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Tour the Ancient Landmarks of Kathmandu's Durbar Square
Published by Devender Kundaliya, Writer
Country: Nepal 
The Experience
There are many ways you can describe Kathmandu: a capital city, the largest metropolis in Nepal, or maybe most appropriately a refuge of ancient temples. Today Kathmandu is the prime art and cultural centre of the country, and has developed into a great tourist destination of Nepal. A highlight for the thousands of tourists that visit each year are the ancient temples and historic buildings. They provide tourists who visit Kathmandu with a glimpse of rich culture and colourful heritage.
Kathmandu is home to a large number of ancient temples, historic buildings and artistic monuments. Every sightseeing Kathmandu tour of the city usually starts with Durbar Square, famous for lots of ancient structures, one of which is Hanuman Dhoka (or Royal Palace). Hanuman Dhoka is the old residence of Nepal’s royal family. The eastern section of the building dates back to the 16th century, and it is believed that there was a palace at this spot even before the 16th century. The eastern gate of the palace, known as the Hanuman Gate, features a colourful statue of Lord Hanuman—the Monkey God. At a short distance away lies another impressive sculpture of Lord Narasingh, the incarnation of Lord Vishnu. There are a number of historic buildings present within the Royal Palace Complex, some of which include Panch Mukhi Hanuman Mandir, Tribhuvan Museum, and Basantpur Tower.
As your Kathmandu tour moves towards the southern side of Durbar Square in Kathmandu, you will come across a very important spot, the Kumari Chowk, which is famous for the Temple of Raj Kumari: “the living goddess” of Kathmandu city. The Raj Kumari, who is considered to be the incarnation of Goddess Durga, is essentially a prepubescent girl selected from hundreds of girls of a specific clan within a goldsmiths’ community. The Temple of Raj Kumari becomes a favourite spot for the locals during the Indra-Jatra festival when Raj Kumari comes out of the temple to give her blessings to the general public.
Tour Kathmandu to the Kasthamandap building, located at the southwestern end of Durbar Square, which is another famous landmark on your Kathmandu tour. This is the oldest wooden building in the city that is said to date back to the 12th century. During its earlier days, the Kasthamandap used to serve as a rest house for traders on the historic trade route to Tibet. Lots of other temples, statues and historic buildings fill the area around Kathmandu’s Durbar Square, including Maru Ganesh, Trailokya Mohan, Gaddi Baithak, Shiva Parvati Temple, Telaju Bell, Kal Bhairabs, Jagannath Temple, and Teleju Temple.
Swayambhunath Stupa, located west of Kathmandu, is one site that should not be missed on a Kathmandu tour. Also known as Monkey Temple, Swayambhunath Stupa is basically associated with lots of Buddhist mythological stories. It also offers magnificent views of the entire Kathmandu valley.
There are lots of other popular tourist attractions, ancient temples and historic buildings in Kathmandu that you should not miss when you tour Kathmandu. These include National Museum, Singha Durbar, Pashupatinath Temple, Goraknath Temple, Great Stupa at Boudha, Sankhu Bajra Jogini, Sleeping Vishnu, Indrachowk, Tel Tol, Seto Machhendranath, Asan Tol, and Mahabuddha.
Kathmandu is home to a large number of ancient temples, historic buildings and artistic monuments. Every sightseeing Kathmandu tour of the city usually starts with Durbar Square, famous for lots of ancient structures, one of which is Hanuman Dhoka (or Royal Palace). Hanuman Dhoka is the old residence of Nepal’s royal family. The eastern section of the building dates back to the 16th century, and it is believed that there was a palace at this spot even before the 16th century. The eastern gate of the palace, known as the Hanuman Gate, features a colourful statue of Lord Hanuman—the Monkey God. At a short distance away lies another impressive sculpture of Lord Narasingh, the incarnation of Lord Vishnu. There are a number of historic buildings present within the Royal Palace Complex, some of which include Panch Mukhi Hanuman Mandir, Tribhuvan Museum, and Basantpur Tower.
As your Kathmandu tour moves towards the southern side of Durbar Square in Kathmandu, you will come across a very important spot, the Kumari Chowk, which is famous for the Temple of Raj Kumari: “the living goddess” of Kathmandu city. The Raj Kumari, who is considered to be the incarnation of Goddess Durga, is essentially a prepubescent girl selected from hundreds of girls of a specific clan within a goldsmiths’ community. The Temple of Raj Kumari becomes a favourite spot for the locals during the Indra-Jatra festival when Raj Kumari comes out of the temple to give her blessings to the general public.
Tour Kathmandu to the Kasthamandap building, located at the southwestern end of Durbar Square, which is another famous landmark on your Kathmandu tour. This is the oldest wooden building in the city that is said to date back to the 12th century. During its earlier days, the Kasthamandap used to serve as a rest house for traders on the historic trade route to Tibet. Lots of other temples, statues and historic buildings fill the area around Kathmandu’s Durbar Square, including Maru Ganesh, Trailokya Mohan, Gaddi Baithak, Shiva Parvati Temple, Telaju Bell, Kal Bhairabs, Jagannath Temple, and Teleju Temple.
Swayambhunath Stupa, located west of Kathmandu, is one site that should not be missed on a Kathmandu tour. Also known as Monkey Temple, Swayambhunath Stupa is basically associated with lots of Buddhist mythological stories. It also offers magnificent views of the entire Kathmandu valley.
There are lots of other popular tourist attractions, ancient temples and historic buildings in Kathmandu that you should not miss when you tour Kathmandu. These include National Museum, Singha Durbar, Pashupatinath Temple, Goraknath Temple, Great Stupa at Boudha, Sankhu Bajra Jogini, Sleeping Vishnu, Indrachowk, Tel Tol, Seto Machhendranath, Asan Tol, and Mahabuddha.
When to Go to Durbar Square
Odds n' Ends
Most international tourists visiting Nepal usually start their trip from Kathmandu. Tribhuwan International Airport, located about 6 km from the main city, is the only international airport of the country. It gets Nepal flights from a number of cities including New Delhi, Dhaka, Sharjah, Amsterdam, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Hong Kong, Bangkok, Kolkata, Mumbai, and some other Asian cities. Accommodation is available for almost every type of visitor. To get around the city, you can either rent a bike or use taxis. Public transport should be the last option to avoid inconvenience in your trip.
Places to Stay Nearby
Search over 900,000 global hotel deals from over 30 merchants. Book via Expedia, Travelocity, Hotels.com, Booking.com, Priceline and the websites of popular hotel chains.
If you're travelling with a family in tow, the Ram Radha Homes offers sizeable rooms geared towards the requirements of families and kids. The bathrooms ... 1 miles away
$2160 NPR+
Dwarika’s Hotel is located near the international airport and within walking distance of the most sacred Hindu temple, Pashupatinath. Dwarika’s is also within easy reach ... 1 miles away
$22530 NPR+
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More Experiences Nearby
- Practice Tantra at Kathmandu’s Swayambhunath Stupa
- The history of Kathmandu’s Swayambhunath Stupa is believed to be as old as the Kathmandu Valley. Perched on the top of a hill, Swayambhunath is a site that should never be missed on a Kathmandu tour. This ancient stupa is one of the oldest religious structures in the whole country. In spite of Swayambhunath being a Buddhist place, it is considered a holy and revered place by the Hindu community of Nepal. Swayambhunath Stupa lies about 2 km west of Thamel in Kathmandu, and is one of the best places in Nepal to get a glimpse of the culture and ...3 miles away.
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