Patan, Nepal

Patan is easy overlooked, since Kathmandu has a Durbar square of its own, and alot of other woonderful sites to see are outside the Capital. Yet the Rickshaw trip south of the River to Patan is a must do.

The ancient city of Lalitipur (Patan) is situated on the southern bank of the river Bagmati and is about five km southeast of Kathmandu. The city is full of Buddhist monuments and Hindu temples with fine bronze gateways, guardian deities and wonderful carvings. Noted for its craftsmen and metal workers, it is known as the city of artists. Lalitpur, "the city of beauty," is another name for Patan. The best known complex in Patan is Patan Durbar Squrae.

Patan Durbar Square boasts of many famous sites and unique architecture. Krishna Mandir in the Patan Durbar Square was built to honor an incarnation of Vishnu. Krishna fought by the side of the Pandavs in the Mahabharat war to assure that truth would prevail. He was a favorite among the gopini cowgirls. His temple is the best example of stone architecture in Nepal. Scenes from the Mahabharat, Asia's greatest mythological war, are carved on the temple's walls.

greeted by a simple entrance of this buddhist monastry, we never imagined the greatness of what the small courtyard of the golden temple holds.. with its golden two-tiered roof gleaming in the sun.. surrounded by very interesting images.. long chains of gold plates hanging from the top of the temple.. just amazing..

btw, we have two versions on the story of what the long chains of gold plates is for.. one says that these were put there by the rich to act as their stairway to heaven.. the other story says that it's meant to be the stairways to invite the gods from heaven down to earth.. i'm not too sure which is the right one.. u decide and tell me.. :)

a visit to patan, also known as lalitpur, is an absolute must.. known as the city of fine arts, patan boasts of the finest traditional crafts and a rich artistic heritage.. the main attraction of patan is the durbar square, where once was the ancient royal palace with 3 very interesting courtyards..

admission fee is npr200 per person for foreigners..

Patan is the second largest city in Nepal, after Kathmandu.
It is separated from Kathmandu by Bagmati river.
In ancient times, it was named Lalitpur, the city of the beauty.
Its map is a mandala: in the centre there is the Royal Palace, from which four road branch out in all the cardinal points.
Owing to the amounts of its big temples, Patan is undoubtedly the cradle of the arts and of the architecture of the Nepal.
Patan Durbar Square is one of the seven world heritage sites all over the Kathmandu valley.

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Of all the beautiful Durba Squares of the three Kingdom Cities in the Kathmandu Valley, the one of Patan (formerly known as Lalitpur) is the one that fascinates me most! You really feel like in a timeshift to the past with all those well-preserved tempels, monuments and shrines. The whole area is preserved like in ancient times!

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Patan, also known as Lalitpur, is a one of the largest cities in Nepal, and second largest in the Kathmandu Valley. It is located just across the Baghmati river, only a few kilometers from Kathmandu.
It has an extremely beautiful Durbar Square full of temples, statues etc, which I thought to be more impressive than the one in Kathmandu.
Also in Pathan, is the Golden Temple, which is located no far from Durbar Square. This building dates back to the 1400’s.
It costs Rs200 (Dec 2008) to enter through the city walls. As you make your way towards Durbar Square you will see many examples of Newari Architecture.
The city has a more relaxed atmosphere, compared to the hustle and bustle of Kathmandu.
One can spend a full day in Patan, exploring this beautiful city.

Patan is the second largest of the three valley towns. It has a long Buddhist history, although many of the temples are Hindu. In fact, Patan has some of the oldest structures and Hindu temples in all of Nepal. Durbar Square is the center of orientation, and it's easy to walk around here. A nice break is the little museum - the courtyard is a wonderful place to grab a bite to eat and relax in the shade. Be sure to order the Nepalese specialty yogurt drink called "lassi"- I recommend the banana lassi.

Patan's Durbar Square is smaller, but nicer than that of Kathmandu. There are several impressive traditional style buildings, and the hawks aren't as common. There are also some nice rooftop cafes, where you can sit and eat overlooking the square.

Note that there is an entrance fee of 200 N.Rs.. Although this is a bit steep, I felt that it was worth it.