Bhaktapur, Kathmandu Nepal

Bhaktapur is the best preserved medieval town in the Kathmandu valley, rich in temples and traditional architecture.

This was another great stop.  We decided to show Joosty this beautiful spot on his whirlwind 6 day stopover in Kathmandu.  Bhaktapur appears to be the centre of Newari lifestyle. On arrival at the entrance, we happen to witness a typical Newari festival with a long row of women dressed up in traditional dress (check out the pictures).  It was amazing to have a glimpse into the practises of an age old tradition still observed by the locals today. The city was founded in the 12th century by King Anand Dev Malla.  In contrast to Patan which has a large Buddhist community, Bhaktapur is largely Hindu.

As one walks through the golden gate on our way to the Taumadhi square, it is amazing to see the beauty and similarity between Patan and Bhaktapur.  As the tale goes, years ago during the Malla dynasty the valley was split between 3 siblings of the then-King and each city they took over  became an individual kingdom within the valley. Patan, Bhaktapur and lastly (to be discussed in the next posting) Hanuman Dhoka (Kathmandu).  There is so much going on in this city but my favourite site is the Nyatapola temple. 

The Nyatopola is the tallest temple in Kathmandu shape in the form of a pagoda which is 5 storeys  high. It is the temple of Siddhi Laxmi, positioned next to the temple of Bhairabnath. The steep stairway to the top of the temple is flanked by 5 pairs of huge stone guardians on each side of the stairway as you make your way to the top. According to legend, each pair of guardians are believed to have 10 times the strength of the pair on the next level immediately below them.  The 2 famous Malla wrestlers are flanked on each side of the stairway at the bottom of Temple.  They are meant to symbolise that they are 10 times more stronger than ordinary people. To follow the wrestlers on the next level are elephants which again symbolises that they are 10 times more stronger than the wrestlers, followed by lions, griffins and then the goddesses Baghini and Singhini.

There is so much to see in this city, as we strolled from one shop to the next, as we strolled from one great site to another, taking it all in, Bhaktapur translated to mean the "City of Devotees' known for its religious observances, nearly unchanged in hundreds of years, and is certainly worth a visit and worth every minute.

As Randy, Joost and I sat on a roof top cafe and took in the atmosphere of this city, I could not help but realise that amongst all the chaos, non-stop hooting, scary traffic and dog conferences held on a nightly bases,  Kathmandu is a truly beautiful place.