Hanuman Dhoka, Kathmandu Nepal

Joost and I ventured off on foot one Friday afternoon to one of the very many sights located in the heart of the ancient city, that of Hanuman Dhoka - Durbar Square.  

The name Hanuman Dhoka Durbar is said to have been bestowed by King Pratap Malla in the 16th century after he had a statue of Hanuman (the monkey god) placed near the main entrance to the Royal Palace. The statue itself is red in color, and if flanked by 2 triangle metal flags with  a red canopy sheilding it from the sun.  The square itself is surrounded by numerous interesting temples, however, on this occassion Joost and I was on the hunt for was the 'White Machchhindra-nath' temple. It was the 'White Machchhindra-nath' festival, which involved a week long building of a chariot that is manually pulled through the city with devotees praying and chanting as they follow the chariot.

Another interesting site in this square is the statute of the terrifying Kala (black) Bhairav - which is literally a huge stone image of the Lord Bhairav which is said to be an avatar of Shiva in his destructive manifestation.  It has 8 arms, carries 6 swords, and axe, a shield and proud wears a garland of skulls (scary). It looks like the statute itself stands atop a corpse of some kind, said to be a symbol of human ignorance.  According to a local fable, the black Bhairav is believed to punish anyone who tells lies in front of him (the statue) by causing them to bleed to death. According to Katmandu's history (told by the locals), in the past criminals were dragged to the plead their innocence in front of the statue while touching Bhairav's feet.  In more modern times, the King's council of ministers were also compelled to give their reports on management of the state in the presence of the Kala Bhairav to ensure they were telling the truth.

Also located in this site is the Kumari Ghar (home of the Living Goddess).  The Kumari is considered to be the incarnation of the 'virgin goddess' - more about the Kumari on another day. Worth seeing also is the 'White Bhairav' which is only open to the public at least 3 or 4 times in a year, certainly a sight worth seeing.

Hanuman Dhoka offers so many interesting insights into the traditional beliefs of the Newar culture of the Kathmandu valley which I will no doubt share in future blog posting.