Patan City Tour

Patan City Tour 5 km southeast of Kathmandu, is known as the city of fine arts. The city is full of Hindu temples and Buddhist monuments. The diversity of the medieval culture that allowed both Hinduism and Buddhism to flourish has left a rich legacy of impressive sightseeing in this city for today's visitors. Old Patan developed along two intersecting axes, which extended out to the four Ashokan stupas. The northern route, now pedestrianized, takes in Patan's Durbar Square and also the famed Golden and Kumbeshwar temples. Patan's western axis serves as the main way into town from Kathmandu. The busy southern road runs past the Machhendranath Mandir and the Lagankhel bus park, while the eastern road skirts the temple of Mahabuddha. The 'Tibetan crafts center’ of Jaulakhel is located at the southwestern edge of the city. Getting to Patan has become a bit more civilized and less polluting since the introduction of the battery-powered Safaa Tempo ("Clean Tempo") service. Donated by a multinational aid programme, the white three-wheelers run from Kathmandu's northern suburbs to Patan's Mangal Bazaar via the City Bus Park and Martyrs' Gate. By bike, it shouldn't take more than half an hour. The Bhimsen Temple which honors Bhim great wrestler, brother of the Pandavs, and a deity to Nepalese businessmen contains fine samples of metal craft. Pataliputra dominated the political fortunes of the whole of north India between 6th century BC and 5th century AD, a fact established by archaeological excavations. British too found Patna a expedient area capital and built a modern extension to this ancient city and called it Bankipore. Main bridge from Kathmandu, you can enter the city of Patan.

 

Patan city is full of Buddhist monuments and Hindu temples with fine bronze gateways, guardian deities and wonderful carvings. Krishna Mandir, which is one of the grandeur of the square, was built in 1637 by the king Siddhinarsingh Malla. The entire temple is constructed from the stone. Noted for its craftsmen and metal workers, it is known as the city of artists. Numerous other temples widely diverse style as well as many Buddhist monasteries are sacttered around this fascinating town. Other sites including the Mahabouddha Temple and Uku Bahal are only a few minutes walk away from the square. It was in Gandhi Maidan in this area that Mahatma Gandhi held his prayer meetings. After centuries of being eclipsed, Sher Shah Suri returned the city to its former glory and established the present Patna in the 16th century. Central patio which is lit by oil lamps and the dancers wear impressive complicated costumes with antique mask. Patan Durbar square is a concentrated mass of temples, certainly the most visually stunning display of Newari architecture to be seen in Nepal. Golden Temple which is the unique Buddhist Monastery was founded in the12th century which is a large rectangular building has three roofs and a copper gilded façade with the images of Buddha and Avalokitesvara where there are Buddha images and illustrations on the walls. Patan is the oldest of the three ancient cities of the Kathmandu valley which once ruled by the mallas. Patan is still populated mostly by Newars, two-thirds of them being Buddhist.