Places to see in Bhaktapur (Bhadgaon)

As the Name 'Bhaktapur' would suggest, it's the city of devotees. Infact, everywhere in Nepal one

witnesses a fine blend of history, culture and religion entwined together. Covering an area of 4 Square miles. The city lies about 14

km east of Kathmandu. It is at a height of about 1400m and mototransport is available for the visitors.

Major Site seeing Places

Temple at Bhaktapur

Durbar Square: Seekers of Solace and inner harmony find the place absolutely insatiating. The awful art and architecture abounding here is amazing. Innumerable temples and other architectural show pieces. viz., The Lion Gate, the statue of king Bhupatindra Malla, the picture Gallery, the Golden Gate, the Palace of 55 Windows and Bell of Barking Dogs dots the landscape here. Of the many statues one finds in Nepal, the Statue of Bhupatindra Malla, placed on a column facing the palace is inarguably the most magnificent. The national Art Gallery is also housed inside.

Entrance to the main courtyard of the Palace of 55 Windows (Built in 15th century) is the Golden Gate. Built by King Ranjit Malla, the Gate is a masterpiece in repose art and one of the most beautiful and richly carved specimens of its kind in the entire world.

King Bhupindra Malla built the palace of 55 windows in the 17th century, Infact, its a balcony of 55 window with some gracious setting and sculptural design - a masterpiece of wood carving.

Also located in the Durbar Square is the stone temple of Batsala Devi, full of intricate carvings. A beautiful example of Bronze bell on its terrace, which is also known as the "Bell of Barking Dogs". This colossal bell was placed in 1737 A.D. and was to sound curfew in those days.

Taumadhi Square: To the east of Durbar Square lies Taumadhi Square presided over by the towering five-roofed Nyataoda Temple. Built by Bhupatindra Malla, the monument gracefully soars into the sky atop a five - story plinth. On each of the terraces, you find paired figures of famous wrestlers, elephants, lions, griffins and Baghini and Singhini, the tiger and lion goddesses. Each of the stone figures of deities and mythical beasts flanking stairway is 10 times more powerful than the immediately below. With one of the tallest pagoda, the temple is famous for its massive structure and subtle workmanship.

Dattatreya Square: The square derives its name from the Dattatreya Temple dedicated to the trinity of Hindu deities Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh (Shiva). The temple, is said to have been built from a single tree in 1427 AD A Monestry with exquisitely carved peacocks windows lies nearby.

The square presents a perfect feel of the traditional urban layout of Bhaktapur. With richly ornamented houses and ornate Hindu monestries, known as Math, the place is magical. of the mine Maths here, the Pujari Math(built in 15th century) is most famous and is decorated with wonderful word - carvings, including the celebrated peacock window.

The national woodworking museum is also housed here. Nearby is the Brass and Bronze Museum.

Bhairavnath Temple: King Bhupindra Malla changed this one-story pagoda into a three storey temple in 1718 AD Dedicated to Lord Bhairav, the god of Terror, the temple is famous for its artistic grandeur.

Surya Vinak: Flanked by some luring landscapes, this temple of Ganesha is placed in a Sylvan setting to catch the first rays of the rising sun. A perfect picnic place.

Changu Narayan: Perhaps the oldest in the valley, this temple is said to have been built by King Hari Dutta in 323 AD