The Kathmandu Durbar Square situated here is a beautiful manifest of ancient royal architecture. It is situated in front of an old royal palace in the former Kathmandu kingdom and is one of three durbar squares in the Kathmandu valley. It has unique architectural values, a mix of multiple origins, along with the fusion of Newari artists. Durbar Square held over the Malla and Shah Kings who ruled over the city. Along with these palaces, it has the historical, religious, and architectural combination of different temples, Murtis, culture, and traditions. It consists of Trailokya Mohan Narayan temple, Hanuman Dhoka, Hanuman statue, Basantpur Tower, Kaal Bhairab, Ashoka Binayak, Dhansa, Taleju temple, Kotilingeshwara Mahadev temple, Indrapur temple, Bishnu temple, and Kumari Bahal.
The Royal Palace of Kathmandu Durbar Square was used in different reigns. The Malla kings contributed to making this palace and later the Malla Kings were thrown out of the palace by Shah Rulers. The kings of the Shah Dynasty completed this in the current form of Durbar Square
Kumari Temple
Kumari is the living goddess of Nepal. It is the tradition that a young pre-pubescent is worshipped as the manifestation of the divine female energy. The Kumari temple is situated in Kathmandu valley, around Kathmandu Durbar Square. The temple itself is the beautiful manifesto of Nepali architecture and carving style. The festival that is associated with Kumari is Indra Jatra. At the time of Indra Jatra, Kumari is carried around Durbar Square in a Chariot. It is believed that Kumari should never bleed, it comes to an end of Goddess Bhagwati that Kumari pursued. So, The Kumari Ghar or temple is the place where Kumari is safeguarded and worshipped.
Taleju Bhawani Temple
Taleju temple is situated at three places around the three Durbar Squares of Kathmandu that is around Patan, Bhaktapur and Lalitpur. These temples are dedicated to Taleju Bhawani, a deity who has four heads and ten arms. The Taleju temple is also remembered for its unique architecture, Hindu religious aspects and history behind these old structures.
Jagannath Temple
The main attraction of this temple is the erotic carvings on the roof. It is located in the Kathmandu Durbar Square area and it is also the oldest structure in this area. It is said that during the Malla reign, Pratap Malla built this temple to get people’s attention. But considering the historical context, it is found that this temple was built during the 16th century while Mahendra Malla was in reign.
Trailokya Mohan Narayan Temple
Trailokya Mohan Narayan Temple is situated in the southern part of Kathmandu Durbar Square. There is a statue of Garuda kneeling before the temple. The Garuda is the symbol of the mount of Lord Vishnu. The temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu and the carved roofs feature the Vaishnavite images
Saraswati Mandir
Saraswati temple is situated next to Hanuman Dhoka. It is one of the main temples of the ‘God of knowledge and compassion’ Saraswati in the Kathmandu area. On the day of Rishi Panchami, many people worship here. It is believed that the Goddess Saraswati endows worshippers with joy, learning ability, and wisdom.
Tana Deval Temple (tarani Bhawani)
This is the temple of Multi-armed Ashta Matrikas (mother goddesses). It is situated nearby Indrachowk, around Kathmandu Durbar Square. It is a neglected temple of religious importance in the Basantpur area.
Bhagwati Temple
It is situated northwest of Gaddi Baithak. The temple is a part of the Hanuman Dhoka palace courtyard. The temple was built by King Jagat Jaya Malla. The image here was stolen after the conquest of the era of King Prithvi Narayan Shah. Later it was substituted with an image of the goddess Bhagawati.
Besides the architectural values, Kathmandu Durbar Square has a lot to offer. It saw changes in different Rulers. It has a unique historical background. In the evening time, the environment around this beautiful square, there are a lot of people roaming around and sitting there to enjoy the peaceful evening there. It is also a perfect walkout for many people. Visit Kathmandu Durbar Square to understand the historical, architectural, and cultural beauty.
