Trip Introduction: City Tour in Bhaktapur
Bhaktapur is one of Nepal's oldest cities, located on the eastern side of the Kathmandu Valley. Bhaktapur City, Nepal, is the smallest compared to Kathmandu and Lalitpur; however, it is densely populated. Being one of the three main cities of Kathmandu Valley, it is a major Newari settlement of Nepal. The charming city is approximately 14 kilometres east of the capital, which makes it an excellent choice for sightseeing tours.
Bhaktapur is also known as Bhadgaon, which means “City of Rice.” It is rich in history, long architectural heritage, and cultural beliefs. The city is a living example of marvellous architecture, including woodwork, stone craftwork, and metalwork. One of the primary highlights of Bhaktapur is the Bhaktapur Durbar Square.
Bhaktapur Durbar Square, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is one of the three courtyards of the Kathmandu Valley. The Durbar square is decorated with ancient relics, fine examples of architectural excellence from ancient times. It is an open museum comprising royal palaces, courtyards, temples, sculptures, monasteries, and many others. The intricate carving and symbols make it an excellent choice for visitors to learn more about the architectural wonders of Nepal. Similarly, the rich historical background and stories provide an informative perspective of the lives of the people of Bhaktapur in medieval times.
Likewise, the Bhaktapur City Tour package is one of the comprehensive tour packages offered by Trekking Planner Nepal. The city tour allows explorers to witness Bhaktapur's rich cultural heritage, stunning ancient architecture, and traditional lifestyle. Visitors can walk along the city streets while observing the exquisite temple, palace, and intricate wood carvings.
The Bhaktapur sightseeing tour can be undertaken all year round; however, the best time to visit the vibrant Bhaktapur city is spring and autumn. The spring season in Nepal lasts from March to May, and autumn lasts from September to November. These periods provide moderate weather conditions for comfortable walking, photography, and exploring historical sites.
History of Bhaktapur City
Historically, Bhaktapur city was founded in the 12th century by Ananda Dev, a king of the Malla dynasty. The Malla kings ruled over Bhaktapur until King Prithivi Narayan Shah invaded the city during the reign of Ranjit Malla. It is believed that when Ananda Dev founded Bhaktapur, it contained 12,000 houses. From ancient times, Bhaktapur has been the major trade centre for trade and culture and is now considered the virtual museum for art and architecture.
The ancient name of Bhaktapur is Khopre. This name was, over time, transformed into Khope. During the Lichhavi period, the Bhaktapur city was a prosperous village. In the 14th century, Bhaktapur became the capital city declared by King Jayasthiti Malla. In the 15th century, his grandson Yakshya Malla expanded the kingdom and fortified the capital city. After the death of Yakshya Malla, the city became dormant up until the reign of Jitamitra Malla, when art and architecture began to flourish.
Bhaktapur Durbar Square: Major Attraction
Siddhi Laxmi Temple
The temple of Siddhi Laxmi is also known as Lohan Dega or the Stone Temple. The temple was built in Shikhar style by King Jagat Prakash Malla and is located on the southeast side of the 55-window palace. Similarly, the temple consists of intricate carvings and ornate wooden work. Five plinths in the temple are each decorated by pairs of guardians. The first consists of a couple with a child and a dog. Similarly, other plinths have horses, rhinos, human-faced creatures, and camels. Although the inner temple is not open to visitors, the Siddhi Laxmi temple stands out as a good platform for observing breathtaking festivals like Gai Jatra.
Vatsala Durga Temple
The Vatsala temple, also known as Vatsala Devi, is located between Pashupatinath temple in the south and 55-window palace in the north. This is the third Vatsala temple constructed in the Bhaktapur Durbar Square. The prior two were constructed behind the Pashupatinath Temple and Siddhi Laxmi Temple, respectively, but were destroyed by the 1934 earthquake. Similarly, the temple is built in shikara style, depicting the goddess Durga as Mahisasuramardini, the buffalo-demon slayer. On the top of the corner are stone images of eight mother goddesses.
The 55-Window Palace
The 55-window palace was built by King Bhupatindra Malla in 1677. The name comes from the façade’s fifty-five intricately carved wooden windows, also known as Pachpannajyale Durbar or Nge Nyapa Jhya Laaykoo. The palace is constructed around several interconnected interior courtyards. History also suggests that there were 99 courtyards in the palace; however, only nine are present today. The palace is behind the Golden Temple, which contains illustrations of wood carvings, including Ash Bhairava, Lord Ganesh, and Lord Kumar.
Bhairab Nath Temple
Bhairavnath is one of the most sacred temples in Taumadhi Square. The temple is located behind the Nyatapol and is dedicated to lord Bhiarav. Bhairav is the incarnation of lord Shiva, known for his stubborn character. According to legends, the Bhairab of Varanasi came to see the Bisket Jatra of Bhaktapur. During the festival, a priest recognized Bhairab, but as he tried to sink into the ground to return to Varanasi, the priest stopped him by cutting off his head. The head is believed to be kept in a box at this temple.
Nyatapola Temple
The Nyatapola temple is located in the Taumadhi Square of Bhaktapur Durbar Square, which King Bhupatindra Malla built. According to legend, as lord bhairab started causing havoc in Bhaktapur, King Bhupatindra Malla prayed to Lord Parbati. Lord Parbati came in the form of Siddhi Laxmi and took Bhairab in the palm of her hand. So, in honour of Siddhi Laxmi Nyatapola, the tallest temple of the Bhaktapur Durbar Square was constructed. Along the high staircase of Nyatapola, various sculptures are portrayed as guardians built on either side of the stairs. The first are Jayamel and Phattu (most muscular men of Bhaktapur), two elephants, two lions, two griffins, Baghini and Singhini (tiger and lion goddesses). Similarly, the top of the temple contains the statue of Siddhi Laxmi.
Mini Pashupatinath Temple
The mini Pashupatinath temple in the Bhaktapur Durbar Square is a replica of the original Pashupatinath present in Kathmandu, Nepal. According to some myths, the king built the temple in Bhaktapur because Lord Shiva himself asked him to do so in his dream. So, King Yaksha Malla built the temple, which is now located behind Vatsala Durga Temple.
Lions Gate and Golden Gate
They are the entry points of Bhaktapur Durbar Square. The lion's gate was built in the 17th century, and two lions were placed on either side. It is said that the king cut off the heads of the artists who built the lions so that it would never be replicated. Similarly, sculptures of Lord Bhairava and goddess Ugrachandi are placed beside the lion statues. On the other hand, the Golden Gate is located near the 55-windowed palace which King Ranjit Malla built. The gate consists of various symbols and representations of deities and animals. The Golden Gate is dedicated to Taleju Bhawani and has a pagoda-style roof.
Statues of Kings
One of the prominent landmarks in Bhaktapur, the Statue of Kings, portrays Bhupatindra Malla with his two wives and five sons. The statue is located opposite Degu Taleju temple. Similarly, the statue represents the Malla dynasty and its rich architectural background.
Dattatreya Square
The oldest of the four squares in Bhaktapur is Dattatreya Square. It is dedicated to Lord Dattatreya, an incarnation of the Hindu god Vishnu. The square is named after the Dattatraya temple, where Salan Ganesh Temple and Ganesh Pokhari are also located.
Peacock Window
The peacock window was built around the 15th century and is also regarded as the Mona Lisa of Nepal. It consists of various small bird carvings with an intricately designed large peacock. The peacock window is located at Pujari Math, presently the woodcarving museum.
Bhaktapur Durbar Square Museum
The Bhaktapur Durbar Square Museum is also known as the National Art Museum. Historically, it was also known as Simmhadhawaka Durbar, as it contained the image of a pair of stone lions. King Bhupatendra Malla built the Durbar, but Bishwesvar Prasad Koirala inaugurated the National Art Museum. Visitors must pay a fee to enter the museum, where they can see the masks of Nava Durga, four-headed Ganesh, statues of Kuber, Vishnu, Tara, Laxmi Narayan, and many more.
Pottery Square
The pottery square is located a few minutes from Bhaktapur Square and showcases various artists' pottery work. The square has been a hub of Nepalese handicrafts and clay wares. Similarly, other shrines are in the square, including Ganesh shrine, Vishnu temple, Gorakhnath temple, and many others.
Changunarayan temple: Oldest temple in Nepal
The city tour in Bhaktapur expands from Durbar Square to Changunarayan temple. The Changunarayan temple is a UNESCO world heritage site located 8 km northward of Dudhpati, Bhaktapur. It is also considered the oldest temple of Nepal dedicated to lord Vishnu. The two-storeyed temple is built in pagoda style with a gilded copper roof and a pinnacle. The temple courtyard consists of pillars, with Lord Vishnu's possessions, including sankha, chakra, gadda, and padma. Other shrines in the temple square are dedicated to Goddess Chhinnamasta, Badeshwar Mahadev, Laxmi Narayan, and Kileshwar.
The Bhaktapur City Tour allows you to explore some of the many temples of Bhaktapur Durbar Square. Each temple represents Nepal's rich culture, tradition, history, and practices, which are branches of this heritage. Popular festivals, traditional lifestyles, and unique cultural practices are some of the famous highlights of Bhaktapur.
Bhaktapur City Tour Ticket Fee
- Visitors must pay an additional ticket fee to enter the Durbar Square tour. (However, the ticket increases the Bhaktpaur city tour cost only by a small amount.)
- For SAARC nationals: NPR 500
- For Non-SAARC nationals: NPR 1800
- For Chinese nationals: NPR 500
- Free of cost for Nepalese and children below 10 years old.
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