Courtyard of Mul Chowk, in the Patan Royal Palace Complex in Patan Durbar Square.

© LAURA FACCHINI/Getty Images/iStock

Mul Chowk

Top choice in Patan


South of the Patan Museum, a gateway opens onto the stately Mul Chowk, the largest and oldest of the Royal Palace’s three main chowk (squares). The original buildings were destroyed by fire in 1662 but rebuilt just three years later by Srinivasa Malla. The temples in the courtyard were restored in 2014 and the surrounding walls and buildings were quickly restored after the 2015 earthquake.

In the centre of the square is the small, gilded, central Bidyapith Temple, beside a wooden post used to secure animals for sacrifices. The central deity is Yantaju, a form of Durga, and a personal deity to the Malla kings.

On the south side of the square is the Taleju Bhawani Temple, flanked by statues of the river goddesses Ganga, on a tortoise, and Jamuna, on a makara. The upper galleries now form part of the museum's architectural displays, with fine examples of carved wooden struts.

At the northeastern corner of the square is the tall Degutalle Temple, topped by an octagonal triple-roofed tower. The larger, triple-roofed Taleju Temple is directly north, looking out over Durbar Sq, and dedicated to Taleju, another protective deity of the Malla kings.


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1. Bidyapith Temple

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Mul Chowk houses the small, gilded, central Bidyapith Temple, beside a wooden post used to secure animals for sacrifices. The central deity is Yantaju, a…

2. Taleju Bhawani Temple

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On the south side of Mul Chowk is the Taleju Bhawani Temple, flanked by statues of the river goddesses Ganga, on a tortoise, and Jamuna, on a makara. The…

3. Royal Palace

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Forming the entire eastern side of Durbar Sq, the Royal Palace of Patan was originally built in the 14th century, and expanded during the 17th and 18th…

4. Hari Shankar Temple

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This temple is dedicated to Hari Shankar, a curious hybrid deity that has half the attributes of Vishnu and half the attributes of Shiva. Although it…

5. Taleju Bell

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Facing the Royal Palace is a huge, ancient bell, hanging between two stout pillars, erected by King Vishnu Malla in 1736. Petitioners could ring the bell…

6. Krishna Temple

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This attractive, octagonal stone temple completes the ‘front line’ of temples in Durbar Sq. It has strong architectural similarities to the Krishna temple…

7. King Yoganarendra Malla’s Statue

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South of the Jagannarayan Temple is a tall column topped by a striking brass statue of King Yoganarendra Malla (r 1684–1705) and his queens. Installed in…

8. Tusha Hiti

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The highlight of Sundari Chowk is the superbly carved sunken water tank known as the Tusha Hiti. Built in 1647, the renovated tank has 72 carved stone…

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