Patan Index

Patan, Nepal

Click on a red region or an arrow for photos and information
map adapted from The Traditional Architecture of the Kathmandu Valley by Wolfgang Korn

Patan is a small city bordering Nepal's capital, Kathmandu.  The highlight of the city is its dense Darbar square, a collection of temples concentrated in a tiny area.  The entire east side of the Darbar square is dominated by the ancient royal palace complex.  Damaged by war and particularly by the earthquake of 1934, it has been carefully reconstructed by the Nepalese government.

Visual Index of Patan Sites:

	Site name and description
	Char Narayan Temple, (1565 or 17th century) This two-storey brick temple is believed to be the oldest in Darbar Square
	Chyasim Deval Krishna Temple, (1723) An Indian style temple dedicated to Krishna
	Darbar Square Aerial View An overview of the square from a nearby tall building
	Degutale Temple (1641, rebuilt 20th century) The largest temple in the Darbar Square
	Harishankar Temple, (1704-1705) A small temple commissioned by the daughter of the king
	Krishna Mandir Temple, (1637) Another Indian-style Krishna temple.  Inspired by a King's dream.
	Mahabuddha Temple , (14th century) A temple honoring Lord Buddha covered with thousands of Buddha images
	Narayan Chauk Courtyard , (1734) A courtyard in the palace complex which was used as Nepal's first public school
	Vishwanath Temple , (1627) A shiva temple with erotic carvings

Bibliography:

All images copyright 2001 Kaye Yeo Ahn

http://asianart.com/patan-museum/

Finley, Hugh; Everest, Richard; Wheeler, Tony.  Lonely Planet: Nepal
  Lonely Planet Publications.  China.  1999

Korn, Wolfgang The Traditional Architecture of the Kathmandu Valley
  University Press (Tribhuvan University).  Kathmandu, Nepal.  1976

Kumar Lal Joshi and Om Prakash Yadav, SUNDAY POST: The Weekly Magazine Of  The Kathmandu Post
   Kathmandu, Sunday, March 19, 2000  Chaitra 06th, 2056.

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