Bhaktapur Durbar Square

Kathmandu, Patan, and Bhaktapur each have their own Durbar Square. "Durbar" means palace. These three cities were the medieval city-states that ruled Nepal. These squares are the royal palaces, gardens, and temples of those kings. Sadly, Bhaktapur Durbar square was severely damaged by the Gorkha earthquake. The damage was very evident, as next to each toppled structure there was a picture of it in its former glory. Most of these structures were originally built in the 14th-16th centuries. Walking around the square is like taking a trip back in time. 

 Steps leading up to what used to be a temple

Many of the pieces of the temple remain close by

The Golden Gate

Constructed 1696-1754

There are temples everywhere in the square

Broken pieces, still extraordinary

Naga Pokhari

17th century

Water tank used for the ritual immersion of the idol Taleju. It is encircled by a stone cobra and more serpents rise up in the middle of the tank.

View from the other side

Taleju Bell

Erected in 1737 to mark morning and evening prayers at the Taleju Temple

King Bhupatindra Malla's Column

Created in 1699, it is now the only surviving royal pillar in the valley

Not sure which temple this is, but you can still admire the incredible metal and wood work.

Siddhi Lakshmi Temple

17th century

Some earthquake damage, hence the support beams, but still standing

Stone lions with the Siddhi Lakshmi Temple in the background

I am fairly certain this is the Pashupatinath Temple

Originally built in 1475, it is the oldest temple in the square

The super steep stairs remain, although most of the structures at the top have been destroyed. In the picture below is the shrine to Shiva that is at the top of these stairs.

View from the top of the steps looking down. They were super steep and shallow steps, kinda scary.

Stone lions viewed from the top of the steps. They have curly hair!

This is a view of some other buildings in the square from the top of Pashupatinath temple. Look to the right of the picture and you will see that the earthquake has completely destroyed part of the building. Even though this is my first time to this square, and it's not my nation's history, one can't help but feel sad when you look at this amazing structures that have been damaged so terribly by the earthquake. I talked with some friends and they said that they do not like to go to Durbar square anymore because they remember it as it was before the earthquake and seeing it now is just too depressing. Although it's not as impressive as it used to be, there are still many structures that have survived and it is definitely worth the trip.