Archaeology handicrafts and science and technology sites to visit Nepal

The palace is located on the outskirts of the city. Many scenes from Bernardo Bertolucci's film Little Buddha were shot here. The earthquake of 2015 caused heavy damage. Reconstruction is underway.

The royal palace: The foundations date back to the 15th century, at the time of King Yaksha Malla. The 1934 earthquake wreaked havoc there, as can be seen in the old photos on a porch.

The palace with 55 windows: Painted in red and black, the palace dates from the 18th century and now houses the National Art Gallery. But of the 99 courtyards that made up its splendour, only half a dozen remain. Linked to Kumari Chowk, inaccessible to visitors, Mul Chowk, the main courtyard, is dedicated to a shrine to Taleju, the tutelary goddess of the Malla kings. While the temple is off limits to non-Hindus, no one will prevent you from admiring the carved wooden tympanum above the entrance. Two statues symbolizing the sacred Indian rivers, Ganga and Jamuna, frame the door surmounted by a torana representing Taleju, with 4 heads and 8 arms. With a bit of luck, the soldier posted at the entrance will let you have a look, so that you can appreciate the richness of the sculptures.

In Sundari Chowk, a superb bronze nâga, a marine deity, rushes into the Nak Pokhari, the sacred pool. The golden statue of the hero Bhupatindra Malla, is perched, in a prayer position, at the top of a pillar, facing the golden Sun Dhoka gate, dating from 1753. The gold-plated copper door set within a glazed brick wall is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful works of art in the valley. Its gilded roof, surmounted by elephants and lions, is an addition by the last king of Bhaktapur, Ranjit Malla. Framed by the monkey god Hanuman and the lion-man Narsingha, this gate was once the entrance to the palace.

As you exit and turn left, two temples are dedicated to Siddhi Lakshmi and Durga. Behind the Taleju stone bell, erected in 1757 by King Ranjit Malla to call the faithful to morning prayer, stands Vatsala Temple, whose shikara style is reminiscent of the Krishna Mandir of Patan. Next to it, the Yaksheshvara temple, a superb replica of the Pashupati temple, stands out for its erotic sculptures. It owes its name to its founder Yaksha Malla. After a major earthquake that shook the city, the temple was restored in 1968.

A little away from the square, continuing straight ahead, you arrive at the Tadhunchen temple, venerated by both Hindus and Buddhists.

Every day, the mahouts take their old elephants to the little East Rapti River for a bath, which they maintain with the money from tourists who come to interact with them. It's a moment of relaxation and play for the pachyderms, who squeal with delight. Visitors can massage him with a pebble (a sort of scrub to scratch him, he loves it) and then climb on (without a saddle) to get sprayed. The mahouts are members of a cooperative, the price is fixed per group, and it's a good alternative to an elephant safari without harming the pachyderms.

Durbar Square in Patan is probably the most beautiful complex of temples and palaces in all of Nepal. As in Kathmandu and Bhaktapur, temples and pagodas stand in front of the palace. The most remarkable of them is dedicated to Krishna, the avatar of Vishnu who is also the god of love. Apart from the classical Nepalese-style pagodas, made of brick and wood, you will notice a multi-storey stone temple that devotees can bypass through the open galleries.

To the north of the square and at the end of a street with a view of the mountains stands the temple of Bhimsen, protector of the merchants and supposedly possessing superhuman strength. Opposite and below is the Manga Hiti, a public fountain built in stone steps that has been flowing since the 6th century. Further south the Hindu temple of Vishwanath is a richly decorated two-storey pagoda. Note on the west side, the statue of the bull Nandi, the mount of Shiva.

In the centre, facing the palace, the bronze statue of a 17th century king stands on a stone column. Yoganarendra Malla, kneeling, looks out of his bedroom window where people continue to prepare their beds and bring food every day. He will remain immortal until the bird perched above his head has flown away. He owes this privilege to the powers of Taleju, the protector of the royal clan, who is worshipped in three shrines inside the palace. Degu Talle, a seven-storey tower built in 1640 by Siddhi Nara-singh Malla, faces the pillar. Note the huge bell suspended between two pillars.

The Royal Palace, built in the 14th century, has been extended several times over the centuries. Its symmetrical red brick façade is punctuated by carved wooden windows. The palace consists of a succession of temples separated by courtyards. The main gate is guarded by two stone lions and leads to the central courtyard, the Mul Chowk. Taleju Bhawani Mandir, a three-storey octagonal-shaped pagoda, overlooks Mul Chowk, an inner courtyard where there is also the family altar dedicated to the goddess, the saint of saints. Only royal priests can push the door, guarded by Ganga and Jamuna, two elegant bronze statues representing the sacred rivers and sketching a dance step on either side. On the other hand, at the far end of the palace, visitors can sometimes enter the intimacy of the Royal Bathroom at Sundari Chowk, another courtyard where a stone basin adorned with delicate statuettes is enthroned.

The area around Sauhara is a great place to take a walk and discover the way of life of the Tharu, a Hindu people from Rajasthan who settled in Nepal after fleeing the Muslim invasion of India in the ^10th century. Their presence in the Terai dates back to the Middle Ages. The Tharu village dedicated to visitors may seem a little artificial, but it provides an insight into the life of this people, whose discretion is de rigueur. It houses a small museum, a traditional wattle-and-daub house in which everyday objects are exhibited.

From the Place des Potiers, a street leads directly to the Hanumante River, a bathing and cremation place named Ram Ghat. Heading even further south, you leave the pure caste district and - in keeping with traditional urban planning, which keeps all activities deemed degrading away from the centre - head down to the ghâts, the platforms where cremations are carried out. On the other side of the river is the sanctuary of Surya Binayak, dedicated to Ganesh. Take the street adjacent to the temple of Bhairav, leaving it on the left. By the riverside, an open-air shrine is dedicated to Bhadrakali, represented by a simple stone. On the right, just before the bridge, temples, shrines and patti, these refuges for travellers, border the waters. Past the bridge, the road is paved: it is the traditional road that leads to Tibet. Through the countryside, it is easy to quickly reach Hanuman Ghat, located at the confluence of two arms of the river. Soon, a very large sculpture of linga-yoni (Hindu symbol of the universe and creation) stands in front of you, as well as a statue of Hanuman draped in a red cloak and an idol of Rama. Further south, behind a pilgrims' shelter (dharmasala), Ganesh and Buddha guard the entrance to a place where a silver-covered linga stands. Many are these shelters where the sick and the old wait for the end. When they die, their feet will be soaked in sacred water and their bodies will be burned on one of the platforms along the river.

A landmark in the country's history, Durbar Square is a Unesco World Heritage Site, like the valley's other "royal squares" in Patan and Bakhtapur. Since its independence under the Malla kings, Kathmandu's kings were crowned here. Within Durbar Square lies the royal complex of Hanuman Dhoka, with its dozen courtyards, palaces and temples. Although the buildings date back to the ^17th and ^18th centuries, many were renovated after the 1934 earthquake and especially after the 2015 earthquake, which caused considerable damage. The Maju Teval and Trailokya Mohan Narayan temples were badly damaged, while the Kasthamandap temple was totally destroyed and rebuilt in 2021. A lively atmosphere reigns in these squares, where locals come to sit and chat at all hours of the day. Stepped brick and stone temples decorated with finely sculpted statues and dedicated in particular to the gods Shiva, Vishnu, Ganesh, Bhairab, but also to the goddesses Taleju and Parvati. Children play, tourists stroll among the strolling souvenir vendors, while students and workers hurry through the hustle and bustle. Motorcycles, bicycles and rickshaws thread their way through this tangle of temples.

Orientation. Entering from the traffic circle where the statue of Jiddha is enthroned, you discover a vast, open rectangular square, bordered by the Nau-talle palace or Basantapur tower on the right, flanked by a neoclassical palace by Gaddi Baithak. At its center, craft stalls display their wares right on the cobblestones, while cafés with roof terraces blossom all around to enjoy the view from the heights. This is where hippies used to gather in the 1970s. At the far end of the square is the Kumari Ghar, the palace of the living goddess Kumari. The Kasthamandap was built as an extension to the Kumari Ghar, but was totally destroyed in 2015. In front of the Kumari Ghar, the imposing statue of Garouda. This giant half-man, half-bird idol kneels in homage to Vishnu, whose triple-roofed Trailokya Mohan Narayan temple lends its base to the merchants' stalls. Just around the corner on a shopping street leading off from this point, don't miss a small golden temple dedicated to Maru Ganesh. A bronze rat, or rather shrew, is the deity's mount. This shrine is the object of great fervor, with everyone striding around it, putting their finger in a hole in the side, ringing the bell and then receiving the priest's tika. From here, a narrow street punctuated by multitudes of stepped temples and stalls leads to the Hanuman Dhoka complex.

Basantapur Durbar or Nau-tallé Durbar. Literally the 9-storey palace, this is the largest structure in Durbar Square. A fine example of Nepalese architecture, the pagoda is made of wood and brick, and opens onto windows with remarkably fine carvings on the façade. This palace was built by King Prithvi Narayan Shah in the ^18th century after the conquest of the valley. Basantapur Square, the part of Durbar Square where stalls and souvenir stores are located today, was once home to the royal elephants.

Gaddi Baithak. Its white neoclassical style and colonnaded facade stand in stark contrast to the traditional Newar architecture of Durbar Square. Built during the Rana reign of Prime Minister Chandra Shumsher in 1908 to welcome foreign statesmen, ambassadors and official celebrations, it too was badly damaged by the 2015 earthquake and completely renovated, thanks in part to a $7 million American fund.

Kumari Ghar. "Kumari" literally means "virgin" in Sanskrit. In this palace lives a young girl, the living reincarnation of the Hindu warrior goddess Taleju. Nepal has several Kumaris, but Royal Kumari is the most famous. Admire the woodwork of this palace built in 1757 by King Jaya Prakash Malla in a fit of atonement, repentant for having offended the Kumari of the time. Enter the courtyard between 9 and 11 a.m. and between 4 and 6 p.m., hold your breath and drop your phone - photos and videos of the goddess are strictly forbidden - for the solemn greeting of the goddess. Several times a day, morning and afternoon, she presents a face with a neutral expression and daily make-up to the crowds, who are allowed to enter in small groups. It's a ceremony that both impresses and begs the question: what kind of life has this little girl got in mind? She is elected in a very special ceremony from early childhood. Little girls aged 6 or 7 from Newar goldsmith castes are locked in a dark room with severed and bloody buffalo heads, while dancers whirl around wearing demon masks. The Kumari, Taleju's next reincarnation, is the fearless one. From the moment she enters the palace, her feet can no longer touch the ground, and she lives reclusively within these walls, surrounded by people devoted to her education and rank. She only comes out once a year for the Indra Jatra ceremony, riding in a golden chariot. Her life as a goddess ends when she menstruates for the first time, or if she loses blood through injury. She then becomes mortal again in the eyes of the religion and re-enters society. Another little girl is then chosen. A sacrificed childhood, some would say, a necessity of tradition in modernity, others would say. The men of the village are generally afraid to marry a former Kumari, but often these young girls, educated during their confinement, go on to study and open up to other destinies than that of their caste and village.

Trailokya Mohan Narayan temple or Vishnu temple. "Trailokya Mohan" means "Vishnu of the Three Worlds". This three-storey pagoda-style Hindu temple is the setting for dance performances representing the ten incarnations of Vishnu during the Indra Jatra festival. It was built in 1679 by King Parthivendra Malla to honor his late brother, Nripendra Malla. It too was severely damaged by the 2015 earthquake, but has since been restored. It's from this temple that the lively, authentic life of Kathmandu's old city center begins, all the way to the exit of the Hanuman Dhoka complex. Visitors and locals alike are happy to sit on the temple steps to watch the bustle of the square, with the votive statue of Garuda facing its western side.

Statue of Garouda. This idolized mythical creature, half-man half-bird, is important in Nepalese beliefs, as well as in India and Indonesia. This bronze statue depicts Garouda crouching, one knee on the ground and hands clasped. With his wings behind his back, he faces the temple of Vishnu, also known as Trailokya Mohan Narayan.

Kasthamandap. Literally "the wood-covered shelter", this is a three-storey Hindu temple in the form of a pagoda, with a tomb dedicated to Gorakshanath. Unfortunately, it was completely destroyed by the 2015 earthquake. Thanks to national and international funding totalling 198 million rupees, it was able to be rebuilt to exact specifications between 2018 and 2021. Over 8.3 million rupees worth of renovation work was carried out thanks to the civic participation of volunteers.

Kaal Bhairav idol. This frightening giant idol of a single stone placed is a manifestation of Shiva the Black, a very colorful but terrifying avatar, wearing the decapitated head of Shani, an ornamental snake, a tiger skin and a ritual apron made of human bones and straddling a corpse. Found by King Pratap Malla in the ^17th century in a rice field, it dates back to the ^6th century and has been placed at the center of the complex. Thieves and liars were once dragged before this idol to spontaneously confess their crimes and avoid divine wrath, synonymous with sudden and certain death. The inhabitants continue to venerate this great and fierce incarnation of Shiva.

Behind the districts of Balaju and Swayambhunath, the forested hill of Nagarjun is an extension of the Shivapuri Nagarjun National Park. It is populated by an abundance of wildlife: deer, leopards, pangolins, 300 types of birds... A cave at the top is said to have been inhabited by Nagarjuna, the Buddhist philosopher of the "Middle Way", who gave it his name. Tibetans believe that Buddha preached here, hence the presence of a small white stupa and the Jamacho Gomba monastery. At 2,128 m, the view of Kathmandu, Everest and Annapurna is breathtaking.

At the end of Main Bazaar, the heart of the village, turn left and walk for 10 to 15 minutes to reach this former fairground, dating from the great merchant era. Merchants used to gather there before leaving for India or Tibet. Bordered by five gigantic fig trees serving as perches for children, the field offers an exceptional panorama. Today it is a meeting place, sometimes for picnics. At a time when the sun is waning, when the sky is tinged with pink and mauve, the great Himalayan range offers its most beautiful spectacle.