Susan's NGTAW Blog: The medieval city of Bhaktapur

"Lu Dhowka" (The Golden Gate)" in Durbar Square

Tuesday, February 20 Nepal

We arrived at Bhaktapur around 3:30 and walked around for about 45 minutes while our guide pointed out a number of sights: Durbar Square, the Palace of 55 Windows, Nyatapola temple. We stopped at a Thanaka painting school and did a little shopping. There was a great deal of damage to this beautiful historic UNESCO site from the 2015 earthquake, but lots to see and active restoration is ongoing.

The following is an excerpt from the Lonely Planet web site:

“One of three medieval city-states in the Kathmandu Valley, Bhaktapur was always described
as the best preserved. Tragically, however, the 2015 earthquake caused terrible devastation
and loss of life. Nevertheless, only a few temples were destroyed, there is still much to see here
and tourism is vital to the community. Many Nepalis use the old name of Bhadgaon or the Newari name Khwopa, which means City of Devotees. The name fits – Bhaktapur has three major
squares full of towering temples that comprise some of the finest religious architecture in the country."

The pedestrian path to enter Durbar Square - and a ramp for motorcycles...

Women in traditional dress posing for photos

"When it comes to sightseeing post-earthquake, the attractions remain the same as they ever
were: temple-studded medieval squares, narrow cobblestone streets winding between red-brick houses, and hidden courtyards peppered with temples, statues, cisterns and wells.

However, many traditional buildings that survived the earthquake have since been declared uninhabitable and are slowly being torn down. The scars of the disaster are still clearly visible and it will take years for the city to fully recover. As you wander the streets, the best way to experience Bhaktapur, you may have to pick your way through damaged streets and rubble, and duck under temporary props securing precariously leaning walls."

Sadly, evidence of the 2015 earthquake is everywhere

Terrible destruction and loss of life - with rebuilding and rebalancing evident as well

Durbar Square

"Bhaktapur’s Durbar Sq was once much more crowded than it is today. Victorian-era illustrations show the square packed with temples and buildings, but the disastrous earthquake of 1934
reduced many of the temples to empty brick plinths, with lion-guarded stairways leading to nowhere. More structures were destroyed in the deadly earthquake of 2015, and many village houses collapsed at the entrance to the square. However, there is still plenty of stunning medieval architecture on display."

Palace of the 55 Windows - Amazing wood carving, for which this region is known

The Golden Gate entrance to the palace

Our local Nat Geo guide, Avash, provided color commentary as well as great explanations of the sights

Golden Gate

"The Golden Gate is said to be the most beautiful and richly molded specimen of its kind in the
entire world. The door is surmounted by a figure of the Hindu goddess Kali and Garuda
(mythical griffin) and attended by two heavenly nymphs. It is embellished with monsters and
other Hindu mythical creatures of marvelous intricacy. The gate was erected by King Ranjit
Malla and is the entrance to the main courtyard of the palace of fifty-five windows."

Bhaktapur’s Ponds

"Around the outskirts of Bhaktapur are a series of enormous tanks, constructed in the medieval period to store water for drinking, bathing and religious rituals. The most impressive tank is the ghat-lined Siddha Pokhari near the main bus park. This rectangular reservoir is set inside an enormous wall that is broken by rest houses and towers. "

Bath pond and reservoir

Nyatapola Temple

"One can see the sky-high rooftop of the Nyatapola Temple long before you reach
Taumadhi Tole. With five storeys towering 30m above the square, this is the tallest temple in all of
Nepal and one of the tallest buildings in the Kathmandu Valley. This perfectly proportioned
temple was built in 1702 during the reign of King Bhupatindra Malla, and the construction was
so sturdy that the 1934 and 2015 earthquakes caused only minor damage.

The temple is reached by a stairway flanked by stone figures of the temple guardians. At the
bottom are the legendary Rajput wrestlers Jayamel and Phattu, depicted kneeling with hefty
maces. Subsequent levels are guarded by elephants with floral saddles, lions adorned with bells,
beaked griffons with rams’ horns and finally two goddesses – Baghini and Singhini. Each figure
is said to be 10 times as strong as the figure on the level below.

The temple is dedicated to Siddhi Lakshmi, a bloodthirsty incarnation of the goddess
Durga (Parvati). The idol of the goddess is so fearsome that only the temple’s priests are
allowed to enter the inner sanctum."