Kathmandu Durbar Square and its historical importance
Kathmandu (Basantapur) Durbar Square is among the city’s three durbar squares of immense cultural importance. The ancient heritage sites will provide you with an immense cultural exploration. Taleju Bhawani temple, Kumari Ghar, Hanuman dhoka palace, and other incredible landmarks exist.
The heritage site has temples dating back to the Lichhavi period. Some temples date back to the reign of King Amshuverma, including the Kasthamandap temple. The temple was severely destroyed in the April 2015 earthquake but has since been completely renovated.
In the Malla regime, many temples were regularly built in the durbar square area, especially during the reign of King Pratap Malla. The premises of Hanuman Dhoka palace is where Many royal ceremonies like the coronation happened till the Shah regime.
The Kumari Ghar in the Basantapur Durbar Square is home to the living goddess Kumari. The Basantapur Durbar Square stretches from New road to Thamel. The area is also known as Basantapur Durbar Square. It remains listed in the UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Swayambhunath and its historical importance
Swayambhunath is a landmark Buddhist heritage and religious site in the city. The area has great cultural heritage landmarks, including many small chortens, temples, and others. This white stupa symbolizes peace in the region.
The Swayambhu is one of the oldest religious monuments in Nepal. King Manadeva (464-505 CE) built the Swayambhunath temple in the 5th century CE. This was also confirmed by the stone inscription found on the site dating back to 640 CE.
Emperor Ashoka also built the temple that was later destroyed. The temple is primarily Buddhist, but Hindu followers also come for the pilgrimage. There is a monastery and a Harati Mai Temple in the area. This temple, located atop a hill, provides you with the best views of the entire Kathmandu region.
On the temple premises, you can find a large number of monkeys. These monkeys have made this temple famous as the monkey temple. Hindu and Buddhist followers like the Buddha Jayanti visit the temple on special occasions.
Patan Durbar Square and its historical importance
Patan or Lalitpur is a city of arts and crafts. The Durbar Square area of Patan provides you with the best historical exploration. Significant heritage sites include the Bhimsen Mandir, Krishna Mandir, Char Narayan Mandir, Taleju Mandir, and others.
The Patan Durbar and its various temples were mostly built during the Malla era. However, many archaeological findings have concluded that Patan city was always prosperous, dating back to the Kiranti era. Hence, there was some form of the palace in ancient times.
The Malla King of Siddhi Narsingh Malla and Srinivasa Malla were instrumental in building various landmarks in Durbar square. You can also find 136 bihars and 55 temples, along with numerous courtyards and alleyways. The local “Newa Community” settlement in the area is unique and provides a unique cultural insight into the region.
There you can explore around and taste the delicious local Newa cuisine. Moreover, there are various modern landmarks in the durbar square area. These include cafes, hotels, and restaurants where you can rest and observe the ancient landmarks.
History of Pashupati Temple and Its spiritual importance
Pashupatinath temple in Kathmandu city is one of the country’s oldest temples. Its spiritual importance is quite high in the Hindu religion and is also mentioned in mythological texts. Hence, thousands of devotees pay a pilgrimage to the temple every year on the occasion of Shiva Ratri.
The Pashupatinath temple premises also has a cremation ground on the banks of the holy Bagmati river. Hence, spiritually the temple premises have a great significance. Every evening there is an Arati ceremony, one of the most incredible things you can experience in the city.
According to some archaeological evidence, Pashupatinath Temple’s existence dates back to 400 CE. However, the construction of the current form of the temple was around 1692 CE. The temple of Lord Shiva is in pagoda style in its current form.
Some historians believe the temple’s foundations were possibly laid by the Gopalbansi kings. The Lichchavi King by Prachanda Deva erected the temple. Pashupatinath Temple at one point had a five-story temple but was then repaired and renovated. King Shivadeva renovated it while Ananta Malla added a roof.
This pagoda architecture of the temple includes two-level roofs of copper with gold covering. The four main doors remain covered in silver sheets. There is a gold ‘gajur’ on the top. During the April 2015 earthquake, the temple complex, except the sanctum sanctorum (garbhagriha), was damaged.
Boudhanath Stupa and its spiritual importance
Boudhanath stupa is a beautiful white stupa considered one of the biggest in Asia. There are many with various small temples and monasteries around them. The history of the stupa has two distinct origin stories, including Newar Buddhist mythology and the Tibetan Buddhist mythologies.
The Boudhanath stupa in the center of Kathmandu is an integral tourist attraction of the city. Pilgrims come for the pilgrimage of the stupa. There are many walls surrounding the stupa. Pilgrims circumvent the stupa by rotating the mani. This is part of the Kora pilgrimage practices.
The Boudhanath stupa’s eyes denote the symbol of peace in the world. The area around Boudhanath is quite vibrant as there are many cafes, hotels, and restaurants. There are many Thanka art galleries and art and handicrafts shops as well.
Since there are many Tibetan populations in the area, the Boudhanath stupa area is also known as “Little Tibet.” Therefore, this incredible heritage of the region is quite a significant cultural heritage site you can visit in the city.
