DURBAR SQUARE

A landmark in the country's history, Durbar Square is a Unesco World Heritage Site, like the valley's other "royal squares" in Patan and Bakhtapur. Since its independence under the Malla kings, Kathmandu's kings were crowned here. Within Durbar Square lies the royal complex of Hanuman Dhoka, with its dozen courtyards, palaces and temples. Although the buildings date back to the ^17th and ^18th centuries, many were renovated after the 1934 earthquake and especially after the 2015 earthquake, which caused considerable damage. The Maju Teval and Trailokya Mohan Narayan temples were badly damaged, while the Kasthamandap temple was totally destroyed and rebuilt in 2021. A lively atmosphere reigns in these squares, where locals come to sit and chat at all hours of the day. Stepped brick and stone temples decorated with finely sculpted statues and dedicated in particular to the gods Shiva, Vishnu, Ganesh, Bhairab, but also to the goddesses Taleju and Parvati. Children play, tourists stroll among the strolling souvenir vendors, while students and workers hurry through the hustle and bustle. Motorcycles, bicycles and rickshaws thread their way through this tangle of temples.

Orientation. Entering from the traffic circle where the statue of Jiddha is enthroned, you discover a vast, open rectangular square, bordered by the Nau-talle palace or Basantapur tower on the right, flanked by a neoclassical palace by Gaddi Baithak. At its center, craft stalls display their wares right on the cobblestones, while cafés with roof terraces blossom all around to enjoy the view from the heights. This is where hippies used to gather in the 1970s. At the far end of the square is the Kumari Ghar, the palace of the living goddess Kumari. The Kasthamandap was built as an extension to the Kumari Ghar, but was totally destroyed in 2015. In front of the Kumari Ghar, the imposing statue of Garouda. This giant half-man, half-bird idol kneels in homage to Vishnu, whose triple-roofed Trailokya Mohan Narayan temple lends its base to the merchants' stalls. Just around the corner on a shopping street leading off from this point, don't miss a small golden temple dedicated to Maru Ganesh. A bronze rat, or rather shrew, is the deity's mount. This shrine is the object of great fervor, with everyone striding around it, putting their finger in a hole in the side, ringing the bell and then receiving the priest's tika. From here, a narrow street punctuated by multitudes of stepped temples and stalls leads to the Hanuman Dhoka complex.

Basantapur Durbar or Nau-tallé Durbar. Literally the 9-storey palace, this is the largest structure in Durbar Square. A fine example of Nepalese architecture, the pagoda is made of wood and brick, and opens onto windows with remarkably fine carvings on the façade. This palace was built by King Prithvi Narayan Shah in the ^18th century after the conquest of the valley. Basantapur Square, the part of Durbar Square where stalls and souvenir stores are located today, was once home to the royal elephants.

Gaddi Baithak. Its white neoclassical style and colonnaded facade stand in stark contrast to the traditional Newar architecture of Durbar Square. Built during the Rana reign of Prime Minister Chandra Shumsher in 1908 to welcome foreign statesmen, ambassadors and official celebrations, it too was badly damaged by the 2015 earthquake and completely renovated, thanks in part to a $7 million American fund.

Kumari Ghar. "Kumari" literally means "virgin" in Sanskrit. In this palace lives a young girl, the living reincarnation of the Hindu warrior goddess Taleju. Nepal has several Kumaris, but Royal Kumari is the most famous. Admire the woodwork of this palace built in 1757 by King Jaya Prakash Malla in a fit of atonement, repentant for having offended the Kumari of the time. Enter the courtyard between 9 and 11 a.m. and between 4 and 6 p.m., hold your breath and drop your phone - photos and videos of the goddess are strictly forbidden - for the solemn greeting of the goddess. Several times a day, morning and afternoon, she presents a face with a neutral expression and daily make-up to the crowds, who are allowed to enter in small groups. It's a ceremony that both impresses and begs the question: what kind of life has this little girl got in mind? She is elected in a very special ceremony from early childhood. Little girls aged 6 or 7 from Newar goldsmith castes are locked in a dark room with severed and bloody buffalo heads, while dancers whirl around wearing demon masks. The Kumari, Taleju's next reincarnation, is the fearless one. From the moment she enters the palace, her feet can no longer touch the ground, and she lives reclusively within these walls, surrounded by people devoted to her education and rank. She only comes out once a year for the Indra Jatra ceremony, riding in a golden chariot. Her life as a goddess ends when she menstruates for the first time, or if she loses blood through injury. She then becomes mortal again in the eyes of the religion and re-enters society. Another little girl is then chosen. A sacrificed childhood, some would say, a necessity of tradition in modernity, others would say. The men of the village are generally afraid to marry a former Kumari, but often these young girls, educated during their confinement, go on to study and open up to other destinies than that of their caste and village.

Trailokya Mohan Narayan temple or Vishnu temple. "Trailokya Mohan" means "Vishnu of the Three Worlds". This three-storey pagoda-style Hindu temple is the setting for dance performances representing the ten incarnations of Vishnu during the Indra Jatra festival. It was built in 1679 by King Parthivendra Malla to honor his late brother, Nripendra Malla. It too was severely damaged by the 2015 earthquake, but has since been restored. It's from this temple that the lively, authentic life of Kathmandu's old city center begins, all the way to the exit of the Hanuman Dhoka complex. Visitors and locals alike are happy to sit on the temple steps to watch the bustle of the square, with the votive statue of Garuda facing its western side.

Statue of Garouda. This idolized mythical creature, half-man half-bird, is important in Nepalese beliefs, as well as in India and Indonesia. This bronze statue depicts Garouda crouching, one knee on the ground and hands clasped. With his wings behind his back, he faces the temple of Vishnu, also known as Trailokya Mohan Narayan.

Kasthamandap. Literally "the wood-covered shelter", this is a three-storey Hindu temple in the form of a pagoda, with a tomb dedicated to Gorakshanath. Unfortunately, it was completely destroyed by the 2015 earthquake. Thanks to national and international funding totalling 198 million rupees, it was able to be rebuilt to exact specifications between 2018 and 2021. Over 8.3 million rupees worth of renovation work was carried out thanks to the civic participation of volunteers.

Kaal Bhairav idol. This frightening giant idol of a single stone placed is a manifestation of Shiva the Black, a very colorful but terrifying avatar, wearing the decapitated head of Shani, an ornamental snake, a tiger skin and a ritual apron made of human bones and straddling a corpse. Found by King Pratap Malla in the ^17th century in a rice field, it dates back to the ^6th century and has been placed at the center of the complex. Thieves and liars were once dragged before this idol to spontaneously confess their crimes and avoid divine wrath, synonymous with sudden and certain death. The inhabitants continue to venerate this great and fierce incarnation of Shiva.