An Introduction to Hanumandhoka Durbar Square

Built in the mid Sixteen century, Hanuman Dhoka is a pristine ample craftsmanship of the rich tradition and culture of the Malla Dynasty. From the prolific craftsmanship of the Mallas to the later added Western European influence by the Ranas, the Durbar Square hold a special amalgamation of the east meets the west.
Moving on from centuries, it has seen the rise and fall of many Kings from Mallas to the recent Shahs witnessing their glory of fame and pride. Registered to the world heritage site, this palace stands testament to the glorious tradition of Kingship in Nepal. With several complexes connected together spreading in about five acres explicates historical and traditional values; the Hanuman Dhoka Durbar square is a live example of the rich culture and tradition.
The durbar Square has ten courtyards flourishing with statues and artifacts enthrall the vision where one gets nostalgic towards this museum of time. The palace was once residence of the Shahs till the late seventies, when the royal residence shifted to the Narayanhiti Palace. The old palace still has its ritual and ceremonial importance where the King of Nepal were crowned and their coronation ceremonies would take place here.
Starting off from the east entrance, a big statue of Hanuman (Monkey god) welcomes you inside; it is believed that King Pratap Malla had set-up the statue there to scare away bad and evil spirits from his palace. It dates back to the 1672. Moving on to the lobby, a half-man, half-lion incarnation of Lord Vishnu, Narasimha Avatar appears on the left side of the lobby. The statue is carved in a big black stone where the craftsmanship clearly highlights the prolific style of the Malla dynasty. The statue portrays the Narshimha Avatar killing the Herainyakasyapu the demon who threaded the world with his evil and outcaste the practice of the religion.
Similarly, with the pride of royalty, a big inscription lies just in front of the palace. The inscription is laid on a stone in 15 different languages by King Pratap Malla in the glory of his regime.
Nasal Chowk
Literally meaning the Dancing courtyard, the Nasal Chowk or Courtyard is dedicated to lord Shiva where a big status of the Natraj is placed on the east side of the courtyard. The courtyard was build by the Malla kings where once it use to serve as their private residence of the then kings but in the transcending flow of time, it was further recaptured and portions were added to the current state by the powerful Ranas where the western influences can be widely seen. In the open veranda faming the pride, still lays the throne of the Malla kings which orchestrates the richness and power of the wide spectrum of their regime.
Highlighting the famous Basantapur Tower at its door step, the Nasal Chowk welcomes the arrivals with its glorious craftsmanship and tradition where the carved windows and doors simply wow in plethora of the craftsmanship. From the tower you can see the 360 view of the Kathmandu in the most profound way where the beautiful mountain range adds colors to the view. Apart from that, the stringent taste of exotic and erotic carvings with in the struts on the façade, one can feel the rich influence of the great Kama sutra. It is believed that the Malla kings use to see the city below from the towers where these towers served as a medium of observatory.
The courtyard has witnessed the rise and fall of many kings where the courtyard is live testimony to the coronation ceremony of the King s of Nepal. In this quest the Late King Birendra and the last king of Shah Dynasty King Gynandra were both crowed king here in this courtyard.
Mul Chowk
Dedicated to the Taleju Bhawani, the Mul Chowk or courtyard holds a special enigma to its presence. Located in isolation with minimal rituals happening in the courtyard is open only in specially occasion and festivals for ritual and tantric ceremonies. With in the periphery is located a two storey Pagoda style temple which holds mystery to its origin where history defines it as an enigma of Hinduism.
The goddess Taleju was the main deity of the royal Malla family where after centuries’ she still holds a strong presence among kathmanduties.
Especially in the ninth day of Dashain the Mul chowk gets lively where the priest sacrifice 108 animals in fulfill the century’s old tantric ritual. On that particular day the temple is opened for general public and it is believed that on that particular night the goddess, she comes down in the temple and endowed her presence. The temple is located at a height where it can be view from most parts of the Kathmandu.
Mohan Chowk
Built in 1649 by the Malla Kings, the Mohan Chowk or courtyard has a significant role in the history of Malla dynasty. More or less it was related to royalty and was closely associated with the Malla kings. It is believe that to become a Malla king you needed to be born in the Mohan Chowk which testifies its glory during those days. In the middle of the Courtyard lies a golden waterspout which in the ancient days was used by the Malla kings for their daily dip. Beautiful artistic tower are located in the four corners of the courtyard. Currently the Mohan Chowk is out of display.

Tribhuwan Museum
Example of the western architect, this portion of the durbar square was build by the Ranas in the 19th centuries. The Tribhuwan Museum is an explanatory example of the time and royalty that witnessed the various aspects of art, craft, technology, fashion and other amenities of the country that highlighted royalty and their lifestyle. It strongly exhibits items of stone carvings, several spectacular thrones, Jewel-studded ornaments used for coronations, weapons, furniture, wooden temple carvings, and coin collections.
With highlighting the glorious life style of the King’s of Nepal an exact replica of King Tibhuvan bedroom is also on display. Dedicated to the King Mahendra a small section on the southeast corner highlights the two thrones of the King.
The Hanuman Durbar Square is a exemplary audience that has witness the past in a glorious tradition showcasing and transcending the pride, honor and culture of the country where it stand tall with the pride of craftsmanship and culture in the most profound way of a time’s kaleidoscope.

By Shreedeep Rayamajhi

Narayanhity Museum

Established with in the shadows of royalty, the Narayanhity Palace or museum has long served as the residence for the kings of Shah Dynasty. The palace or museum was built 40 years back with a rigorous construction of six years. On June 1, 2001, the then King Birendra and his whole family were massacred in the palace compound, along with 6 others royal family members. The Constituent Assembly on May 28, 2009 had decided to convert the Narayanhity palace into a public museum. The palace spreads in 753 ropanies (more than 4 million square feet). The museum occupies only 318 ropnies with 54 rooms where only 19 have been made accessible to the public. Similarly, the abode also shares the space with Nepal’s Foreign Ministry and Security bodies. The main attraction of the museum is the golden and silver Ceremonial throne, Banquette hall and other vivid items used by the royal family. The museum would open five days a week except on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and public Holidays from 11 AM to 3 PM. Likewise, the entrance fee for the Narayanhity Museum has been allocated as followed: Nepali Student Nrs 20, Other Nepalese Nrs 100, Chinese and SAARC Tourist Nrs 250, other tourist Nrs 500 and fee has been leaved for children below 3 years of age.
By Shreedeep Rayamajhi

Bouddha Nath Stupa

With the reputation of the biggest Stupa in Nepal, the Bouddhanath Stupa, is the most holy site for Buddhist faith. Located within 7KM east of the capital, the Stupa, is also know as the Khasti Chitya. The Stupa is 100M in diameter and 40M height where it holds its place among the largest Stupas in the world. It has a round path at the bottom while another path is made of three-tier plinth. The Stupa resembles Swoyambhunath Stupa to some extent. The most impressive part of the Stupa is the eyes of the Buddha which are painted with red, white and blue colors.
Prayer flag are draped from the top of the monument and fly in the breeze to spread the message of peace that flows with in the rooftops of the congested urban neighborhood.
Tourists are charged a modest fee to enter the front gate and to join the clockwise procession at the base of the Stupa.
The Stupa holds a special position in the culture and tradition of the valley while during the seasonal festivals it is lined with lamps and there are special parades and ceremonies performed by the devotees.
The Bouddhanath is architecturally built with greater efficacy which was not touched by the destructive earthquake of 1934 where now it holds a special position in the UNESCO world heritage sites.
By Shreedeep Rayamajhi

Swayambhu

Located on the top of the hill with watching eyes of Buddha, Swayambhu is believed to have self originated or created centauries ago. According to the legends of Manjushree, it’s said that the whole valley was covered under waters of a vast lake in a territory that was once home to nagas. Manjushree arrived here and with his sword drain the lake that once filled the Valley, and miraculous a lotus flower originated. The people then cam in and resided in the valley, which was later, called Kathmandu Valley.
The lotus, was known as the impart enlightenment to the worshipers, many saints, pilgrims, divinities who traveled from far places. The lotus was converted into a hill and the Swayambhu temple lies on top of the hill. The light, which the flower radiated, became the Swayambhu Stupa.
The Swayambhu welcomes you with its 365 stairs leading up to the temple. With big colorful Buddha statues and large wheels of prayers highlights the richness of its tradition. Welcoming all, a statue of Lord Buddha, a vajra and two lion statues placed at the very front of the towering Stupa.
The Stupa has four sides and on each of the sides, a pair of eyes has been carved which symbolizes the eyes of Lord Buddha watching and evaluating the karmas of the people. In place of the nose, number 1 in Nepali language has been marked. Another popular name of the Swayambhu Stupa is Monkey Temple.

By Shreedeep Rayamajhi

Pashupatinath Temple

Known as the Epic Center for Hindus around the world, Pashupatinath Temple stands as a symbol of faith, religion, culture and tradition. With a history dating back to 400 AD, Pashupatinath temple is considered as one of the oldest temples in the Asia. The temple is built in pagoda style with two levels of copper and gold roof. It has four main doors, all covered with silver sheets. The western door has a statue of large bull or Nandi, again covered in gold. The main deity is made up of black stones standing tall about 6 feet in height and the same in circumference.
Apart from the cultural heritage, the Pashupatinath temple also orchestrates the cremation process of the death bodies of deceased Hindus in a rich cultural and traditional way. The scene itself attracts foreigners and tourists who early wait and watch the process of the abstract Hindu culture.
More or less the temple is flocked by people during the Shivaratri when Hindus all over the world gather here to celebrate the birth day of lord Shiva.
By Shreedeep Rayamajhi

Nagarkot

Nagarkot has established itself as an international tourist destination with spectacular views of the world famous Langtang range, sunrise on the mountains and sunset views. We can see the panoramic views of the captivating landscapes and hills that surround the Kathmandu valley. In Nagarkot, You can feel the breeze in the bliss of nature where the mountains smiles in different colors of gold and silver.
It is renowned for its sunrise view of the Himalayan range including Mount Everest especially where people flock here during the celebration of New Year.
With hotel, lodges and resorts mushrooming-in, Naragkot has simply adapted itself to the preference of its arrivals.
By Shreedeep Rayamajhi

Hanuman Dhoka Durbar Square

Adorning the prestige of royalty and cultural heritage, the Hanuman Dhoka Palace is the symbol of past glory of the Malla kings, passed on for centauries. The pristine palace has seen the rise and fall of many kings from Mallas to the recent Shahs.
With several complexes connected together spreading in about five acres explicates the rich art and craft of that time. It has ten courtyards flourishing with the statues and artifacts of the time. King Pratap Malla enlarged the original building in the 17th century, adding many of the temples. The oldest part of the palace is Sundari Chowk and Mohan Chowk in the north part of the palace, which are both closed. In 1768, after Prithvi Narayan Shah took over the valley he built four lookout towers in the southeast part of the palace.
The palace was residence of the Shah dynasty until 1886, when the royal residence was moved to the Narayanhiti Palace. The old palace still has its ritual and ceremonial importance where the King of Nepal were crowned and their ceremonies would take place here.
The entrance is on the west side of the palace. Open daily except Tuesday, 10.30 am to 3 pm, 4 pm in the summer; Friday 10.30 am to 2 pm. Admission Rs 250.
The Durbar square holds places like Nasal Chowk, Panch Mukhi Hanuman Temple, Basantapur Tower, Mul Chowk, Taleju Temple etc which are very famous among tourist and arrivals
By Shreedeep Rayamajhi