Monuments in Nepal

 August 22 2011 | Category : History | | No Comments Tweet

Like every other country Nepal too has its unique style of architecture. It has been influenced by the different cultures and people living in the country. There are several structures that are worth mentioning. In fact, several of them have made it to the list of the world heritage sites. Most of them being in Katmandu, it is hard to be missed.  Following are some of them.

Monuments in Nepal: Photo by Kara Gressick

Katmandu Durbar Square

Durbar square refers to a place with several palaces. Katmandu Durbar Square is centrally located and has been in existence since the 12the century. It was built during the reign of the Malla Kings and even now it is the place where majority of the social, cultural and political events take place. It has the most beautiful temples and various chowks that are very popular. The main attraction here is the Hanuman Dhoka, which is said to be a beautiful temple with Hanuman being the principle deity. Other temples like that of the local goddess Taleju, the Kumari bhavan, Jaggannath Temple and Kasthamandapa all boast of the fine architectural style adopted by the Nepal kings who ruled between the 12th and the 18th century. Till date, they hold a place of importance and reverence among the people of Nepal.

 

Katmandu Durbar Square: Photo by xiquinhosilva

 

Katmandu Durbar Square: Photo by R. M. Calamar

 

Patan Durbar Square

Patan Square is located in the city of Patan, at a distance of about 5 km away from Katmandu. Patan Durbar Square is named after the Patan family that ruled over the area. The family is still said to be living here. The main style of architecture that one gets to see here belongs to the Newari style of architecture. The area has several temples worshipped even now by the Hindus. There are places of worship even for the Buddhists here. Among the temples, there is the Krishna temple, the Jagat Narayan Temple and the Kumbheshwor which boast of the most stunning architecture that Nepal can have. There are also the Mahaboudha, Rudra Varna Mahavir, and the Ashokan Stupas which are a must-visit for Buddhists because  of the reverence that they hold for these places. The tourists visit these places for the architecture marvel that they are. The Patans have always been popular for their style of architecture and they have the most skilled artisans known in Nepal.

Patan Durbar Square: Photo by SL Long

 

Patan Durbar Square: Photo by Cheryl Marland

 

Bhaktapur Durbar Square

Bhakthapur is more known for the palace of 55 windows that is a must-see for all the people who ever visit Nepal. It is about 14 km away from Katmandu, the capital of Nepal. This square  basically has Newari style of architecture. It contains both the pagoda style of buildings that is unique to the country of Nepal as well as the Shikhara style of buildings. Here the palace of 55 windows is a must-visit, as it is considered as an architectural wonder. There is also the lion gate, the golden gate, and the art gallery that are of immense interest to the visitors. Among the temples, there are the Pashupati and the Dattatreya temple that boast of beautiful architecture.

Bhaktapur Durbar Square: Photo by Darren Cheng-Chih Wang

 

Bhaktapur Durbar Square : Photo by Carolyn Cheng

 

Swayambhu

Nicknamed as the monkey temple due to the number of monkeys that roam the temple, the Swayambhunath temple is a beautiful structure.  It is a conical wooden structure above which is a golden spire. The structure has beautiful eyes drawn on all sides representing the fact that god is present everywhere. It was built about the 5th century and has been well maintained. Swayambhunath means the self exiting one. It is said that the valley was initially under water and it had a lotus, which radiated light. Manjusri drained the entire water  revealing the Katmandu valley. That is how the valley came into existence and the light that emanated from the lotus became the temple. Apart from the main Swayabhunath temple there are others like the Harati Temple and the Shantipur temple in close vicinity that are worth a visit. The Shantipur temple is said to be the abode of a tantric called Shantikar Acharya.

Swayambhu: Photo by Bipin Parajuli

 

Swayambhu: Photo by Nischal Tiwari

 

Changu Narayana

The Changu Narayan temple is located about 15 km from Katmandu. Built in the pagoda style of architecture, the temple dates back to about 323 A.D. It is one among the oldest temples where Lord Vishnu is depicted with ten arms and ten heads. The name Changu relates to the place where the temple is located and Narayan is another name for Vishnu. The temple sports beautiful metal, stone and woodwork. The temple shows all the ten avatars or images of the lord in all his reincarnations. Apart from Narayan who is depicted in ten different avatars there is also his vehicle, the mythical bird called Garuda who is shown kneeling down, paying obeisance to the lord.  All these are a treat for the eyes and a lot of visitors come here to get a glimpse of the fine wood-carving and the metal and stone work that line the temple.

Changu Narayan Temple: Photo by Richard

 

Changu Narayan: Photo by Richard

 

Pashupatinath Temple

Another very famous monument is the Pashupatinath temple. The temple dates back to 400 AD and is mostly in the pagoda style architecture. The structure is beautiful with gold platted roofs, four silver doors and wonderful wooden carvings. It is about 5 km away from Katmandu. Apart from the religious significance among the Hindus others come here to witness the sheer magnificence of the architecture.

Pashupatinath Temple: Photo by Breanna

 

Pashupatinath temple: Photo by mckaysavage

 

Bouddhanath Stupa

This Stupa is considered as one among the largest stupas and is dedicated to the Buddha. This Stupa is located  about 7 km to the east of Katmandu. It looks similar to the Swayambhunath temple with similar eyes representing the omnipresent god. It also has several prayer halls used by the monks here and also more than 108 miniature images of Buddha.

Bouddhanath Stupa: Photo by SL Long

 

Bouddhanath Stupa: Photo by SL Long

 

Though most of the structures constitute place for worship, they still hold such charm and beauty that people who visit the monuments are left speechless. Such is the skill of the people, who in those days without much technology and modern equipment managed to make a mark in their own way and left us a beautiful legacy that is hard to match.