Patan Durbar Square

Patan, properly Lalitpur, was the third of the valley's royal cities and remains its craft capital, with metalworkers and woodcarvers still working in the lanes behind the square. The Durbar Square packs a remarkable density of building into a small space: the Krishna Mandir carved entirely from stone in a style unlike its brick and timber neighbours, the tiered Bhimsen temple, the sunken royal bath at Sundari Chowk, and the Golden Temple a few streets away, a Buddhist monastery courtyard with gilded facades and a resident colony of temple monkeys. The Patan Museum, installed in restored palace courtyards, is the standout: a calm, well-labelled collection of Hindu and Buddhist bronzes that explains the iconography properly.

History

The square's early history is unclear: the Malla kings of Lalitpur are credited with creating it, but the site was an ancient crossroads, the Pradhanas lived around it before them, and there is evidence that Patan was founded in the 3rd century BC by the Kirat dynasty and enlarged in the 6th century. Inscriptions of 560 and 643 in and near the palace complex show the area's importance in the early medieval period. Most of the present buildings date from the 1600s, under King Siddhi Narsingh Malla and his son Srinivasa Sukriti. The square, part of the Kathmandu Valley World Heritage Site, was heavily damaged by the earthquake of April 2015, and at least one temple that fell was rebuilt using its documented and conserved original timbers (Wikipedia, Patan Durbar Square).

What's there

• Krishna Mandir - the stone-carved temple of twenty-one gilded pinnacles.
• Patan Museum - restored palace courtyards holding the country's best-presented bronze collection.
• The Golden Temple - a gilded Buddhist monastery courtyard in the lanes north of the square.
• Sundari Chowk - the sunken royal bath with carved stone spouts.

When to go

October to November or March to April for clear weather. Early morning brings worshippers rather than tourists, and the light on the brick is best then. The museum is a good option in the heat of the day.

What to expect

Like Bhaktapur, Patan levies a substantial entry fee on foreigners. Earthquake repairs are still visible in places. The square is smaller than Bhaktapur's and can be walked in an hour, so the museum and the surrounding craft lanes are what justify the ticket rather than the square alone.

Nearby

Kathmandu is minutes north; Bhaktapur lies east across the valley.

Key facts