Patan

Overview

After Kathmandu and Pokhara, Patan is the 3rd largest city of Nepal and is located south-central part of Kathmandu valley, across the Bagmati River. It covers a surface area of 15.43 square kilometers.  Patan is very much popular for its cultural heritage, art, and culture along with the making of metallic and stone-carved statues. It is the oldest city in Kathmandu, Bhaktapur, and Lalitpur. Patan is popularly known as “Yala” by the Newari people as the first Kirat King Yalambar conquered the city in the 2nd century. The name was kept after his name. There are many important monuments, shrines, and temples in Patan, Patan Durbar square being the most popular. Also, there are around 1,200 Buddhist monuments scattered around the city. Patan is a really developed city and very near to Kathmandu. There are several hospitals, big colleges, lodges, libraries in Patan. It is a popular tourist destination which is visited by thousands of national and international tourists every day. Many parts of the city were severely damaged by the earthquake of 2015. Even though the buildings, statues, and temples collapsed, the religious value, faith, and history the place holds remain unshaken. 

 Patan Durbar square– It is located in the center of Patan city and is a number one tourist spot in the Lalitpur area. It is one of the 3 durbar squares in Kathmandu, all have been listed on the UNESCO world heritage site. The main attraction of Patan Durbar square is the old Royal Palace of Malla Kings. The Durbar square itself is a great example of Newar architecture. There are many temples, statues, ponds in this area. The main temples are aligned opposite the western face of the temple. The entrance, however, faces east, towards the temple. There are also many ancient cultural Newari houses within the area of Patan Durbar square. This place is a center of both Hinduism and Buddhism and has 136 courtyards along with 55 major temples.

Krishna Mandir– Out of many temples, Krishna temple or Krishna Mandir is the most popular and important. It was built in 1667 by King Siddhi Narsingha Malla. It is a 3 storied building, built in the local variety of Shikhara style called Granthakuta. There are stone carvings and beam above the first and second-floor pillars. The first-floor pillar carvings narrate the events of Mahabharata while the second one narrates the events of Ramayana. Krishna Mandir is highly populated during the festival of Krishna Asthami. 

Vishwanath temple– This temple is located just in front of the Manga Hiti and is guarded by two large stone elephants on its front entrance and two large bull’s idols on its back entrance. The temple was built during the rule of Siddhi Narsingha Malla in 1627. The temple is dedicated to Shiva and has a lingam inside the temple. The temple offers the best view, especially during the nighttime. 

The Ashoka stupa– Marking the boundaries of Patan, 4 ancient stupas were built when the great Buddhist emperor Ashoka visited the valley 2500 years ago. The northern stupa lies just beyond the Kumbeshwor temple, on the way to Shankamul. Southern Stupa lies south of the Lagankhel bus station, which provides a beautiful view of southern Patan. The western stupa lies beside the main road at Pulchowk covered in grass. East Stupa lies just across the Kathmandu Ring Road.