Patan – the third largest city of Nepal

Patan or Lalitpur is one of the three cities of Kathmandu valley, reachable across the Bagmati river. A suburb of Kathmandu, Patan, is home to Patan Durbar Square-one of the three durbar squares in Kathmandu valley. Patan Durbar Square is one of ten UNESCO World Heritage sites in Nepal.

Patan is located in the south-central of Kathmandu valley and is the third largest city in Nepal. It will take approximately half an hour (by bus) to reach Lalitpur from Kathmandu. Like Bhaktapur and Kathmandu, Patan also boasts durbar Square-Patan Durbar Square.

Patan Durbar Square houses an old royal palace and beautiful temples adorned with exquisite woodcarving and metal crafts. There are many temples and monuments within the courtyard of the square. There are shops, restaurants, and colorful markets in close proximity to Durbar Square.

There’s Patan Museum in a courtyard of Durbar Square. It is a treasure trove of metal craft, wood carvings, and religious art. You can explore sculptures of Hindu and Buddhist deities. There are more than 1,100 artifacts, and fascinating photos of Patan exhibited in the museum.

In the vicinity of Patan Durbar Square, it is reported that there are 136 courtyards and 55 temples. Krishna Mandir Bhimsen Temple, Viswanath Temple, Taleju Bhawani Temple, are some of the major temples in Patan. Krishna Mandir, built in 1667, is the famous and prominent temple in Patan Durbar Square.

Keshav Narayan Chowk, Mul Chowk, and Sundari Chowk are three main courtyards. Keshav Narayan Chowk is inside the Patan Museum, Mul Chowk is the central courtyard, and Sundari Chowk lies to the south of the Mul Chowk.

Patan welcomes hundreds of international as well as local tourists every day, many of them to marvel at the beauty of Patan Durbar Square, and few of them to stroll around the city and enjoy Newari food menus.

Last updated on May 13, 2020