National Art Gallery

Bhaktapur


The western end of Bhaktapur's Royal Palace contains the best of the three museums in Bhaktapur. Inside, you can view an extensive collection of Tantric cloth paintings – the Hindu version of Buddhist thangkas – as well as palm-leaf manuscripts, and metal, stone and wooden votive objects, some of which date from the 12th century. Keep hold of your ticket as this also covers the Woodcarving Museum and Brass & Bronze Museum in Tachupal Tole.

The entrance to the gallery is flanked by two huge guardian lions, one male and one female. Beside the lions are some imposing 17th-century statues of Hanuman the monkey god, in his four-armed Tantric form, and Vishnu, as the gut-ripping Narsingha.

Inside the gallery are portraits of all the Shah kings, including a surly Gyanendra (the last of the Nepali kings) following the abolition of the monarchy in 2008. In the first gallery look out for depictions of the nightmarish Maha Sambhara, with 21 faces and an unbelievable number of arms, and then turn around on the spot for scenes from the Kama Sutra.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Bhaktapur attractions

1. Kedarnath Temple

0.01 MILES

Dedicated to Shiva, Kedarnath Temple was destroyed in the 1934 earthquake, rebuilt by a German team in 1990 using original materials, shaken to the ground…

2. King Bhupatindra Malla’s Column

0.02 MILES

With hands folded in a prayer position, the bronze statue of King Bhupatindra Malla sits atop a column in front of the Vatsala Durga Temple. The statue…

3. War Drums

0.02 MILES

As you enter the Royal Palace complex there are two enormous war drums, which were used to rouse the city in the event of attack. They are hard to see…

4. Golden Gate

0.03 MILES

The magnificent Golden Gate is a visual highlight of Durbar Sq. Set into a bright red gatehouse surrounded by white palace walls, the fabulous golden…

5. Taleju Bell

0.03 MILES

In front of what once was the Vatsala Durga Temple is a large bell, which was erected by King Jaya Ranjit Malla in 1737 to mark morning and evening…

6. Gopi Nath Temple

0.03 MILES

This two-tiered temple features different incarnations of Vishnu on the ceiling struts and a statue of Garuda on the pillar at the entrance.

7. Vatsala Durga Temple

0.03 MILES

Beside King Bhupatindra Malla's column and directly in front of the Royal Palace, this stone temple was built by King Jagat Prakash Malla in either 1672…

8. Char Dham Temples

0.03 MILES

Standing at the western end of Durbar Sq, the four Char Dham temples were constructed to provide spiritual merit for pilgrims who were unable to make the…

  • placement: superzone
  • path: Destinations/POIs/superzone
  • possible size: [970, 250], [970, 90], [728, 90], [1, 1],
  • targeting:
    {
      "url": "nepal/around-the-kathmandu-valley/bhaktapur/attractions/national-art-gallery/a/poi-sig/449977/357114",
      "destination": "Bhaktapur",
      "continent": "Asia",
      "country": "Nepal",
      "city": "Bhaktapur",
      "position": "superzone"
    }