Kirtipur, one of the lagest Newar settlements of the Kathmandu Valley is believed to be founded by King Sadāśivadeva at the turn of the 11th-12th century CE. Local residents of this ancient city have engaged in preserving and recharging the tangible and intangible heritage sites and practices that have partly been included in the World Heritage List Nominations by the UNESCO. With its numerous temples, stūpas, caityas and arcaded platforms (phalcās), the life in Kirtipur’s historic city is made up of several impressive processions, festivals and other cultural activities throughout the year. We have curated a route that shows the rich heritage of Kirtipur, featuring some of its unique monuments located in the eastern part of the city

 

This round tour focuses on the northeastern part of the city of Patan. This quarter is considered to be the earliest settlement of Patan currently inhabited largely by the peasant castes. Starting from Patan Darbar Square, the royal palace of the Malla kings, it takes one through oldest and historically important Heritage Focus Areas such as Cyāsal, Guitaḥ and Nugaḥ. It also includes four traditional Buddhist moansteries, several resthouses (phalcās) and other monuments.

The Walk begins at the western entry point of Patan, with a Gaṇeśa Temple built before 1683, and ends at the Darbar Square. One of the attractions of the Walk is Chāyabāhāḥ Maṭha, a Śaiva ascetic monastery built before the 18th-century which is one of the five maṭhas in Patan belonging to the Śaṅkarācārya tradition. It also covers four of the major monasteries of the Newar Vajrayana tradition, three Heritage Focus Areas and several shrines and religious objects such as caityas and maṇḍalas.