42) Patan - the artistic and architectural centre of Kathmandu Valley

Asia » Nepal » Patan
June 6th 2005

Published: June 23rd 2005

Patan has a unique atmosphere which is due to its compact scale and the remarkable vivacity of its temple architecture, with a Durbar Square more densely packed with Hindu temples than Kathmandu, and a total of 55 major temples and 136 monasteries. Also known as Lalitpur ('beautiful town'), Patan is officially the Kathmandu Valley's second largest city, although it has now been effectively absorbe... Read Full Entry

Photos are below

Photos: 37, Displayed: 21

Nicely carved well

The wells' main function, though, is to provide clean water

Lady at entrance to Jagannarayan Mandir

Behind the lions you can see a golden Garuda, the faithful bird headed vehicle of Vishnu

Stone lions guarding the Krishna Mandir

This way, Lord Krishna is definitely well protected

Entrance to Vishvanath Shiva Mandir

Standing on a three stage plinth, this two-storeyed temple is dedicated to Shiva

Northern Ashokan Stupa

Dedicated to the emperor Ashoka (3rd century BC) who converted to Buddhism

Five-storeyed Kumbeshwar Mandir

Some 300m north of Durbar Square stands the oldest existing temple in the city

Music performance

This group of Nepali was playing music for a ceremony in the courtyard of the Kumbeshwar Mandir

Scene of religious life

Women receiving blessing from a priest at the Kumbeshwar Mandir

Golden Temple

Close to the Durbar Square this is the most visited temple in Patan

Rato Macchendranath wooden door

Klaudia posing in front of one fantastically carved temple door

Rato Macchendranath lion

The two photographers definitely needed a creative break

Rato Macchendranath roof struts

Carvings on the struts depict various deities with lesser beings placed deferentially at their feet

Festival chariots

These enormous chariots are used to trundle the deity through the streets of Patan

Chariot wheel

Just look at the sheer size of the wheel to get an idea of the overall size of the chariot

Bronze Garuda statue

This wonderful statue can be found together with many others inside the Oku Bahal Mandir

Mahabouddha Mandir

This temple dedicated to the thousand Buddhas is situated in a small courtyard southeast of Durbar Square

2nd March 2006

Anup Shrestha
non-member comment

Fabulous Photography
I live just around the place where most of these pictures in Patan are taken. It is marvellous to see such attention to detail in every picture and information about the places. The article truly represent the exact lifestyle and culture where we live. I congratulate Stephan and Klaudia Mandl for a truly splendid job. Cheers!!!

20th December 2012

sanjay basnet
non-member comment

historical impotance about patan durbar square

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42) Patan - the artistic and architectural centre of Kathmandu Valley

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