Patan Durbar Square

History

The history of Durbar Square is not clear. Although the Malla Kings of Lalitpur are credited with the establishment of the royal square, it is known that the site was an ancient crossroad. The Pradhanas, who settled around the site before the Mallas, have connections with the Durbar Square. Some chronicles hint that the Thakuri dynasty built a palace and made reforms to the locality, but there is little evidence of this. Scholars are certain that Patan was a prosperous city since ancient times. There is also an evidence that the Patan was founded during the 3rd century BC by the Kirat dynasty and was later expanded in the sixth century.

The Malla Kings made important changes to the square. Most of the current architecture is from the 1600s, constructed during the reign of King Siddhi Narsingh Malla and his son Srinivasa Sukriti. Some of the notable Malla Kings who improved the square include Purandarasimha, Sivasimha Malla and Yoganarendra Malla.

Important buildings

Patan is one of the oldest Buddhist cities. It is a center of both Hinduism and Buddhism with 136 new or courtyards and 55 major temples. Most of these structures are in the vicinity of the Durbar Square.

Krishna Mandir

Main article: Krishna Mandir, Patan

Krishna Mandir is one of the most important temple in Patan Durbar Square. A three-storied structure, it was built in the local variety of Shikhara style called Granthakuta. The stone carvings along the beam above the first and second-floor pillar are most notable. The first-floor pillar carvings narrate the events of the Mahabharata, while on the second floor there are visual carvings from Ramayana.{{cite news | access-date = 1 January 2021}}

The temple was built in 1667 by King Siddhi Narsingh Malla. It is said that one night the King saw Lord Krishna and his consort Srimati Radha standing in front of the royal palace. He ordered a temple to be built on the same spot. There are 21 golden pinnacles in the temple. Below the pinnacles are three stories. The first floor holds the main shrine of Lord Krishna with shrines of Radha and Rukmini at each side. The second floor is dedicated to Lord Shiva and the third to Lokeshwor (Avalokiteshvara).

The square is crowded with thousands of Hindu Pilgrims and devotees during Krishnastami.

Bhimsen Temple

Bhimsen (Bhin : dya) Temple was built by Srinivasa Malla in 1680. It is renowned for its three interconnected golden windows. Bhimsen is a great personality in Mahabharata. He is the second-born son of Kunti and King Pandu, and one of the five Pandavas, known for his bravery and strength. Newa people worship him as a god of business and trade. Tourists are not allowed inside the temple. Photos are also not allowed to be taken inside the temple.

Vishwanath Temple

Vishwanath Temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva. It was built in 1627 AD during the reign of Siddhi Narsingh Malla. The roof supports are decorated with erotic carvings similar to imagery widespread in Shiva temples in India. The temple is guarded by two stone elephants in the front entrance. On the other side of the temple is the sculpture of a bull, Shiva's vehicle. A stone linga is enshrined inside the temple. It is located between Krishna Mandir and Bhimsen Temple.

Taleju Bhawani Temple

Taleju temple was built by Siddhi Narsingh Malla in 1640 and rebuilt by Srinivasa Malla in 1667 after a fire. Taleju Bhawani was the personal deity of the Malla kings. It is a five-storey temple with triple-roofs. The 14th century chronicle of Gopala kings hints that the Taleju temple was built by the Pradhanas before the Mallas. The temple is not open to the public.

Layout of the Palace

The three main courtyards in the palace are Mul Chowk, Sundari Chowk and Keshav Narayan Chowk. Besides these courtyards, the complex boasts impressive temples, religious shrines, and historical places, all noted for their exquisite carvings and beautiful display of ancient Newari architecture.

Keshav Narayan Chowk

Keshav Narayan Chowk is, inside the Patan Museum, to the north of the Mul Chowk. Keshav Narayan Temple is located at the center of this chowk and gave the chowk its name.

Mul Chowk

Mul Chowk is the central courtyard. It is the most famous and largest courtyard among the three main chowks. Vidya Temple is located at its center and Taleju temples stand around the courtyard. The doorway to the Shrine of Taleju, on the southern side of the courtyard, is confined by the statues of the river goddesses Ganga, on a tortoise, and Jamuna, on a carved makara (mythical crocodile).

Sundari Chowk

Sundari Chowk is to the south of the Mul Chowk. It is designed with a sunken tank known as Tusha Hiti. Smaller than the Mul Chowk, it is now open to the public. The entrance of the chowk is guarded by the stone statues of Hanuman, Ganesh, and Nara Singha, man-lion forms of Vishnu. As one enters through, the chowk, they can see various local shops selling typical Newari cuisine. The Newari cuisine consists of yomari, kachela, chhoila, black beans, beaten rice, vegetables along with the Newari drink called chhyang which is made from rice. Sundari chowk is known for the nightlife and recently there is a gigantic self-illuminating moon placed in the chowk which has now become the attraction for tourists as well as the local people.

Gallery

File:Keshav Narayan chowk, Patan Durbar Square, Lalitpur, Nepal.jpg|Keshav Narayan Chowk File:Mul Chowk, Patan Durbar Square 04.jpg|Mul chowk, Patan Durbar Square File:Lalitpur Durbar Square Temple 2023.jpg|Hari Shankar Temple File:Lalitpur Durbar Square Bell 2023.jpg|Big Bell File:Patan Durbar Square 2007-12-0278 (2580566218).jpg File:Patan Durbar Square 2007-12-0276 (2580565868).jpg File:Patan Durbar Square 2007-12-0263 (2579733541).jpg File:Lalitpur Patan Durbar Square 2023 01.jpg|Bhimsen Temple (right), and Vishwanath Temple (left) File:007 Bhandarkhal Water Tank and Taleju Temple,Patan Durbar Square.jpg|Bhandarkhal Garden and water tank File:Inside The Patan Durbar Square Lalitpur-IMG 4740.jpg|Under construction during renovation of Patan Durbar Square File:Inside The Patan Durbar Square Lalitpur-IMG 4738.jpg File:Inside The Patan Durbar Square Lalitpur-IMG 4735.jpg|An agriculture stone sculpture inside the Patan Durbar Square File:Inside The Patan Durbar Square Lalitpur-IMG 4731.jpg File:Patan Durbar Square 20180603 145233-05.jpg File:Inside The Patan Durbar Square Lalitpur-IMG 4695.jpg File:Inside The Patan Durbar Square Lalitpur-IMG 4597.jpg File:Inside The Patan Durbar Square Lalitpur-IMG 4600.jpg File:Inside The Patan Durbar Square Lalitpur-IMG 4603.jpg File:Inside The Patan Durbar Square Lalitpur-IMG 4555.jpg File:Inside The Patan Durbar Square Lalitpur-IMG 4544.jpg File:Patan Durbar 20180719A GDK.jpg File:Patan Durbar Square 003.jpg|Patan Durbar Square as seen in the night

References

References

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