Culture

Bhaktapur is filled with Hindu and Buddhist religious sites and art. Although the population is primarily Hindu, there are nineteen Buddhist monasteries (Vihars). At Indra Varna Madavihar, built in 1671 and located between Durbar Square and Dattatraya Square, visitors can see two lion statues, a Patinga Hiti (water spout), Tantric wood-carved windows, and prayer wheels.

There are also many Buddhist monuments and shrines, including Lokeswor Mahavihar, Prasannasheel Mahavihar, Chatu Brahma Mahavihar, Jaya Kirti Mahavihar, Sukra-varna Mahavihar, Dipanker Mahavihar.

Many festivals are celebrated throughout the year to mark the seasons, pay tribute to gods, and remember historical and legendary events. A few of these are:

Dashain, the longest festival of the year, lasting 15 days. This festival honors the goddess Devi Durga, who is said to have slain the demon Durga, son of Ruru. Celebrants perform many pujas (offerings) during this festival, including thousands of animal sacrifices. (September/October)

 Gai-Jatra, the Cow Festival. This festival focuses on families in bereavement. Every family who lost a relative in the past year participates in a procession with a cow or a young boy dressed as a cow. The cow, it is believed, helps the deceased reach heaven. (July/August)

 Bisket Jatra, the Nepalese New Year celebration, in which chariots are pulled through the streets and ultimately a tug of war over them determines who will be blessed with good fortune in the coming year. This celebration is also observed with picnics and other private get-togethers. (April)

Tihar, the festival of lights, honors Laxmi, the goddess of wealth. The Nepalese light up their homes with candles, oil lamps, and other lights to invite the goddess Laxmi in.

They also worship crows, dogs, and cows during this festival and set aside one day to honor brothers. The Mha puja, a day of revering one's own body and life, is celebrated on one day of this festival. (October)

Handicrafts - Tourists can watch potters create works of art in the Pottery Squares. Indigenous (Newar) handicrafts include paubha scroll paintings, papier-mâché masks, cotton cloth, woodcarvings, metalwork, jewelry and ceramic products, haku-patasi (black sari), black caps and Juju-dhau (yogurt).

Around Bhaktapur

Nagarkot - The second-highest point on the Kathmandu Valley rim, Nagarkot, at an altitude of 2,175, offers panoramic views of the Himalayas and Mt. Everest. It lies 20 km northeast of Bhaktapur. The area offers hiking trails that lead into Tamang villages.

Changu Narayan - The oldest temple in the valley, build in 464 AD by Kind Mandev, the Changu Narayan lies 6 km north of Bhaktapur. A popular hiking trail leads from here to Nagarkot.

Thimi - Thimi is a traditional Newar city noted for its a vegetable garden and handicrafts. It lies about 5 km west of Bhaktapur.

Bode - This town, about a 20-minute walk from Thimi, hosts the the river-side shrine of Nil Barahi. Each year on the second day of the Nepalese New Year, the town celebrates the tongue-boring festival, in which a villager has a thin metal spike thrust through his tongue by the temple’s priest. After parading around town carrying a bamboo rack of oil lamps, the spike is removed and packed with mud from the temple floor. If no blood flows, the villager earns great respect for himself and the town; however, if blood flows it is considered a bad omen for the coming year.

Surya Vinayak Shrine - The Surya Vinayak is just a 10 to 20 minute walk from Bhaktapur and attracts visitors and locals praying for good luck to the god Ganesh. The shrine is located in a forest at the top of a hill. 

Dattatreya Square

In this square, lie many of Bhaktapur's Hindu monasteries, called maths, as well as temples and museums. The three-story pagoda-style Dattatreya Temple, with statues of the Hindu trinity, was built by King Yaksha Malla in 1428. It is claimed that the building was constructed from a single piece of wood from one tree.At the entrance are two large sculptures of the Jaiput wrestlers, Jaimala and Pata (as in the Nyatapola Temple), a “Chakra”, and a gilded metal statue of Garuda, a bird-like divinity. Around the temple are wood carved panels with erotic decorations.During the Mohani (Dashain) festival, in the Wane Layaku complex, which lies just southwest of the Dattatreya Temple, a rare Ghau-batacha (water clock) is displayed.The Pujari Math, which houses the Woodcarving Museum and dates back to the early 15th century, is adorned with the intricately carved Peacock Window. The Chikanpha Math, across the street, houses the Brass and Bronze Museum, with its collection of ancient Malla housewares and ritual metalware.In Dattatreya Square, lies a Pottery Square, where potters work and display their handicrafts.

siddha pokhari

This centuries old pond is situated at Dudhpati-17 the entrance of the ancient city Bhaktapur. It is considered as the most ancient pond in Bhaktapur which is known to have many myths associated to it. This 275m×92m pond was built in the early fifteenth century during the reign of King Yakshya Malla. Nowadays, the pond is of both religious and archeological importance. From this spot a wide range of snowy peaks are visible on clear days.

Bhaktapur Durbar Square
This is one of the seven UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites of the Kathmandu Valley. This depicts the rich culture, art and architectural of the city. The golden gate is the gateway to the main courtyard of the 55-window Palace, which is the most fascinating in the city. The gate is considered as one of the world's most beautiful and richly carved specimens of its kind. This is often known as not only the treasure of Bhaktapur, but of the entire country as well.. The richly carved windows and doors really attract visitors. Being the seat of royalty before 1769 AD, the building now houses the National Art Gallery.
The Big Bell is another amazing artwork that bewitches every visitor in the Durbar Square. The bell is said to have been erected by Ranajit Malla (1722-1769), who was the last Malla King of Bhaktapur. The bell would be used at that time for paying homage to Goddess Taleju, the lineage deity of the Malla rulers. Even today, the bell is rung twice a day as a mark of tribute to the goddess. There is another small Barking Bell next to it. To one’s great surprise, all dogs around it start whining the moment it is rung by its caretaker.
The Yaksheswor Mahadev Temple equally adds to the Square’s unparalleled beauty. Named after its builder king, Yaksha Malla (1428-82), the two-storied pagoda temple was built after Kathmandu’s world-famous Hindu temple of Pashupatinath. The temple is famous for its wooden struts with erotic carvings.
There are many other religious sites in the area; some of them include: Chyasin Mandap, Siddhi Laxmi Temple, Shiva Temple, Vatsala Temple, Bhandarkhal Complex, Chatu Brahma Mahavihar, Indrayani Temple, Balakhu Ganesh Temple, Tripura-Sundari Temple and the Char Dham.

Bhaktapur Durbar Square is an assortment of pagoda and shikhara-style temples grouped around a fifty-five-window palace of brick and wood. The square is part of a charming valley as it highlights the idols of ancient kings perched on top of stone monoliths, the guardian deities looking out from their sanctuaries, the wood carvings in very place – struts, lintels, tympanums, gateways and windows – all seem to form a well orchestrated symphony.

Places to Visit

The Lion Gate

The massive gate that dates back to 1696 AD is guarded by two huge statues of lions at the either sides. The dreadful stone image of Lord Shiva and the fearful image of Ugrachandi attract the tourists from far off.

The Golden Gate (Sun Dhoka)

The Golden gate is said to be the most beautiful and richly molded specimen of its kind in the entire world. The door is a embellished with monsters and mythical creatures of marvelous intricacy. The Golden Gate was erected by King Ranjit Malla and is the entrance to the main courtyard of the Palace of fifty-five windows.

The Palace of Fifty Five Windows

Built by Jitamitra Malla, the former king, the 55-Window Palace was used as the official royal family residence until 1769. The palace was originally finished in 1427. During the seventeenth century, the palace was revamped. Today, the palace has been converted into a National Gallery and it houses several pieces of art. The 55-Window Palace gets its name from its balcony designed with a total of 55 windows. This is considered by many as a woodcarving masterpiece because of its uniqueness and elegance.

Bhaktapur Durbar Square with shinning rays of the setting sun. On the right is Pashupatinath Temple (Yakeshwar Mahadeva) and on the left is the Vatsala Durga Temple.

The Nyatapola Temple

Nyatapola Temple is a 5 story pagoda located in Bhaktapur, Nepal.The temple was erected by Nepali King Bhupatindra Malla during a 5 month period from late 1701 into 1702. It is the temple of Siddha Laxmi, the Hindu goddess of prosperity.This beautifully sculptured building is considered one of the tallest pagodas in the country and is a lovely example of the immense workmanship that went into buildings of this type. This five-storey temple with a five-tier roof that stands just over thirty meters high can be reached by walking up a flight of steps that leads to the top of the platform. As you walk up these terraces you will notice that there are statues on either side of you, on every step.

The Nyatapola temple was built and dedicated to the goddess Siddhi Lakshmi or Siddhi Laxmi, providing the Nepalese with a place to worship her. Like so many of the other temples the image of the goddess that is contained within the temple of Nyatapola is viewed strictly by the priests only. Dominating Taumadhi Square is the Nyatapola Temple, a five-tiered pagoda dedicated to the Hindu goddess Siddhi Lakshmi. She is the wrathful manifestation of the Goddess Durga. The temple rests on a base of five levels with four Ganesh shrines in each of the corners. Nyatapola means “five-story temple” in the Newari language. Legend tells of the days when the angry god Bhairab was causing havoc in society (1702 AD). Bhairab’s temple stood in Taumadhi Square. To counteract his destructive behavior the king decided to build a more powerful temple right in front of the Bhairab Temple. To make the brick and wood temple strong and powerful, King Bhupatendra Malla ordered guardians be placed in pairs on each level of the base leading up to the Nyatapola Temple. On the first level is a pair of likenesses of Bhaktapur’s strongest man, Jaya mal Pata, a famous wrestler. Next, two elephants followed by two lions, two griffins and finally “Baghini” and “Singhini”, the tiger and lion goddesses. After subduing Bhairab, peace prevailed in the city. The Temple is the tallest temple in the Kathmandu Valley and stands 30 m high. It was so well designed that it withstood a powerful 8.3 earthquake in 1934.

The Legend

Legend tells of the days when the angry god Bhairab was causing havoc in society (1702 AD). Bhairab’s temple stood in Taumadhi Square. To counteract his destructive behavior the king decided to build a more powerful temple right in front of the Bhairab Temple. To make the brick and wood temple strong and powerful, King Bhupatendra Malla ordered guardians be placed in pairs on each level of the base leading up to the Nyatapola Temple. On the first level is a pair of likenesses of Bhaktapur’s strongest man, Jaya mal Pata, a famous wrestler. Next, two elephants followed by two lions, two griffins and finally “Baghini” and “Singhini”, the tiger and lion goddesses. After subduing Bhairab, peace prevailed in the city. The Temple is the tallest temple in the Kathmandu Valley and stands 30 m high. It was so well designed that it withstood a powerful 8.3 earthquake in 1934. The image of Siddhi Lakshmi is locked within the temple and only the priests are allowed to enter to worship her. The five-storeyed temple, locally known as Nyatapola, is an impressive and famous temple of Nepal, standing in the northern side of Taumarhi square in Bhaktapur. This is the only temple that is named after the dimension of architecture rather than from the name of the deity residing inside.

history of bhaktapur

Bhaktapur's historical roots lie in its position on the early trade route to Tibet, though the credit for the formal founding of the city goes to King Ananda Malla in the 12th century. The oldest part of the town is around Tachupal Tole, to the east.

From the 14th to the 16th century, as Bhaktapur became the most powerful of the valley's three Malla kingdoms, the focus of the town shifted west to the Durbar Sq area. Much of the town's great architecture dates from the rule of King Yaksha Malla (1428-82), who built the Pashupatinath and Dattatreya temples, but also from the end of the 17th century, during King Bhupatindra Malla's reign. At its peak the city boasted 172 temples and monasteries, 77 water tanks, 172 pilgrim shelters and 152 wells.

The 15th-century royal palace in Durbar Sq remained the seat of power until the city's defeat by Prithvi Narayan Shah in 1768 relegated the former capital to a market town. The 1934 earthquake caused major damage to the city.

about my city khwopa

Bhaktapur, also known as Bhadgaon (pronounced भादगाउँ and meaning 'City of Rice') in Nepali, or Khwopa (City of Devotees) in Newari, is the third major town of the valley.The cobblestone streets link a string of temples, courtyards and monumental squares, and the side streets are peppered with shrines, wells and water tanks.

The lack of traffic makes walking through Bhaktapur a pleasure and certainly more enjoyable than walking in Kathmandu. The town's cultural life is also vibrant, with centuries-old traditions of craftsmanship and strong communities of potters, woodcarvers and weavers. Look for rice laid out to dry in the sun, people collecting water or washing under the communal taps, dyed yarns hung out to dry, children's games, fascinating shops and women pounding grain - there's plenty to see. 

In the eighteenth century Bhaktapur was known country-wide for its production of quality pottery pieces and beautiful art works, which included sculptures completed in both wood and stone. Today this reputation Bhaktapur has continues and is sustained by the tourist industry, which flourishes in this area. The city gives you a glimpse of what life was like centuries ago having changed very little since it was first formed.

Durbar Square can be found in the center of Bhaktapur and like Kathmandu contains many beautiful temples where the Nepalese people can go and pay homage to one of the many Hindu gods. At one point the square was crowded with temples and statues but with the 1934 earthquake many of these ancient buildings were destroyed and to this day have yet to be built again. In comparison to the city of Patan, the Bhaktapur Durbar Square is bigger and more neatly laid out but with many empty spaces where temples once stood.