Kathmandu Durbar Square
Kathmandu Durbar Square (Nepal Bhasa: येँ लायकु/𑐥𑐾𑑄 𑐮𑐵𑐫𑐎𑐹, Nepali: हनुमानढोका दरबार/ Basantapur Durbar Kshetra) is located in front of the old royal palace of the former Kathmandu Kingdom and is one of three Durbar (royal palace) Squares in the Kathmandu Valley in Nepal, all of which are UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
| Kathmandu Durbar Square | |
|---|---|
| Native name Newar: Ye Lāyekū | |
 Kathmandu Durbar Square | |
| Location | Kathmandu,  Nepal |
| Coordinates | 27°42′15″N 85°18′23″E |
| Area | 167.37 ha |
| Built | 4th to 8th century |
| Original use | Royal Palace |
| Architectural style(s) | Nepalese Architecture |
| Website | https://hanumandhoka.gov.np |
| Official name | Kathmandu Valley |
| Type | Cultural |
| Criteria | iii, iv, vi |
| Designated | 1979 |
| Reference no. | 121 |
| Region | Asia |
| Session | 3rd |
  Location of Kathmandu Durbar Square in Nepal | |
Several buildings in the square collapsed due to a major earthquake on 25 April 2015. Durbar Square was surrounded with spectacular architecture and vividly showcases the skills of the Newar artists and craftsmen over several centuries. The Royal Palace was originally at Dattaraya square and was later moved to the Durbar square.[1]
The Kathmandu Durbar Square held the palaces of the Malla and Shah kings who ruled over the city. Along with these palaces, the square surrounds quadrangles, revealing courtyards and temples. It is known as Hanuman Dhoka Durbar Square, a name derived from a statue of Hanuman, the monkey devotee of Lord Ram, at the entrance of the palace.
Earthquake damage
On 25 April 2015, an earthquake with an estimated magnitude of 7.9 (Mw) hit the region and severely damaged the Square, reducing several buildings to rubble, the most prominent of which was the centuries-old wooden structure, Kasthamandap.[2][3]
References
- Nepal Handbook by Tom Woodhatch
- "Nepal landmarks flattened by the quake". BBC News. Retrieved April 25, 2015.
- Setopati, सुजिता कार्की. "हनुमानढोका दरबार क्षेत्रका अधिकांश सम्पदा पुनर्निर्माण भएनन्". Setopati. Retrieved 20 May 2019.
Further reading
- von Schroeder, Ulrich. 2019. Nepalese Stone Sculptures. Volume One: Hindu; Volume Two: Buddhist. (Visual Dharma Publications). ISBN 978-3-033-06381-5. Contains SD card with 15,000 digital photographs of Nepalese sculptures and other subjects as public domain.
External links
