Things to see and do Bhaktapur

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.

Crowned by its five roofs and dominating the whole city from the top of its 30 m, the Nyatapola pagoda is probably the most beautiful of the valley and the highest. It is located on Taumadhi Square and rests on five pyramidal pedestals. Its solidity has enabled it to resist earthquakes. Each pair of animals framing its staircase is ten times more imposing than the pair above, so the two Malla wrestlers at the bottom are the largest. At the top of the staircase are statues of the goddesses Baghini and Singhini. Built in 1703 by King Bhupatindra Malla, the shrine is dedicated to Siddhi Lakshmi, a mysterious Tantric goddess, incarnation of the goddess Durga (Parvati), who is so terrifying that she appears only in the dark to Brahmin priests. She is represented in her many forms on the 180 sculpted and painted props. The power of the Tantric goddess is contrasted with the terrifying power of Bhairav, to whom the rectangular, three-storey temple of Kasi Bishvanat is dedicated. Her 30 cm high statue stands in a niche one metre above the ground. You can see his mask by looking out of an upstairs window, but it is probably another mask that is carried in great pomp during the Bisket Jatra festival in mid-April. A vaulted passage leads to the temple of Mahadev Narayan (a form of Vishnu, called Tilmadhav), which has attracted pilgrims since time immemorial.

The Dattatreya temple would have been built, with the wood of a single tree. Dating from the 15th century, this three-storey temple is a Nepalese specificity where Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva are worshipped in the same place. It is built on a wide brick base decorated with erotic scenes that are also found on the lintels. Two Malla wrestlers, identical to those at Nyatapola, guard the entrance. The building was formerly used as an inn and welcomed the Gosain, these Hindu monks who, between two preachings, traded with Tibet.

Leaving the Narayan temple and turning right, you just have to walk down the alley for a few minutes to reach the picturesque and tiny Potters' Square where Bertolucci shot a poignant scene of Little Buddha. This is one of the most fascinating places in the city, where the clay is still worked on hand-powered wooden wheels. Don't miss the work of the potters, who turn the clay on foot-operated wooden lathes. Their welcome is kind and smiling, it is possible to take pictures, but respect is appreciated and it is better to ask for a sign beforehand. The multitude of ochre-coloured pots drying in the open air is a testimony to the skill of the craftsmen. Several women are usually involved in drying the pottery before firing it. Here you are entering the lower caste quarter. If you look down, you will not fail to see a chvasa stone. These are lotus-shaped stones embedded in the tarmac of the road, at a crossroads or near a temple. They are the abode of deities who accept offerings, known as "impure" among Hindus, in connection with birth and death. Each family has its own. A small shrine dedicated to Vishnu occupies a corner of the square; Ganesh, the patron saint of potters, has his residence in a two-roofed temple, the Jet Ganesh, built by a potter in the 17th century.

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.

Located in the western part of the Palace, the entrance to this beautiful museum is guarded by two male and female lions. Beside them stand the sculptures of Hanuman, the monkey god. The museum also exhibits sculptures of Narsingha dating from the 17th century, beautiful thangkas and paubhas, painted banners of mythological and religious scenes according to the Newar tradition, as well as prayer books illustrated with palm leaves. There are also portraits of all the Shah Kings who succeeded each other, which allows us to visualize the Nepalese monarchy.

Tachupal Tole is lined with math, the homes of Hindu priests. A former monastery now houses the museum of carved wood. One goes there for its beautiful collections of carved wood, the oldest of which date from the 17th century, they allow to approach the symbolism of the Newar architecture. You can also get acquainted with the interior design of a traditional house. The famous "Peacock window" overlooks the street and is one of the most beautiful pieces of carved wood in the Kathmandu valley.