Ancient City Patan

Lalitpur - Patan
It is one of the largest cities in Nepal and is located in Lalitpur district, just across the Bagmati River from Kathmandu. Like Kathmandu, Patan also has a Durbar square full of temples, statues and palaces. Patan Museum, likewise adds significance to its visit. As a traditional center of Handicrafts, Patan is a great place to purchase jewelry, Buddha statues and masks.

Places of Interests in Lalitpur, Patan

Patan Durbar Square

UNESCO has encapsulated this area under the list of World Heritage Sight. As in Kathmandu, Patan also has an old royal Palace built during the Malla kings period. Across the Bagmati River from Kathmandu, Patan existed as an independent city-state until the valley was unified in the 18th century. Patan Durbar Square is a rich fantasy of palaces, temples and courtyards, centered on the excellent Patan Museum. Most of the temples here are built in Newari architecture. The rectangular square has an axis from all directions to the Royal Palace. Mallas were fond of art and architect. Thus, to fulfill their interests, they built many buildings with excellent arts such as wood, stone carving etc. those buildings till today are standing as the bulwark to the natural hazards.

Places around Patan Durbar square

Patan Museum
This museum is located in the Keshab Narayan Chowk. It is an example of excellent and well-presented little museum with the elaborated descriptions of artistic techniques.

Kumbheswar Temple
It is one of the five storied Pagoda temple inside the Valley which is dedicated to the Lord Shiva. This temple was founded by Malla king, Jayasthiti Malla, while the golden finial was added later in 1422 AD.  Jayasthiti Malla was cleaned the pond near Kumbheswar and installed the various images of Ganesh, Narayan, Basuki, Sitala, Gauri, Kirtimukh and Agamadevata around the pond and in the courtyard. Devotees especially flock here every year in the day of Janai Purnima for ritual bathing.

Golden Temple
It is an atmospheric gilded and silver covered temple in the Patan Durbar Square. This temple even consist some excellent bronze statues which has been exposing and strengthening its religious, artistic significance to the visitors.

Machhendra Nath Temple
The temple of Red Machhendra Nath also is a major center of attraction in Patan. The temple laps in the middle of a wide, spacious courtyard just at the outer rim of the market area. A fine clay image of Red Machhendra Nath is housed here for six months every year, after which it is taken round to the city of Patan in a colorful chariot during the festival beginning in April- May and lasting sometime for several months.

Krishna Temple
The temple of Lord Krishna holds a commanding position in Patan’s Palace surrounding. Though its style is not wholly native, it is one of the perfect samples of Nepali temple craft. It is the three storied stone temple pillared by the King Siddhi Narasingha Malla in the 16th century AD. The stone carved scenes related to the epics of Mahabharata and Ramayan in the bas-relief of the temple justify the richness of Nepal in stone carving art.

Mahabouddha Temple
This temple is located in 5 minutes walking distance from Durbar square which was formed by Abhaya Raj, a priest of Patan. This is a stone temple covered with terracotta tiles which includes 1008 Buddha images. It is often called as a temple of million Buddhas because every brick used in the temple consists the Buddha image. Like Krishna, this temple also approves the rich arts and crafts of Nepal. This temple was restored in the similar form after getting damaged by the terrific earthquake of 1933s.

Jagat Narayan Temple
This is a temple dedicated to the lord Bishnu, pillared in the shikhar style.  This temple is built of red bricks on the bank of Bagmati at Shankhamul and roofs many stone images. The fine metal statue of Garuda placed on a stone monolith is quite enthralling which is accompanied by similarly placed images of Ganesh and Hanuman.

Ashokan Stupas
Those stupas are believed to be built by Ashoka, the Buddhist emperor of India though is not proven yet. These Stupas stand at four different corners of Patan add the monastic character to the whole city. All of these Buddhist mounds were built in 250AD. At the time when Kathmandu valley was experiencing the heyday of Buddhism.

The Tibetan Camp
Tibetan Camp is the outstanding attraction, which is located in the outskirts of Patan. This small hamlet of Tibetans has set up a number of shrines and stupas. The several Souvenir shops run by Tibetan nationals offer authentic Tibetan Handicrafts such as prayer wheels of woods, ivory, silver or bronze, long temple horns made of beaten copper, belt buckles, wooden bowls and jewellery. Here, Tibetans even can be seen weaving carpets by hands.