Kathmandu Durbar Square
Immerse yourself in the daily rhythms of life in Kathmandu during this 2-3 hour. In this Half Day Tour, you will explore the Royal Palace of Kathmandu City. It is an excellent depiction of architecture and culture of Nepal. A spot where one learns about the Nepalese architecture and can also buy some handicrafts and its located heart of Kathmandu. It is one of the important historic and tourist destinations in Nepal. It is a complex of palace, courtyards, and temples built between 12th and 18th centuries used to be the seat of medieval Malla Kings of Kathmandu. It also knows as Hanuman Dhoka Square.
Kathmandu Durbar Square is the site of the Hanuman Dhoka Palace Complex, which was the royal Nepalese residence until the 19th century and where important ceremonies, such as the coronation of the Nepalese monarch, took place. The palace is decorated with elaborately-carved wooden windows and panels and houses the King Tribhuwan Memorial Museum and the Mahendra Museum. It is possible to visit the state rooms inside the palace. Several buildings in the Square collapsed due to a major earthquake on 25 April 2015. Durbar square was surrounded by spectacular architecture and vividly showcases the skills of the Newar artists and craftsmen over several centuries.
Time and again the temples and the palaces in the square have gone through reconstruction after being damaged by natural causes or neglect. Presently there are less than ten quadrangles in the square. The temples are being preserved as national heritage sites and the palace is being used as a museum. Only a few parts of the palace are open for visitors and the Taleju temples are only open for people of Hindu and Buddhist faiths.
At the southern end of Durbar Square is one of the most curious attractions in Nepal, the Kumari Chok. This gilded cage contains the Raj Kumari, a girl chosen through an ancient and mystical selection process to become the human incarnation of the Hindu mother goddess, Durga. She is worshiped during religious festivals and makes public appearances at other times for a fee paid to her guards.