When the ruler of the entire Kathmandu Valley, Yaksha Malla, died in 1482, the valley was split by his sons into three rival kingdoms–Kathmandu, Patan and Bhaktapur. The rivalry continued until Prithvi Narayan Shah conquered and unified the valley in 1768.
Each king built his own royal palace, and over the centuries numerous monuments and temples were added to the complexes. Collectively referred to as Durbar Square, the end result in Patan is one of the finest collection of temples and palaces in all of Nepal.
Patan's Durbar Square with the Royal Palace on the right and Hari Shankar Temple on left
Patan’s Royal Palace dates from the 14thcentury with extensive additions and renovations over the centuries. Most of the complex was constructed during the reigns of King Siddhinarasimha Malla and his son Srinivasa. A fire destroyed parts of the palace in 1662, but subsequently the palace was severely damaged in 1768 by the conquering Prithi Narayana Shah, who ruled from Kathmandu. Some parts of the complex were used as government offices, but it was generally neglected with further damage caused by the 1934 earthquake.
Patan's Royal Palace has three temples with Taleju being the largest
Points of architectural interest include the overhanging eaves; hand carved woodwork around the windows, doors and cornices; and delicate wooden screens.
Door of Patan Royal Palace
Wood carving
Window detail of Patan Royal Palace
Carving on above window
The palace has three courtyards–Keshav Narayan Chowk (1734), Mul Chowk (1666), and Sudari Chowk (1647) —and three temples—Bidya, Taleju Bhawani, and Degutalle (a principal Tantric place of worship). Here’s a model of the palace.
Patan Durbar Square model
The Bhairab gate to the central courtyard, Mul Chowk, is flanked by two stone lions
Lion at Bhairab gateway to Mul Chowk
and a mural of Shiva in his wrathful incarnation as Bhairab.
Shiva as Bhairab
Buffalo gut ropes hang over the door.
Buffalo gut ropes over Bhairab gateway
The courtyard was dedicated to the goddess Durga, but the Bidya Mandir in the middle of the courtyard was erected for Mantraju.
Bidya Temple in Mul Chowk
Unfortunately the scaffolding made it difficult to see some of the wall carvings, but some of the walls were free of encumbrances.
Inside the Mul Chowk
Roof struts with carvings of Bhairabs
Bhairab minus a couple of arms
This one is missing a different set
The original Taleju Temple was built in 1667. The current temple was reconstructed after the 1934 earthquake, but looks like it could use some TLC.
Taleju Temple from Mul chowk
The buildings surrounding the newest courtyard, the Keshav Narayan Chowk, are now a museum. The gateway to this courtyard is called the Golden Gate (Sun Dhoka). Above the doorway is a golden torana featuring Shiva, Parvati, Ganesh and Kumar.
Golden torana featuring Shiva, Parvati, Ganesh and Kumar
The upper story window, which was used by the king to make public appearances, is of gold foil wrapped around a timber frame.
The king's golden window