Nepal has three prominent Durbar square and this Kathmandu Durbar square is the nearest one from the capital. In fact, it is located at the heart of the Kathmandy valley. It is also very nearer from the popular tourist gathering place named Thamel. Anyone can access this place by having a walk from the Thamel. This area is declared as UNESCO world heritage site.
I have visited Kathmandu Durbar Square several times during 2013 and 2014. But I wasn’t there with my camera. Hence, I didn’t pick that much photos of the architectures and the monuments. Moreover the place was to much crowded. Probably because it was during the afternoon. It was very hard to find an empty space with the crowd. That’s why I didn’t spend that much time on there and planned to come back again during the working days.
I have always explored this place hastily. Or you can say it was just walking around streets as it was near from my workplace. I always thought about returning back to this place again and explore thoroughly (and of course with my camera). But I believe I’ll not get this chance anymore as the place has shattered by the massive earthquake of 25 April 2015. It has taken near around 9000 people’s life allover from Nepal as a toll along with few ancient edifices from here.
The Kathmandu durbar square comprises the edifices of the Malla and Shah kings who were the ruler of the city. It is not exactly dated about the establishment of this durbar square, but it is believed that the King Sankharadev started this somewhere between 1069–1083 which was his ruling period. Later on several renovation and restoration processes have been performed (including by the modern days governments).
There are several temples and old buildings are scattered inside the Kathmandu Durbar Square premise. It has a museum too that is open for the public visiting. I didn’t visit the museum as I didn’t buy any ticket for during my visits. Apart from the temples, there is a black statue of some Hindu god (I believe it is Mahadeva) available and people use to pay a visit on that for praying.
How to go to Kathmandu Durbar Square:
It is better to have a walk if you live in Thamel. Take your GPS device on your hand and start navigating. If your hotel is at far from that place, then ask the Taxi driver to drop you near there. It will not be too far from there. For your help the GPS coordinate of the Kathmandu Durbar Square is (27°42’15.05″N, 85°18’23.88″E).
Where to stay in Kathmandu:
Tourism is one of the main source incomes of Nepal in recent days. That’s why there are plenty of hotels and resorts all over the country. Here is a list of hotels near Kathmandu for you. It is always better to reserve your room before traveling anywhere.
Entry fee:
The entry is free for the Nepali citizens. For the people from SAARC it is 150 Nepali rupees. And for other nationals (including the Chinese) it is 750 rupees.
Best time to visit:
Kathmandu Durbar Square is always crowded as it is inside the city. Also the place is very near from the tourist hotels and souvenir shop of Thamel. So during the weekend it is heavily packed, specially at afternoon. To avoid crowed you can visit this during morning or at noon, and if possible during working days.
What to do:
There are few rooftop restaurants nearby the Durbar Square. You can use any of those to enjoy the beauty from the top. Also you’ll find several poor people selling souvenirs on streets. You can buy things from them. Finally this place is very near from the Thamel at where you can spend your whole day by buying the souvenirs. Best of luck!
Kathmandu durbar square.,
Kathmandu,
Country: Nepal,
GPS coordinate: (27°42’15.05″N, 85°18’23.88″E),
List of hotels near Kathmandu
This article has written by Lonely Traveler,
for the blog http://icwow.blogspot.com/
Sunday, 25 August 2013
Sunday, 18 May 2014
