For this week’s Photo Challenge, I have chosen this photo I took whilst traveling Laos. It is the perfect photo not only because of the contrast of light and dark but also what I was feeling. It was really hot and humid when I took the trip and the coolness of the shade was very refreshing. And when I look at this photo, all I can think of is – Keep Calm and Travel On.
A few steps away from the Patan Durbar Square is the Hiranya Varna Nahabihar also known as the Golden Temple. This is a unique Buddhist monastery built in the 12th century by King Bashkar Verma.
The entrance is flanked by lions and that’s Dinesh my tour guide. 🙂 Going inside the entry way, look up to the ceiling and one will see a mandala.
There is a little courtyard where you can see carvings on all the windows and then there’s an entry way going to the Golden Temple.
This is the Golden Temple.
This is inside the temple.
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I booked my tour with Alpine Club of Himalaya. Thanks to Sujan for all the help and for allowing me to personalise my tour.
Patan is one of the major cities found in the Kathmandu Valley. It is also known as Lalitpur which means the city of arts. It is one of the numerous UNESCO World Heritage Sites found in Nepal. Before exploring Patan, my tour guide Dinesh and I went to have lunch. The restaurant has a wonderful panoramic view of Patan Durbar Square as shown in the photo above.
After having a hearty meal of chicken biryani, we were ready to explore Patan. The first thing I noticed is the picturesque Chyasing Deval a temple dedicated to Krishna. The colour and the shape is very unique compared to the other structures in the area.
We went inside the Mul Chowk otherwise known as the Royal Courtyard. The beams of the building are decorated intricately with different carvings.
We went out the courtyard and continued to walk further and saw the Vishnu Temple. It’s not as huge as the other temples but it also has a unique design.
In front of the Vishnu Temple is the statue of King Malla facing the Royal palace worshipping the goddess Taleju.
Then I saw the Krishna Temple (click to see another view of this temple on a previous post) with a kneeling statue of Garuda in front of it. This is the first temple built in Shikhara style and is made entirely of stone and is the only temple in Nepal with 21 golden pinnacles and scenes from the Ramayana and Mahabharata are engraved in its interior.
It’s such a beautiful place with a lot of history! It is one of the must visit places in Nepal as this is considered as the oldest of all three cities of Kathmandu valley.
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I booked my tour with Alpine Club of Himalaya. Thanks to Sujan for all the help and for allowing me to personalise my tour.
By the River Bagmati, they mourned and wept. On the other side of the river, I stood silently while observing the ritual. I felt such an intruder on witnessing an intimate ritual of a family who just lost a loved one. Rest in peace.
An intricately designed temple at Patan Durbar Square. Locals hang out at this square and enjoy history every day. Lucky guys.
A lovely place to see the former royal courtyard in Patan and how grand and intricate the decorations are on the building.
Preservation is to keep something in its original state or condition. It is important to preserve ones culture in order to understand what we are today. This photo was taken at Patan, Nepal a well preserved place full of history.
Wandering Candy 