Hanuman Dhoka
Carved windows.
Gerd Eichmann — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Nabin K. Sapkota — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Original: Vyacheslav Argenberg Derivative work: UnpetitproleX — CC BY 4.0 · Tamrakaralina — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Chainwit. — CC BY-SA 4.0
The old royal square at the heart of Kathmandu, one of three palace squares in the valley on UNESCO's World Heritage list. It was the seat of the city's kings for centuries and is filled with tiered-roof temples, palaces and courtyards, some centuries old. Its highlights are the Hanuman Dhoka royal palace with its ten courtyards and carved wooden windows, the towering Taleju temple on its stepped base, multi-tiered wooden temples clustered around the square, and the Kumari house with its finely carved wooden front. Pigeons, vendors and daily life fill the square. The square was badly damaged in the 2015 earthquake, and several temples have been rebuilt, including the ancient wooden Kasthamandap, from which the name Kathmandu is said to come. Restoration continues in other parts. Foreigners pay NPR 1,000, per visitor guides; showing your passport can extend the ticket for several days. Temples and stupas are living places of worship: dress modestly, walk clockwise around Buddhist stupas, remove shoes where asked, and note that some Hindu shrines admit Hindus only. The clearest months are October to December and March to April; the monsoon runs from June to September.
Carved windows.
The tallest.
The city's name.
Basantapur, old central Kathmandu
NPR 1,000 for foreigners, per visitor guides; the ticket can be extended for days by showing your passport.
