Durbar Square, Kathmandu

It´s possible to visit the interior of the Kumari Mahal palace, inside there´s an impressive three-storey courtyard known as the Kumari Chowk surrounded by beautiful carved wooden balconies. The small shrine contains the symbols of Saraswati the goddess of learning. The rest of the building is forbidden for non Hindus.

This three-storey brick building was built in 1757 by Prakash Malla and is the residence of the Royal Kumari or living Goddess (a incarnation of a deity). She was chosen among some other candidates, once chosen she moves with her family to the Palace, leaving it only for some ceremonial ocasions each year, specially the Indra Jatra festival when she moves around the city in a huge chariot.

1 more image

Maybe the most visited temple in Durbar, and a popular meeting place. This triple-roofed temple dedicated to Shiva was built in 1690 by the mother of Bakthapur King Bhupatindra Malla, and contains a Shiva Lingam (Phallic Symbol). Next to the temple there´s a small white Shikara (tower built in Indian style) that honors Kam Dew, Shiva´s Shakti (the divine feminine creative power). Climb the stairs and enjoy great views of the square, the market stall and people coming and going.

2 more images

Durbar is the centre of old Kathmandu. The place is really impressive, used to be the place where the kings lived and ruled, but a century ago the monarchy moved to Narayanhiti. You need an entry ticket to visit the place, valid only for the day. Durbar contains three linked squares full of temples and palaces. As everywhere in Kathmandu the place is crowded; vendors, touts, tourists, cows and thousands of pidgeons. Most of the buildings are from the 17th and 18th centuries, some of them rebuilt after the big 1934 earthquake. It´s possible to spend hours sitting in some of the platforms of the Maju Deval (maybe the best viewpoint in the area) watching the crowd passing by. There are also several restaurants in the rooftops of the buildings for a good Nepalese meal.

3 more images

We, a bunch of girls, wanted to live our own adventure in Kathmandu on our last day and called a taxi to Durbar Square. When we told our destination, he said us “Which Durbar? We have three in Kathmandu Valley.” Luckily we already know this and seen Bhaktapur Durbar. Otherwise we could easily be confused.
Our goal was to reach Durbar, wander around, walk to Thamel, do some shopping and return to the hotel. Taxi left us at the entrance, and then the Durbar’s chaos has started. A huge crowd was walking between the temples. There were people sleeping under the shades. The house of the living goddess Kumari is also here.

1 more image

The Durbar Square of Kathmandu is a must see. I think you can spend a lot of time here if you want to. It stretches over a large area, and it is good to have a plan when you visit. A good guide(book) can be very helpful.
It is a World Heritage Site.
There are so much to see, and also to write, so do go and experience and explore this wonderful site for yourself.

Kathmandu's World Heritage Site of Durbar Square is a spectacular complex of courtyards, temples and palaces positioned at the very heart of the capital. This majestic sprawl was mostly constructed between the 12th and 18th centuries, with some occasional rebuilding after earthquakes, and was the home of Nepalese royalty during that time. Since the royal families decamped to the north of the city its many courtyards (chowks) have been open to the public and contain important shrines and museums, as well as any number of markets and bazaars where local artists and artisans ply their trade. Highlights include the pristine neoclassical King's Palace and the Maju Deval Temple to Shiva, which is often covered with people sitting on its steps. Look out for the erotic carvings on the Jaganath Temple and the multi-lingual inscription on the wall of the Sundari Chowk, put there by King Pratap Malla with the promise that anyone who could decipher the lines would cause milk rather than water to pour from a nearby fountain.

4 more images

Durbar Square : For most of the people, Kathmandu means the Durbar Square, around which the life of city buzzes. Located between the river and Kantipath road, the city's busiest road, Durbar Square houses the old Royal Palace.