Archaeology handicrafts and science and technology sites to visit 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.

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.