diversity of Nepal.
