Day 2, Kathmandu durbar square (palace square) - Annapurna Foothills Trek

Previous post: http://physikality.blogspot.com/2014/03/day-1-2-swayambunath-annapurna.html


Continuing from Swayambunath, we proceeded by van to visit the Kathmandu durbar square or palace square where royalty used to live.  Entrance fee for the square for foreigners is NR750 which includes entrance to visit the royal museum.  The square is very heavily used by local Nepalis as a major road and you'll see many visiting its numerous temples dedicated to Siva.

An ancient shelther for travelling salesman, erm I mean merchants.  This place is known as Kasthamandap, which is also where the word Kathmandu originates from.

The human incarnation of the Goddess Kumari lives here.  She appears to the public once a day for a minute or so through a window in the first level.  No pictures allowed.

Kathmandu durbar square with a temple dedicated to Siva to the left

Pigeons breed like crazy in this town.  They are fed by the locals.  Very nice photo opportunity since you do not see this very often in many other cities.

Another point of view.

The royal museum that used to be the royal palace.  Royalty used to live in the tall tower on the left of the picture.  The ticket for visiting this durbar square includes the entrance fee for this museum.

The royal museum.  This part of it houses the pictures of the Shah dynasty.  The first Shah king unified Nepal.  Never Ending Peace And Love.

The law of the land in multiple languages.  See if you can spot all of them.

The Daegu Taleju, which opens only once a year.

The angry form of Siva.

After Basantapur, we continued towards Boudhanath stupa, a popular buddhist stupa for travellers.  More on that here, http://physikality.blogspot.com/2014/03/day-2-continued-boudhanath-and.html