Architecture of Kathmandu
[3] The City Core has most of the remarkable cultural wealth that evolved during the reign of the Malla (Nepal) kings between 15th and 18th centuries.
The Durbar Square of Kathmandu is located in the old city and has heritage buildings representing four kingdoms (Kantipur, Lalitpur, Bhaktapur, Kirtipur), built over centuries, the earliest being the Licchavi dynasty.
Kasthamandap is a three storied temple enshrining the deity of Gorakhnath – (Sanskrit for Gau+Raksha+Nath: Cow+Protect+Lord; The Lord who protects cows) – a form of the god Shiva.
It was built under the reign of King Laxmi Narsingha Malla and an interesting legend is stated to its wooden construction.
[4] Hanuman Dhoka is a complex of structures with the Royal Palace of the Malla kings and also of the Shah dynasty.
The current Royal Kumari, Matina Shakya, aged four, was installed in October 2008 by the Maoist government that replaced the monarchy.
The temple as it stands today was built anew in the 17th century by King Bhupatindra Malla after the previous building had been consumed by termites.,[8] although the image of the bull and the black four headed Lingam Pashupati is at least 400 years old.
[10][9] Shivaratri or the night of Lord Shiva is the most important festival, attracting thousands of devotees and sadhus.
The temple is built in the pagoda style of architecture, with cubic constructions, beautifully carved wooden rafters on which they rest (tundal) and two level roofs made of copper and gilded in gold.
[18] However, given that Kathmandu was invaded by the Mughals in the 14th century who would have destroyed the monument, the current stupa is believed to date to sometime after this.
The base of the stupa has 108 small depictions of the Dhyani Buddha Amitābha and is surrounded with a brick wall with 147 inches, each with four or five prayer wheels engraved with the mantra, om mani padme hum.
This seems to be confirmed by a damaged stone inscription found at the site, which indicates that King Mānadeva ordered work done in 640 AD.
[20] However, Emperor Ashoka is said to have visited the site in the 3rd century BC and built a temple on the hill, which was later destroyed.
Above the dome, there is a cubical structure present with eyes of Buddha looking in all four directions with the word "unity" in the main Nepali dialect between them.
The exquisitely built temple has intricate roof struts showing multi-armed Tantric deities.
A kneeling image of Garuda (dated to the 5th century), the vahana or vehicle of Vishnu with a snake around its neck, faces the temple.
It was originally built in 1832 by the Prime Minister of the time, Bhimsen Thapa, under the command of Queen Lalit Tripura Sundari.
It was then rebuilt by the prime minister of the time, Juddha Shumsher, who renovated Dharahara to its previous form.
The entire enclosure surrounded by a compound wall, located in the north-central part of Kathmandu, is called the Narayanhiti palace.
It was built on the occasion of the marriage of King Birenda Bir Bikram Shah, the then heir apparent to the throne.
The palace area covers (30 hectares (74 acres)) and is fully secured with gate controlled walls on all sides.
[25][26][27] The palace, as previously discussed in Kathmandu's history, was the scene of a gruesome tragedy, termed “Nepal’s greatest tragedy”, on 1 June 2001, at the hall in the palace where the Crown Prince Dipendra in an inebriated state supposedly gunned down his immediate family consisting of his father King Birendra, his mother Queen Aishwarya, his brother and sister, and also five of his relatives, later killing himself.
At that point, it was declared that Nepal had become a secular and inclusive democratic republic, with the government announcing a three-day public holiday from 28 to 30 May.
