Nepal - Durbar Square

First view of Durbar Square. We walked unmarked streets to Durbar Square our first morning in Nepal.


It is where Kathmandu's kings were once once crowned. Palaces and many temples.


The king's palace was moved to another site 100 years ago, but Durbar Square is still a draw for it's 17th and 18th Century architecture. We couldn't tell what was original, as much of the square was rebuilt after damage from an earthquake in 1934.


The Square's holy sites are still very much in use for Hindu observances.


At the Kumari house. The Kumari is a young girl who is worshiped as a goddess. Once a girl is selected as the Kumari, her feet must never touch the ground. She lives here, is tutored and cared for. At puberty, she loses her Kumari status and returns to her village. Our guide called up to the window to see if she would appear, but we were told to return later. We did not.


Marigold in wood screen. The day we were there, vendors were selling strings of marigolds to be used as offerings at the temples. They were so colorful. I am still surprised this is the only picture of a marigold I got that day.