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Man with Prayer Beads – Patan’s Royal Palace
Patan’s Durbar (Palace) Square is an integral part of the Kathmandu Valley UNESCO World Heritage Listing. The former Royal Palace houses the Patan Museum; but it is much more than that. It is a living, breathing place of architectural beauty, where life continues amid precious buildings and earthquake ruins.
Religious expression is a part of daily life in Nepal, and even the buildings are a declaration of faith and a demonstration of artistry.
Patan (or Lalitpur (ललितपुर), or Manigal) is the oldest of the three cities in the Kathmandu Valley. It is known for its rich cultural heritage, cottage industries, and skilled craftsmanship – particularly in metal and stone.
In Patan, even the city plan itself is an iconographic expression of Buddhist principles: the city was designed in the shape of the Dharma-Chakra (Wheel of Righteousness). According to the most popular story, Emperor Aśoka (Ashoka), the legendary King of India (r. 268-232 BCE), who embraced Buddhism and ruled across the vast Mauyran Empire, visited this region in 250 BCE while on pilgrimage with his daughter. He directed that five stupas be built: one at each of the four cardinal points, and one in the middle of Patan.
As a consequence, Patan is one of the oldest Buddhist cities in the world.
While the city is said to contain 1200 Buddhist monuments, it is also a center of Hinduism. A dizzying array of courtyards, major temples, and small shrines radiate out from Durbar (or Palace) Square. It is this collection of culturally important and artistically beautiful buildings, with their brick, stone, timber and bronze ornamentation, that results in Patan’s inclusion as one of the seven Monument Zones contributing to the UNESCO World Heritage-listing of the Kathmandu Valley. As UNESCO says, Buddhism and Hinduism both prospered in Nepal and produced an artistic and architectural fusion that came “into its own in the three hundred year period between 1500 and 1800 AD.”
As much as these intricately decorated Newar monuments and buildings impress me, I am even more taken with the people who go about their lives around this living history, and pause to invite strangers to share a glimpse of their world.
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“Follow the Regulations Gently”
As soon as you enter Patan’s Durbar Square, you find people draped over the ancient Newar architecture.
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Guardian Lions
All across Asia, the entrances to homes, public buildings, and temples of various religions, are flanked by a pair of guardian lions. Thought to be stylistically modelled on the Asiatic lion once common across the continent, they are always found in pairs as a manifestation of yin and yang. Unfortunately, they could not protect Durbar Square from catastrophic damage in the earthquake of April 2015.
Oil Lamps in a Temple
Countless small temples and shrines are dotted all around the square and the city beyond. They are usually dark, with air that is hot and close from flames, and smoky with spicy incense.
Lighting a Flame in a Temple
It is customary to ring a bell, make a small offering, and light a flame to awaken the god or goddess before one worships.
Applying a Bindi
Trays of turmeric and vermilion ochre are inside the temple so that people can apply thier own bindis before praying, and then go on with their daily routines.
Guardian in the Stone
The Garuda is a legendary bird-like creature in Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain mythology. It represents birth and heaven, and is found all around the buildings of Patan.
Brass Goods For Sale
Brass vases, door knockers, singing bowls, and various religious iconography are for sale on the streets and in the shops. (iPhone6)
Beautiful Brass
Woman in a Window
The are a number of old Newari residential houses around Durbar Square.
Ceramic Shrine
Some small shrines are not immediately recognisable as such to outsiders, but if you look carefully, you will see the bell on the left and a burner on the right.
Newari Woman in Pink
In Nepal, marigolds are considered pure and called the “herb of the sun”. They are signifiant as a religious symbol in Hindu, Buddhist, and Catholic celebrations.
That Smile!
Durbar Square is surrounded with countless shops full of art, craft, and smilling faces.
Carved Struts
Everywhere you look, someone has put time and attention into the crafting …
Carved Pillar
… of all the woodwork and stonework.
Man on the Museum Stoop
And, everywhere, there are people bringing the wood and stone to life.
Ornate Building Front
Wood, tiles, brick, and brass: the buildings are a multi-media work of art.
Men in their Dhaka Topi
Dhaka ko Topi literally means: “headgear made of dhaka cloth”; dhaka is the hand-spun cotton inlay-pattern weaving used to make the intricately patterned and colourful panels for Nepali hats.
Men on the Palace Stoop
The Dhaka topi (ढाका टोपी) is a part of the Nepalese national dress.
Patan Shrines
Life goes on around the shrines.
Smiling Woman
Wonderful faces are everywhere!
Old Newari Man
Detail: Stone Carving
Intricate work is all around, …
Apsara: Female Spirit
… dancing out of the clouds, waters, and stones of the city, …
Old Men on the Palace Stoop
… and the smiles are contagious.
That belief that life is in the lap of the Gods helps when things go seriously pear-shaped –
– and for that, I truly envy the smiling people of Nepal!
Until next time,
Namaste!
Photos: 13March2017
Namaste Ursula, another nice photo series, it all seems so long ago!
Hi Kevin,
Thanks for looking in! It was, indeed, a long time ago and far away… I do wonder if we will ever be allowed to travel again!
I hope you are staying out of the hot-spots.
Cheers!