By Evan Singh Dangol

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Kathmandu Durbar Square

Kathmandu Durbar Square, or Basantapur Durbar Square is the plaza in front of the old royal palace of the Kathmandu Kingdom. It is one of three Durbar Squares in the Kathmandu Valley in Nepal, all of which are UNESCO World Heritage Sites.There is no building in the present Hanuman Dhoka complex that dates back to before the Malla period. However, there is every indication that the present site of the durbar could have been used in the Licchavi period. As it stands today this old royal palace spans many centuries and differing building styles and uses.

The complex is made up of a least ten different courtyardsor chowks. The original Malla durbar consisted of only two of these chowks, the existing Mohan Chowk and one other that has subsequently disappeared. Guarding the entrance to the palace is the palace’s namesake, Hanuman, the monkey god. He was a great patron to the Mallas as they claimed descent from Ram Chandra, whose devotion to Hanuman was good. The symbol of Hanuman was therefore used extensively and an image was generally placed at the entrance to the palaces as protection and to bring victory in war. This stone image was erected by Pratap Malla in 1672. It is difficult to recognize the features of the monkey as it is covered in an ever thickening layer of red tikka, an offering that devotees place on its forehead.

Periodically, a new red cape is draped over its shoulders and the specially decorated umbrella is changed yearly. To the right of Hanuman, the gilded door of the mainentrance to the palace is flanked by a pair of stone lions, riddenby Siva to the left and Shakti to the right. They probably date from Malla times.

The Kathmandu Durbar Square holds the palaces of the Malla and Shah kings who ruled over the city. Along with these palaces, the square also surrounds quadrangles revealing courtyards and temples. The square is presently known as Hanuman Dhoka, a name derived from the statue of Hanuman, the monkey devotee of Lord Ram, near the entrance of the palace. The preference for the construction of royal palaces at this site dates back to as early as the Licchavi period in the third century. Even though the present palaces and temples have undergone repeated and extensive renovations and nothing physical remains from that period, names like Gunapo and Gupo, which are the names referred to the palaces in the square in early scriptures, imply that the palaces were built by Gunakamadev, a king ruling late in the tenth century.

When Kathmandu City became independent under the rule of King Ratna Malla (1484–1520) the palaces in the square became the royal palaces for its Malla kings. When Prithvi Narayan Shah invaded the Kathmandu Valley in 1769, he also favored the Kathmandu Durbar Square for his palace. Other subsequent Shah kings continued to rule from the square until 1896 when they moved to the Narayan Hiti Palace. However, the square is still the center of important royal events like the coronation of King Birendra Bir Bikram Shah in 1975 and King Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah in 2001.

Though there are not any written archives stating the history of the Kathmandu Durbar Square, the construction of the palace in the square is credited to Sankharadev (1069–1083). As the first king of the independent Kathmandu City, Ratna Malla is said to have built a Taleju temple at the Northern side of the palace in 1501. For this to be true then the temple would have had to have been built in the vihara style as part of the palace premise surrounding the Mul Chok courtyard for no evidence of a separate structure that would match this temple can be found within the square.

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The construction of the Karnel Chok is also not clearly stated in any historical inscriptions although it is probably the oldest among all the courtyards in the square. A Bhagavati Temple, originally known as a Narayan Temple, rises above the mansions surrounding it and was added during the time of Jagajaya Malla in the early eighteenth century. The Narayan idol within the temple was stolen so Prithvi Narayan Shah replaced it with an image of Bhagavati, completely transforming the name of the temple.

The oldest temples in the square are those built by Mahendra Malla (1560–1574). They are the temples of Jagannath, Kotilingeswara Mahadev, Mahendreswara, and the Taleju Temple. This three-roofed Taleju Temple was established in 1564, in a typical Newari architectural style and is elevated on platforms that form a pyramid-like structure. It is said that Mahendra Malla, when he was residing in Bhaktapur, was highly devoted to the Taleju Temple there; the Goddess being pleased with his devotion gave him a vision asking him to build a temple for her in the Kathmandu Durbar Square. Then with a help of a hermit, he designed the temple to give it its present form and the Goddess entered the temple in the form of a bee.

His successors Sadasiva (1575–1581), his son, Shiva Simha (1578–1619), and his grandson, Laksminar Simha (1619–1641), do not seem to have made any major additions to the square. During this period of three generations the only constructions to have occurred were the establishment of Degutale Temple dedicated to Goddess Mother Taleju by Shiva Simha and some enhancement in the royal palace by Laksminar Simha.

It was in the time of Pratap Malla, son of Laksminar Simha, that the square was extensively developed. He was an intellectual, a pious devotee, and he was especially interested in arts. He called himself a Kavindra, king of poets, and boasted that he was learned in fifteen different languages. A passionate builder, following his coronation as a king, he immediately began enlargements to his royal palace, and rebuilt some old temples and constructed new temples, shrines and stupas around his kingdom.During the construction of his palace, he added a small entrance in the traditional, low and narrow Newari style. The door was elaborately decorated with carvings and paintings of deities and auspicious sings and was later transferred to the entrance of Mohan Chok. In front of the entrance he placed the statue of Hanuman thinking that Hanuman would strengthen his army and protect his home. The entrance leads to Nasal Chok, the courtyard where most royal events such as coronation, performances, and yagyas, holy fire rituals, take place. It was named after Nasadya, the God of Dance, and during the time of Pratap Malla the sacred mask dance dramas performed in Nasal Chok were widely famed. In one of these dramas, it is said that Pratap Malla himself played the role of Lord Vishnu and that the spirit of the Lord remained in the king's body even after the play.

Reference: John-Sandy-- Monuments-of-Kathmandu-Valley

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After consulting his Tantric leaders, he ordered a stone image of Lord Vishnu in his incarnation as Nara Simha, the half lion and half human form, and then transferred the spirit into the stone. This fine image of Nara Simha made in 1673 still stands in the Nasal Chok. In 1650, he commissioned for the construction of Mohan Chok in the palace. This chok remained the royal residential courtyard for many years and is believed to store a great amount of treasure under its surface. Pratap Malla also built Sundari Chok about this time. He placed a slab engraved with lines in fifteen languages and proclaimed that he who can understand the inscription would produce the flow of milk instead of water from Tutedhara, a fountain set in the outer walls of Mohan Chok.

He carved hymns on the walls of the Jagannath Temple as prayers to Taleju in the form of Kali.

At the Southern end of the square, near the Kasthamandapa, which was the main city crossroads for early traders, he built another pavilion named Kavindrapura, the mansion of the king of poets. In this mansion he set an idol of dancing Shiva, Nasadyo, which today is highly worshipped by dancers in the Valley.

In the process of beautifying his palace, he added fountains, ponds, and baths. In Sundari Chok, he established a low bath with a golden fountain. He also built a small pond, the Naga Pokhari, in the palace adorned with Nagakastha, a wooden serpent, which is said he had ordered stolen from the royal pond in the Bhaktapur Durbar Square. He also restored the Licchavi stone sculptures such as the Jalasayana Narayana, the Kaliyadamana, and the Kala Bhairav. An idol of Jalasayana Narayana was placed in a newly created pond in the Bhandarkhal garden in the Eastern wing of the palace. As a substitute to the idol of Jalasayana Narayana in Buddhanilkantha, he channeled water from Buddhanilkantha to the pond in Bhandarkhal due bestow authenticity. The Kalyadana, a manifestation of Lord Krishna destroying Kaliya, a water serpent, is placed in Kalindi Chok, which is adjacent to the Mohan Chok. The approximately ten feet high image of terrifyingly portrayed Kal Bhairav is placed near the Jagannath Temple. This image is the focus of worship in the chok especially during Durga Puja.

Reference: John-Sandy-- Monuments-of-Kathmandu-Valley

With the death of Pratap Malla in 1674, the overall emphasis on the importance of the square also came to a halt. His successors retained relatively insignificant power and the prevailing ministers took control of most of the royal rule. The ministers encountered little influence under these kings and, increasingly, interest of the arts and additions to the square was lost on them. They focused less on culture than Pratap Malla during the three decades that followed his death, steering the city and country more towards the arenas of politics and power, with only a

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These projects included Parthivendra Malla building a temple referred to as Trailokya Mohan or Dasavatara, dedicated to Lord Vishnu in 1679. A large statue of Garuda, the mount of Lord Vishnu, was added in front of it a decade later. Parthivendra Malla also added a pillar with image of his family in front of the Taleju Temple.

Around 1692, Radhilasmi, the widowed queen of Pratap Malla, erected the tall temples of Shiva known as Maju Deval near the Garuda image in the square. This temple stands on nine stepped platforms and is one of the tallest buildings in the square. Then her son, Bhupalendra Malla, took the throne and banished the widowed queen to the hills. His death came early at the age of twenty one and his widowed queen, Bhuvanalaksmi, built a temple in the square known as Kageswara Mahadev. The temple was built in the Newari style and acted as a substitute for worship of a distant temple in the hills. After the earthquake in 1934, the temple was restored with a dome roof, which was alien to the Newari architecture.

Jayaprakash Malla, the last Malla king to rule Kathmandu, built a temple for Kumari, Durga in her virginal state. The temple was named Kumari Bahal and was structured like a typical Newari vihara. In his house resides the Kumari, an immature girl who is revered as the living goddess. He also made a chariot for Kumari and in the courtyard had detailed terra cotta tiles of that time laid down.

Rana Bahadur Shah was enthroned at the age of two. Bahadur Shah, the second son of Prithivi Narayan Shah, ruled as a regent for his young nephew Rana Bahadur Shah for a close to a decade from 1785 to 1794 and built a temple of Shiva Parvati in the square. This one roofed temple is designed in the Newari style and is remarkably similar to previous temples built by the Mallas. It is rectangular in shape, and enshrines the Navadurga, a group of goddesses, on the ground floor. It has a wooden image of Shiva and Parvati at the window of the upper floor, looking out at the passersby in the square. Another significant donation made during the time of Rana Bahadur Shah is the metal-plated head of Swet Bhairav near the Degutale Temple. It was donated during the festival of Indra Jatra in 1795, and continues to play a major role during the festival every year. This approximately twelve feet high face of Bhairav is concealed behind a latticed wooden screen for the rest of the year. The following this donation Rana Bahadur donated a huge bronze bell as an offering to the Goddess Taleju. Together with the beating of the huge drums donated by his son Girvan Yudha, the bell was rung every day during the daily ritual worship to the goddess. Later these instruments were also used as an alarm system.

In 1908, a palace, Gaddi Durbar, was built using European architectural designs. The Rana Prime Ministers who had taken over the power but not the throne of the country from the Shahs Kings from 1846 to 1951 were highly influenced by

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European styles. The Gaddi Durbar is covered in white plaster, has Greek columns and adjoins a large audience hall, all foreign features to Nepali architecture. The balconies of this durbar were reserved for the royal family during festivals to view the square below.

Time and again the temples and the palaces in the square have gone through reconstruction after being damaged by natural causes or neglect. Presently there are less than ten quadrangles in the square. The temples are being preserved as national heritage sites and the palace is being used as a museum. Only a few parts of the palace are open for visitors and the Taleju Temples are only open for people of Hindu and Buddhist faith.

Durga. She is worshipped during religious festivals and makes public appearances at other times for a fee paid to her guards.

Some Places Of Kathmandu Durbar Square

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Reference: John-Sandy-- Monuments-of-Kathmandu-Valley

The Palace EntranceWe start from the entrance of the square. On entering the palace or Durbar square, there lies 17th century statue of Hanuman, covered in red clothes and holding an umbrella. This is a highly revered statue by the believers of Hinduism. On the left is an interesting sculpture of Lord Narasimha, the half-lion incarnation of Lord Vishnu, tearing apart the demon Hiranyakasipu. The statues and sculptures are indeed overwhelming.

Nasal ChowkNext to the Hanuman Temple near the entrance lies the Nasal Chowk. The Nasal Chowk courtyard got its name from the beautiful image of Dancing Shiva, on east side of the Chowk. The Chowk has historical importance considering it was the place where King Birendra was crowned in 1975.

The Chowk also has the magnificent nine storey Basantpur Tower, with intricately carved doorways, windows and struts. The golden image of Maha- Vishnu in the open veranda on the eastern wall of the Nasal Chowk will leave you spell boumd.

Panch Mukhi Hanuman Temple Next we reach the Panch Mukhi Hanuman temple. This venerable temple dedicated to Hanuman is in the northeast corner of the Nasal Chowk courtyard. It has five circular roofs. 

LohanChowk                                                                                                         On the south side of the Nassal chowk is the Lohan Chowk, which was the residential wing of the Malla kings. The entrance of the chowk is surmounted by two images of Lord Ganesh on either side,   who was believed to protect the palace. All four corners of the courtyard  support the four different types of towers named Lalitpur Tower, Bhaktapur Tower, Kirtipur Tower and the Basantapur Tower.    

Basantpur TempleThis nine storey tower offers a great view of the palace and the city. On a clear day, the awe inspiring Himalayas can also be glanced at from the top of this tower. The struts on the facade of the tower have erotic carvings on them. Apart from the Basantpur tower, there are three other towers constructed by King Prithivi Narayan. The names being Kirtipur tower, the Bhaktpur tower or Lakshmi Bilas and the Patan or Laitpur tower.

Mul ChowkDedicated to Taleju Bhawani, the goddess of the royal Malla family, Mul Chowk courtyard was dedicated to religious activities. There is a small Taleju Temple with a golden torana in the south side of the courtyard. The deity of Taleju is moved to this temple during the Dasain festival. There are images of the river goddesses

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Ganga and Yamanu on either side of the entrance.

Mohan ChowkNext we reach the Mohan Chowk . This site is only for seeing from a distance. The residential courtyard of the Malla Kings was built in 1649. It is a protected site and cannot be therefore entered.

The golden waterspout called Sun Dhara is in the center of the courtyard. It is the place where the Malla Kings would bathe each morning. 

Tribhuvan MuseumThis museum is a must visit for lovers of history. Tribhuvan Museum lies on the west side of Nassal Chowk. It contains an exhibit of items of the past Kings of Nepal. It has excellent stone carvings, several spectacular thrones, jewel-studded ornaments used for coronations, weapons, furniture, wooden temple carvings, and a coin collection.

There is a recreation of the king's bedroom and study, which contains the king's personal belongings. This part of the palace, next to Durbar Square, was built by the Ranas in the mid to late 19th century. This site is only for seeing from a distance. It exhibits the thrones and other valuables of King Mahendra. 

Mahendreswor Temple This temple dates back 1561, during Mahendra Malla's reign. This temple lies at the extreme northern of the Durbar square and is dedicated to Shiva. Inside there is a linga, a small image of shiva's bull nandi fronts the temple. This is one of the famous temple of the valley.

Taleju Temple Built in 1564 by King Mahendra Malla, this is the royal deity for Malla kings. The temple stands over 36.6 metres high, resting on a twelve stage plinth. Its three roofs soar above the rest of the Hanuman Dhoka complex, and until very recent times, it was considered very inauspicious to build a house higher than this temple. At the eighth stage of the plinth, the step broadens out into a platform with twelve miniaure temples. This ultra-sacrosanct temple is opened only once a year during Dashain for the people.

Chasin Dega (Krishna Mandir) The temple of Bansagopal (which means Krishna in the act of playing the flute) was built in 1649 by Pratapa Malla in memory of his two dead queens. It is architecturally interesting because of its octagonal plan.

Basantapur DurbarBasantapur Durbar also called Nau-talle Durbar was built by King Prithvi Narayan Shah in 1771. This dominant nine-storey Basantapur Durbar (Kathmandu Tower) was built along with three other towers named after three other ancient city of the valley the Kirtipur tower, the Bhaktapur tower and the Lalitpur tower.

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Taga Gan (Big Bell) This great bell is supported by two stone pillars and has a tiled rof. King Rana Bahadur Shah and his queen Raj Rajeswari built it in 1797. The bell is rung only when worship is being offered in Degutaleju.

Kal-BhairabThis huge stone image of Bhairab represents Shiva in his destructive manifestation. It is undated, bt was set in its present location by Pratap Malla after it was found in a field north of the city. This is hte most famous Bhairab and it was used by the government as a place for people to swear the truth.

Hanuman Statue The kneelign figure of Hanuman, the Hindu God who is always depicted in the form of a monkey sits on a tall stone pedestal. It ws consecrated by Pratap Malla in 1672 AD. To the right of this image is the golden main door of the Hanuman Dhoka Palace, guarded by a pair of stone lions.

Jagannath TempleThis temple is the oldest structure of the square and is noted for the erotic carvings on its roof struts. The temple dates back to 1563 durng the rule of Mahendra malla. The temple has a three-tired platform and two storeys.

Degu-taleju Temple This temple forms part of the old palace complex dominating the view of Palace Square. The enshrined deity is a mystic goddess of Tantric origin and was a family divinity of the malla Kings. The temple is built over the second storey and has a retricted access only from the palace.

Shiva-Parbati Temple This little uncommon shrine is built on a three step brick platform. The two wooden figures, Maadev and parbati, looking from the open central window on the first floor. Constructed during the reign of King Rana Bahadur Shah.

Maju dega Built in late seventeenth century this temple is one of the most impressive of the storeyed styled. Its nine step brick base gives it the size which dominates the skyline of the square. The wooden doorways, pilars, windows,and struts are all beautifully carved. There are images of Hindu deities both inside and outside the shrine.

Ashok BinayakLocally called Maru Ganesh, is one of the four most important Ganesh shrine of the valley. It is worshiped both by Hindus and Buddhist. The construction date of this temple is not recorded, but its gilded roof was added in the 19th century. The unique feture of this shrine is it has no finial.

KasthamandapKnown locally as Maru Sattal,, thishuge open temple was believed to be built by a single tree. This three-otryed building has an open ground floor, nderlining its original purpose as a public building. The central image in Kastha Mandap is of Gorakhnath and at each of the four corners is an image

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of Ganesh. Constructed in 12th century. Renovated many times and recently.

Silyan Sata This large house is located south of Kasthamandap.According to legend it was built with the wod left over from the construction of Kasthamandap. This three-storey building enhouses a small temple of Harikrishna used primarily for singing bhajans. Renovated in 1934.

Dhansa Also called Kabindrapur is built by Pratap Malla in 1673 to start a new masked dance of Narasinha, and incarnation of Bishnu. This multi-storey building serves as shrine as well as guthi house and enhouses a number of seventeen century Hindu sculptures. Renovated at 1934.

Trilokyamohan NarayanIt is built in 1680 by Parthibendra Malla with five-stage plinth and has three roofs. The roof struts are carved with different images, while the temple as a whole is dedicated to Vishnu. There is a large kneeling image of Garud in the western ide. The temple is connected with the Indrajatra festival, during which large crowd come to see the ten incarnations of Bishu, which are enacted on its pedestal.

Kumari-ghar Built in 1757 by King Jaya Prakash Malla, Kumari Chowk is the home of the "Kumari" or living goddess who is considered to be an incarnation of the goddess Taleju. The Kumari Chowk is a three-storeyed quadrangle lavishly decorated with fine woodcarving. It is the third sotrey of the building tht is especially attractive with its fine bay windows, in which the Kumari appears from time to time in the company of her guardian priestess to see and be seen by her admirers.

Gaddi Baithak The eastern side of the palce is closed off by this white neoclassical building. this imported European style builing was built as a part of the palace by Chandra shamsher in 1907 AD during the reign of Prithvi Bir Bikram Shah.

The Kumari

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The Kumari is a young girl who is believed to be the incarnation of the demon-slaying Hindu goddess Durga. Dating back at least to the Middle Ages, the cult of the Kumari is popular among both Hindus and Nepalese Buddhists - another notable example of the mingling of religious traditions in Nepal. There are about 11 kumaris across Nepal, but the Kumari Devi (or Raj Kumari - royal goddess) in Kathmandu is the most important.

The selection process for finding the Kumari Devi resembles that of the Tibetan lamas, who are believed to be reincarnations of their predecessors. She is chosen from girls aged three to five in the Buddhist Shakya clan. Elders meet with hundreds of girls, approving only those with 32 auspicious signs of divinity (mostly to do with natural perfection and symbolically significant features). The girls' horoscopes are also checked to ensure they are compatible with those of the current king.

The small group of would-be goddesses are then placed in a darkened room with freshly severed buffalo heads and dancing men wearing demon masks. This is certainly frightening to ordinary girls under five years old, but the goddess would not be frightened. Therefore the girl who shows no fear is likely to be the incarnation of Durga. In one final test, the girl must be able to pick out the clothing of her predecessor.

Thus discovered, the Kumari moves into the Kumari Ghar and is worshipped as a living goddess. Her needs and those of her caretakers are paid in full by the Nepalese government and she spends most of her time studying and performing religious rituals. She only leaves the temple a few times a year during festivals and her feet must never touch the ground.

The Kumari's reign comes to an end when she menstruates or bleeds for any other reason, including just a minor scratch. The girl reverts to mortal status and the search for her replacement begins. She is given a modest state pension, but may find it difficult to marry - tradition has it that a man who marries an ex-Kumari will die young.

History

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The myths and legends surrounding the Kumari,the Living Goddess of Kathmandu, is fascinating.Historical records show that the worship of Kumari as a living goddess has been prevalent since at least the 10th century. But

popularfolklore relating to the Kumari as the incarnation. of Taleju Bhavani, the patron deity of the royals, and the king conversing and playing dicewith her are linked to certain kings who ruled Kathmandu and the last Malla ruler of Kathmandu, JayaPrakash Malla (18th century). According to thelegend, it so happened that one night while playing dice with Goddess Taleju, or Kumari, theking was aroused by her celestial beauty and was

overcome with lust. The Kumari, a goddess as shewas, at once visualised the amorous thoughts inthe king’s mind. Showing her utter displeasure,she declared that she would henceforth nevercome to him and disappeared. The king wasfilled with profound remorse and begged forforgiveness.

The Goddess later relented and saidthat she would enter the body of a virgin girl, aKumari, which the king was to worship.Another version of the legend has it that theking and Kumari used to play dice every night oncondition that no mortal would see them doing so. Accordingly, the king had strictly instructedthe queen and his daughter not to enter or peek into the certain room while he was inside.But curiosity got the better of the women, and they peeped inside. The angry Goddess then disappeared. The king repented and prayed for the Goddess’ forgiveness. Goddess Kumari thencame in his dream and told the king that she would henceforth not come in person. Insteadthe king was to worship a Shakya virgin girl whowould possess her divine power. Since then, aShakya girl is worshipped as the Kumari,and once a year during the month of September,the Living Goddess is taken around the old quarters of Kathmandu in her chariot during the Indra Jatra festival.

Festivals and EventsReference :www.sacred-destinations.com/nepal/kathmandu-kumari-gha

The most important festival for the Kumari is Indra Jaatra, a celebration of the harvest held in late August or early September Kumari Devi is carried around Durbar Square in a chariot. The chariot is kept next door to the Kumari Ghar and the great wooden yokes from past years are laid out nearby.In a tradition established by King Jaya Prakash Malla the Kumari also bestows a tika (mark of blessing) on the forehead of the king who would reign in the coming year

Famous Inscription Of Pratap Malla

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Spots of white paints along with March’s dusty air has tarnished it and certain parts have been scrapped off, and it is quite apparent that it is devoid of attention. To the left of the main entrance to the Hanuman Durbar Square and set in the outer walls of Mohan Chowk, there is a long stone slab with 15 different language scripts engraved on it.Installed by King Pratap Malla in 774 Nepal Sambat (17th century AD), the inscription is fenced inside maroon wooden flanks at present.According to Gautam Bajra Bajracharya’s book “Hanuman Dhoka Rajdurbar,” this is one of the 89 inscriptions inside the premises of Hanuman Durbar Square Area. Though inscriptions on the peripheries of temples or any architecture mostly serve as the records of dates and the patrons’ names, inscriptions have also functioned as the revealers of the unknown facets of history.

Taking reference from Bajracharya’s book, the chief of Hanuman Durbar Maintenance Office Shyam Sundar Rajbhansi informs that English, French, Persian, Arabic, Maithili, Kiranti, Newari, Kayathinagar (script of the then west Nepal), Devanagri, Gaudiya, Kashmiri (Punjabi script family), Sanskrit and two different types of Tibetan scripts have been inscribed on the slab.Though all the languages are yet to be deciphered and the entire meaning is yet to be interpreted, Gautam Bajra has decrypted bits and pieces of it in his book. And the starting line offers invocation to Goddess Kali.Reference:Sumnima Karki –Republica Daily

Conclusion

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 The palace bears the historical reminisce of Royal family, culture and religion of Nepal. Museums inside the palace lets one explore the culture, religion, custom, tradition, architecture, history of Royal palaces. An entrance fee has been set for entering into the museums. Museums remain open for 7 days in a week with the exception of Tuesday from 10.30 am to 3 pm in the winter and from 10.30 am to 4 pm in the summer. On Friday one must visit the museums from 10.30 am to 2 pm.

Bibiliography

Babu Ram Acharya –Nepal ko samchipta Britanta Dr Tulasi Narayan Shreshtha-Nepal Ka Newar Haru Sumnima Karki Page(14) John-Sandy-- Monuments-of-Kathmandu-Valley (Page 5) Gautam Bajra Bajracharya- Hanuman Dhoka Rajdurbar

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