Kathmandu
The square stone pillar, known as the Pratap Dhvaja, was previously topped by a famous statue of King Pratap Malla (r 1641–74), looking towards his private prayer room on the 3rd floor of the Degutaleju Temple, but though the column remains, the statue was topped and crushed in the earthquake. Similar pillars were erected in the Malla era in Patan and Bhaktapur.
This area and its monuments are usually covered in hundreds if not thousands of pigeons; you can buy packets of grain to feed them.
3.56 MILES
The first stupa at Boudhanath was built sometime after AD 600, when the Tibetan king, Songtsen Gampo, converted to Buddhism. In terms of grace and purity…
1.26 MILES
The Swayambhunath Stupa is one of the crowning glories of Kathmandu Valley architecture. This perfectly proportioned monument rises through a whitewashed…
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Kathmandu's royal palace, known as the Hanuman Dhoka, was originally founded during the Licchavi period (4th to 8th centuries AD), but the compound was…
2.3 MILES
This unique Buddhist monastery is just north of Durbar Sq. It was allegedly founded in the 12th century, and it has existed in its current form since 1409…
7.77 MILES
The magnificent Golden Gate is a visual highlight of Durbar Sq. Set into a bright red gatehouse surrounded by white palace walls, the fabulous golden…
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The long, rectangular courtyard of the Itum Bahal is the largest bahal (Buddhist monastery courtyard) in the old town and remains a haven of tranquillity…
7.84 MILES
You should be able to see the sky-high rooftop of the Nyatapola Temple long before you reach Taumadhi Tole. With five storeys towering 30m above the…
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The beautifully restored Swapna Bagaicha (Garden of Dreams) remains one of the most serene and beautiful enclaves in Kathmandu. It's two minutes' walk and…
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This triple-roofed temple is actually part of the darker, red-brick Hanuman Dhoka, surmounting the buildings below it, but it is most easily seen from…
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North of the Jagannath Temple is the figure of Kala (Black) Bhairab. Bhairab is Shiva in his most fearsome aspect, and this huge stone image of the…
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Seto (White) Bhairab’s horrible face is hidden away behind a grille in an earthquake-damaged pavilion opposite King Pratap Malla’s Column. The huge mask…
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This temple, noted for the erotic carvings on its roof struts, is the oldest structure in this part of Durbar Sq. Pratap Malla claimed to have constructed…
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Once used to warn the city of impending danger, the Great Drums still stand in a restored pavilion to the north of Hanuman Dhoka. Traditionally, a goat…
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The octagonal Krishna Temple was built in 1648–49 by Pratap Malla, perhaps as a response to rival Siddhinarsingh’s magnificent Krishna Temple in Patan…
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Little is known about this mysterious temple. Even the god to which it is dedicated is controversial – the lingam inside indicates that it is a Shiva…
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On the northwest corner of the Gaddhi Baithak, this triple-storey, triple-roofed temple is easily missed because it surmounts the building below it. The…