Heritage · Kathmandu
Durbar Square and the Kumari's courtyard
A guided morning through Hanuman Dhoka: the palace courtyards, Kal Bhairav, the rebuilt Kasthamandap, and the Kumari Ghar, where the living goddess may appear at her carved window. We explain who built what, what fell in 2015 and how it was raised again.
We start at 7.30 am at Basantapur, when the square is half empty and neighbours are ringing bells at Maru Ganesh, the small shrine beside Kasthamandap that every Kathmandu driver touches before a long trip. From there we look at Kasthamandap itself, rebuilt after the 2015 earthquake using sal timber and traditional joints, and talk about the single-tree legend that named the city.
Next is the Kumari Ghar, built in 1757. Its courtyard is open to visitors and its window carvings are among the finest in the city. If the Kumari appears at the upper window, stay quiet and do not photograph her. We then walk past the Trailokya Mohan and Shiva-Parvati temples, where carved figures of the god and goddess lean out of a window, to the black stone Kal Bhairav and the great drums and bell.
Inside the Hanuman Dhoka palace, restoration has gone on for years, and which courtyards are open varies. Where we can, we visit Nasal Chowk, where kings were crowned, and look up at the tall Basantapur tower. We finish at Pratap Malla's inscription in fifteen scripts, set into the palace wall, and then head into Indra Chowk for tea.
Good for
Questions
Can I see the Kumari in Kathmandu?
Often, yes. Visitors can stand in the Kumari Ghar courtyard, and the Kumari sometimes appears briefly at her upper window, usually in the morning or late afternoon. It is not scheduled, and her caretakers decide. Photographing her is strictly forbidden. Keep quiet, and do not call out or ask your guide to arrange an appearance with money.
How much is the Kathmandu Durbar Square entry fee?
Foreign visitors have paid about NPR 1,000 per person, with lower rates for SAARC nationals; Nepali citizens enter free. Tickets are sold at booths around the square and checked at entrances. Keep yours for the day in case you return later. Fees change, so check current status before you travel.
Was Kathmandu Durbar Square destroyed in the 2015 earthquake?
Parts were. Kasthamandap collapsed, along with several temples and parts of the palace, while others cracked. Since then many temples have been rebuilt or repaired using traditional materials, and Kasthamandap has been reconstructed. Some palace sections remain under restoration, so you will still see scaffolding and props in places.
Also in Kathmandu
More ways to spend the day
HeritageAsan to Indra Chowk on the old Tibet road
A slow walk down the diagonal trade street from Thamel to the Durbar Square through Kathmandu's oldest markets. Spice stalls, …
FoodNewar khaja trail through the old town
An afternoon of Newar snacks in small family-run khaja ghars: bara, chatamari, chhoyla, kachila, aloo tama, juju dhau and a …
NatureSleeping Vishnu and a Shivapuri forest climb
A day on the valley's northern rim: morning puja at Budhanilkantha's reclining Vishnu, then a forest climb in Shivapuri Nagarjun …