Bhaktapur

Bhaktapur was one of three rival kingdoms in the Kathmandu Valley, and because it developed away from the modern city's traffic and sprawl, it kept more of itself than the others. The old town is largely brick, largely traffic-free, and organised around a chain of squares: Durbar Square with its palace and Fifty-five Window balcony, Taumadhi with the five-tiered Nyatapola temple standing on its stepped plinth, and Dattatreya with the celebrated carved Peacock Window. Pottery Square is exactly what it sounds like, with clay being thrown and rows of pots drying in the sun. The 2015 earthquake damaged the town badly and reconstruction has been long and visible, with some monuments still scaffolded and others rebuilt using traditional timber joinery.

History

Folklore says the Kathmandu Valley was once a lake drained by the bodhisattva Manjushri, and geology confirms the lake, which drained between about 30,000 and 15,000 years ago. Chronicles put the founding of Bhaktapur in the 12th century, but there were settlements here at least from the Licchavi period: inscriptions of 594 from the reign of Amshuverma name it Khōpring, from early Newar words for cooked rice and village, the name Bhaktapur appears in 928 and Khwopa in a manuscript of 1004. It was the capital of Nepal in the first half of the Malla dynasty, from the 12th century until 1482, when the quarrels among the many children of Yaksha Malla, who died in 1481, split the valley into three kingdoms. In 1769 the Gorkhali armies of Prithvi Narayan Shah conquered it, in 1979 it became a World Heritage Site, and in April 2015 it was badly damaged by the earthquake (Wikipedia, Bhaktapur).

What's there

• Nyatapola Temple - the five-tiered temple on its stepped plinth, guarded by paired stone figures.
• Durbar Square - the palace complex, Golden Gate and Fifty-five Window balcony.
• Pottery Square - working potters, wheels and drying yards.
• The Peacock Window - the intricately carved wooden window in Dattatreya Square.

When to go

October to November for clear post-monsoon skies and festivals, or March to April. Bisket Jatra, the new year festival with its chariot procession and tug of war, is the town's biggest event. Staying overnight gives you the squares in the early morning without day visitors.

What to expect

The entry fee for foreigners is high by Nepali standards and is collected at every gate. Earthquake reconstruction is ongoing, so some monuments are under wraps and the skyline in photographs may not match what you see. The main squares get busy with tour groups in the middle of the day, while the back lanes stay quiet all day.

Nearby

Patan and Kathmandu complete the three royal cities; Changu Narayan temple is a short trip north.

Key facts