Durbar is Nepali word for palace, and Durbar Square is the name of the plaza opposite the old Royal Palace in the once independent kingdoms of Kathmandu, Patan and Bhaktapur. The Durbar Square of each city is crowded with temples and culture, and is the heart of the town.
Kathmandu’s Durbar Square is the oldest and liveliest of the main squares, surrounded by markets and temples. The Kaasthamandap temple dating from the 16th century is said to be the origin of the name Kathmandu, which means wooden temple, while the nearby Kumari Ghar is the home of the Kumari Devi, the young girl worshipped by both Hindus and Buddhists as a living goddess.
Patan’s Durbar Square preserves the best Newari architecture in the country, with many rich palaces and temples. Patan is famous for its Buddhist culture, and there are several fine Buddhist temples near the Durbar Square, including the beautiful Golden Temple. The Kumbeshwor Temple is one of only two five-storey pagodas in the Kathmandu Valley and is an important focus for Newari culture.
Unlike the other two cities, Bhaktapur’s Durbar Square is not at the centre of the city but on the northern outskirts. Many of the structures in the Bhaktapur’s Durbar Square were destroyed by an earthquake in the 1930s so the square is much more open, but this means that the surviving structures are much easier to see clearly. There are many fine Hindu temples in and around the Durbar Square, decorated with carved animals.
