Bhaktapur is the third of the three Durbar (Palace) Squares that we’ll visit. It was home to the Bhaktapur Kingdom in the 18th century and is greatly diminished from its’ former glory. Originally there were 99 courtyards of which only six remain due to both the 1934 and 2015 earthquakes which heavily damaged Bhaktapur.
There were far fewer tourists at Bhaktapur owing to its 13km distance from Kathmandu and so we nearly had the place to ourselves.
Many of the former temples and palaces have been destroyed but stone carvings such as these remain.
And these.
Atop this column sits a carving of King Malia who is in the act of worship.
This is the famous Golden Gate which was said to be the most beautiful specimen of its kind in the world. Around the outside are carved Hindu goddesses.
It really is remarkable that any of these structures have survived this long. Just look how precarious this temple is – look closely at the base for perspective on the size, you’ll see Jeffrey taking a picture.
Aside from the actual square there is a beautiful village that surrounds it. After looking at the palaces we walked to a nearby area called “pottery square” where artisans were making pottery in the midday sun.
The quietness of Bhaktapur, along with the surrounding village, made it feel much more accessible than the two other Durbar Squares. Just a terrible shame that so much was lost in the earthquakes.
Our next stop is a village high in the foothills, called Nagarkot, where we hope to catch a glimpse of Everest.
