| Perched on a hill at an
altitude of 1,401m, Bhaktapur or Bhadgaon, literally the City of
Devotees, is a major tourist attraction taking visitors back in time.
Covering an area of 4 sq. miles, this city retains the charming paved
roads, red brick houses and a way of life that goes back to medieval
times. The extraordinary ‘Durbar Square’ with its celebrated Golden Gate
and extraordinary Palace of Fifty-Five windows reflects the glory days of
the Malla Dynasty when art and architecture thrived in the three cities of
the valley. Situated 14km east of Kathmandu, this ancient city is also
famous for pottery and woodcarving amply displayed on the squares and
windows respectively.
Hotels around
Bhaktapur.
Around Bhaktapur
Siddha Pokhari: For a small city, Bhaktapur has the
largest number of public water tanks built within the city limits. Siddha
Pokhu (Pokhari) is one of the largest tanks meant to supply drinking water
to the people of Bhaktapur. Built in the 15th Century by King Yakshya
Malla, this large rectangular tank is teeming with fish and is
occasionally open to the public for fishing and boating.
Nyatapola: The unique temple of Bhaktapur, the Nyatapola
literally means ‘Five storied’ and rises above the city as a remarkable
landmark. It also has the distinction of having withstood the devastating
earthquake of 1933. Dedicated to a tantric goddess, the steps leading up
to the temple, is flanked by stone sculptures. At the base are two statues
of Malla era wrestlers representing humans and in ascending order of power
and strength, there are creatures each ten times more powerful than the
preceding statue.
Batsala Temple: One of temples built out of stone is the
Batsala Devi of Bhaktapur which has many intricate carvings. Beside it is
the famous bronze bell, locally known as 'the bell of barking dogs' as its
ringing was invariably accompanied by the howling of dogs in the vicinity.
This large bell was put up by King Ranjit Malla in A. D. 1737 and its
sounding announced the beginning and end of a daily curfew. Today, it is
rung every morning when the priests worship Goddess Taleju.
Bhairavnath Temple: Dedicated to Kasi Bhairav, the three
storied temple of Bhairavnath has only the head of Bhairav in the inner
sanctum. Legend has it that Kasi Bhairav’s head was cut off by a tantric
expert in order to keep him in Bhaktapur. Built in the pagoda style, it
stands adjacent to the more famous five storied Nyatapola temple. Bhairav
is the dangerous aspect of Shiva. Originally built by King Jagat Jyoti
Malla, the temple was improved by King Bhupatindra Malla, a zealous lover
of the arts.
Thimi: 10 km east of Kathmandu close to Bhaktapur, is the
potter’s town of Thimi. Besides farming, most households here are engaged
in pottery. This laid back town not only supplies Kathmandu its pottery
but also its vegetables. The most important deity here is Goddess
Balkumari. The charming medieval lifestyle of these farmers is a major
tourist attraction.
(article from
NTB website)
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