An adorable spaniel sat at the entrance of a shop, gazing out solemnly at the people milling about in Bhaktapur’s Durbar Square. It looked very different from the other dogs who made their home here.
Being a dog lover, I would have loved to stop and click photos of every pooch in Nepal. Had I done that, I would have got left far behind by my group, a bunch of travel experts and content creators attending the Himalayan Travel Mart 2018 in Kathmandu.
Another cute dog asleep in Bhaktapur Square
We were on a FAM tour that included Bhaktapur - Nepal’s cultural city - a collection of exposed brick houses linked to each other by a network of Red Brick roads that were surprisingly clean, if not always evenly laid.
Following the red brick road on our walking tour of Bhaktapur
Bhaktapur’s history goes back to the early 8th century when it was the capital of Nepal till the 12th to 15th centuries. Until the early 18th century, the city was almost like a country unto itself, surrounded by boundary walls and city gates.
Village elders gather to chat in the lanes
Most of Bhaktapur’s 100,000 citizens are peasants, with businessmen, handicraft producers and public employees making up the rest of the population.
A lady prepares savoury snacks in a lane in Bhaktapur
The city is well known for certain products like it’s Juju Dhau (yoghurt), Bhadgaule Topi (Black Cap), Haku Patasi (black saree with a red border), pottery and handicrafts. You can even find Tibetan Thangka art studios here.
Pottery and Tibetan Tangka paintings in Bhaktapur
Bhaktapur’s Durbar Square is a World Heritage site, and it was well worth the trip on our walking tour of this ‘Living Museum’ of Newari culture.
Goat perched on a temple ledge
As I strolled through the narrow red-brick lanes lined by red-brick houses, with doors and windows framed by intricate and ornate wood carvings, I felt like I was stepping into a land that Time had forgotten.
Ornately carved doors embellish even the simplest of homes
Our guide, Mr Badri, told me that the Government offers subsidies to those who build homes in the traditional style. It’s a good way of keeping these ancient cultural traditions alive, especially for tourists like me, who were seeing it all for the first time.
These latticed carved wood windows were a beautiful sight
During the earthquake of 2015, this ancient city sustained severe damage. Many buildings collapsed and many people lost their lives.
Unfortunately, some people have not managed to rebuild their homes and still live in shanties, while basic services, like a regular water supply, are also lacking.
People whose homes were destroyed in the earthquake still live in these shanties
We saw a number of women lined up behind a water tanker brought in to supply water. It was quite a depressing sight and a sharp reminder for us visitors of the extent of the devastation.
Despite these hardships, the people of Bhaktapur seem a contented lot. Besides the craftsmanship and the adorable animals, watching and photographing the people of the city became my next favourite thing to do.
These ageless beauties of Bhaktapur were happy to pose for me
We spent some time in the main Durbar square, checking out the exceptionally intricate carvings on the temples and houses of worship.
The best carvings and works of art were around the temples
After our tour of Bhaktapur, we returned to Kathmandu to visit the Patan Durbar Square. I will cover that in the next post, so do subscribe for updates.
A statue of Garuda and a charred lamp near the temples
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