(Layaku) Durbar Square

(Layaku) Durbar Square

Durbar Square

 

The Durbar Square is Bhaktapur’s monumental gem. The seat of Malla royalty till 1769 AD, the complex includes palaces, pagoda and shikhara style temples, as well as Buddhist monasteries. 

Yaksheshwor Temple: The Square’s oldest temple (1475 AD) is the finest of the royal portraits of the Kathmandu Valley. Bhupatindra is the most renowned of Bhaktapur’s Mall rulers, and it is he who built most of the monuments in and around the Durbar Square.

Fifty-five Window Palace: The royal palace (1699 AD) of Bhaktapur’s Malla kings, the three-storied structure has captivated pilgrims and travelers ever since its construction in the late 17th century. It now houses the National Art Gallery.

The Golden Gate: An unrivaled specimen of repousse art, the gate dates to 1754 AD. It was built by King Ranajit Malla, the last of Bhaktapur’s Malla rulers. The gilded gate serves as an entrance to many historic courtyards, as well as to the Taleju temple.

Taleju Temple (1553 AD) is presided over by Goddess Taleju, the lineage deity of Malla rulers. It used to have 99 beautiful courtyards, but because of earthquakes and time, the number has now been reduced to only seven.

The Golden Spout (1678 AD) was the Royal Bath during the Malla reign. The water spigot is shaped like a goat head, and a gilded snake statue atop a wooden pillar sits in the middle of  the pond.

The Big Bell (1737 AD) sits across from the 55 windows palace. It is rung twice a day during worship to Goddess Taleju, and was used in the past to call assemblies of local citizens when crisis faced Bhaktapur.

Chyasin Mandap, literally an octagonal pavilion, was completely destroyed in the great earthquake of 1934, but was reconstructed in the late 1980’s with support from the then West German Government.

Siddhi Laxmi Temple: A shrine dedicated to the most powerful female goddess Siddhi Laxmi, the temple is also called “Lohan dega” (stone temple) because it is made entirely of stone. Unlike other temples in the square, this shikhara style temple is guarded by man lion creatures camels and rhinoceros all of which are extremely rare in the Valley.

Vatsala Temple: The temple stands out in the square because of its unique style and design. Similar to the Krishna temple in Patan’s Durbar Square, it dates to 1672 AD.

Chatu Brahma Mahavihar: One of Bhaktapur’s most famous Buddhist monasteries, it houses one of the city’s five ornate images of Dipanker Buddha. Dating to 1491 AD, it is where Bhaktapur’s Cult of “Kumari (Virgin Goddess)” is said to have begun in the late 18th century. It is admired for its unusual and elaborately carved struts.

Char Dham: Located in the western section of the square, these four shrines embody the four greatest Hindu pilgrimage sites in India. The Malla rulers built these monuments for those who could not go on a pilgrimage to the actual sites for finance or health reasons.

“Were there nothing else in Nepal, save the Durbar Square of Bhatgaun, it would still be amply worth making a journey half way around the globe to see.”

E.A. Powell ( The last home of Mystery) 1929, London

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