The next stop was Patan Durbar Square. Patan, also called Lalitpur, is the oldest city in the Kathmandu Valley and one of the oldest Buddhist cities in the world. It is thought that it was built by the emperor Ashoka, who I learned about in my History of Ancient India class in college. It was interesting to see that history in action!
It's a center for both Hinduism and Buddhism and has 55 major temples. The current buildings were primarily built in the 1600s.
I did just, however, google the 2015 earthquake's effects on the square and there was extensive damage. Hopefully repairs were possible.
This is the entrance to the square. It was here that a group of elementary students got very excited about saying hello to me, which was adorable. It was not the first time I was approached (several teenagers at the Mountain Museum in Pokhara asked to take pictures with me, and more than once, kids asked to be in pictures I was taking with my camera.)
I unfortunately don't have a ton of information about the square itself, but it was incredibly beautiful.
I do know, because it was pointed out to me, that the kama sutra played a large role in the decoration of the various buildings and temples, which seems an interesting choice for religious buildings.
Notice the little girl playing with her ball. These squares seem to the be the center of life and community in the cities.
This just seems supremely dangerous.
Our next stop was the Monkey Temples, one of my favorite places in Kathmandu!
I unfortunately don't have a ton of information about the square itself, but it was incredibly beautiful.
Notice the little girl playing with her ball. These squares seem to the be the center of life and community in the cities.
