Kathmandu Valley - Patan

Along with Kathmandu and Bhaktapur, Patan (aka Lalitpur) was one of the three medieval city states that originally occupied the Kathmandu Valley. Patan has a long Buddhist history; most of its main buildings were erected in the 16th to 18th centuries by the Mallas and are located in the Durbar Square.

There are many temples and monuments in the square and the Royal Palace occupies its eastern side; it is one of the architectural highlights of Nepal. The Royal Palace comprises:

- the Mul Chowk, with its small, gilded Bidyapith Temple in the centre of the courtyard,
- the smaller Sundari Chowk, with its carved and sunken Tusha Hiti water tank in its centre and the larger Bhandarkhal water tank outside, and
- the northern Chowk with the Patan Museum housed around it; entry is via a beautiful golden gate.

We enjoyed walks both south and north of the Durbar Square courtesy of the Lonely Planet guide book, taking in many interesting sites, including the Golden Temple (Kwa Bahal).Read more