43) Bhaktapur, a city exuding a sense of the past: Photos 21 to 32

The second day trip which we undertook from Kathmandu brought us to Bhaktapur, the smallest of Kathmandu Valley's three cities, lying some 10km east of Nepal's capital. The city retains a simplicity far removed from the trappings of 21st century life and gives the impression that little has changed there for centuries, that little is set to change and, happily, that it is a city at ease with itself. With its three main squares, Bhaktapur has arguably the Kathmandu Valley's finest panoply of the regional temple architecture. Either side of the squares is a network of narrow lanes, earthy red colours dominate the cityscape and the architecture is still very traditional: typically, two or three storey wooden or brick houses with protruding upper floors or roofs, decorative window frames and a low entrance. Although Bhaktapur has a predominantly Hindu tradition, a Buddhist presence is maintained in the city's shrines and monasteries. Unfortunately, many show the sign of neglect, many have been converted and others have fallen into disuse.

The early history of Bhaktapur is vague, credit for its founding is widely attributed to a king in the late 9th century. The peak of the city's influence was between the 14th

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