Exploring the medieval heart of Kathmandu Valley, Nepal

Legend has it that the bowl-shaped Kathmandu Valley once cradled a lake festooned with lotus flowers. Then bodhisattva (Buddhist saint) Manjushri cleaved the rock walls with his flaming sword to drain the waters – or perhaps it was Lord Krishna who threw the fateful thunderbolt. What’s true is that the valley once lay underwater, and that it has been shaken many times by violent convulsions; some have been natural, others political, cultural and social.

Throughout Nepal’s history, the geological forces that forged 8,000m-plus Himalayan peaks have sparked frequent earthquakes. Devastating tremors ravaged the region during the Middle Ages and beyond, including a major incident in 1934. And in April 2015, a 7.8-magnitude quake and aftershocks killed around 9,000 people and damaged more than 600,000 structures across the region.

In human terms, too, the valley has been rocked by periodic upheavals. This was the crucible in which, starting over 2,000 years ago, Kirati, Licchavi and Newari peoples arrived, mingled and melded, followed by further waves of settlers and invaders. It’s where successive Malla kings vied for prestige from the 13th century on, bestowing palaces, Hindu and Buddhist temples, monasteries and stupas on the rival cities of Bhaktapur, Patan and Kathmandu, continuing after unification in the 14th century and when the kingdom splintered again 100 years later. Indeed, William Kirkpatrick – among the first Englishmen to reach the valley in 1793 as part of a diplomatic mission – claimed that “there are nearly as many temples as houses and as many idols as inhabitants”.

UNESCO attributed Kathmandu Valley’s astonishing medieval monuments World Heritage status in 1979. As well as the three royal cities, the inscription recognises the hilltop Buddhist ‘monkey temple’ complex at Swayambhunath, famed for its cheeky rhesus macaques; Pashupatinath, Nepal’s most important Hindu temple, dedicated to Shiva and noted for its cremation ghats on the Bagmati River; the Buddhist stupa at Boudhanath, one of the world’s largest, possibly dating from the 7th century; and the ornately carved Hindu temple at Changu Narayan.

The 2015 quake damaged more than 440 monuments here, levelling 83. The degree to which the UNESCO sites suffered varied, depending on construction types and the ground on which they were built, but the good news is that all have reopened to visitors. Boudhanath was rapidly repaired, as was Pashupatinath, which was relatively little damaged. Swayambhunath, too, has been largely restored, and welcomes visitors to climb the steps to its huge domed stupa topped with gilded cap and all-seeing Buddha eyes. At Changu Narayan, where a shrine has stood since probably the 4th century, repairs to the current temple (built in the early 18th century) are ongoing, though travellers can again admire its intricately carved roof struts and ancient sculptures of Garuda and various incarnations of Vishnu.

Other parts of Kathmandu, however, were hit considerably harder. Perhaps the most treasured architectural victim was the Kasthamandap, a three-storey wooden temple after which the city itself was named, said to have been built from a single sal tree in the 12th century. It was flattened by the shocks, and lengthy reconstruction work included archaeological research that suggested its foundations dated from as early as the 7th century. Today, once again, it stands as a fulcrum of Kathmandu’s Durbar (Palace) Square, where dozens of temples and shrines cluster around the Hanuman Dhoka, or Old Royal Palace, itself still undergoing restoration.

Walking distance to the south stands Patan’s Durbar Square, boasting a dense and beautiful array of Newari architecture. The 16th-century Char Narayan temple is reputedly the square’s oldest, its wooden roof struts intricately carved with erotic figures. It collapsed entirely in the quake, but should be completely restored by the time you read this.

Also ravaged by the tremors of 1934 and 2015 was Bhaktapur, the third medieval royal city. Largely renovated during a 1970s German project, and with work on the Royal Palace ongoing, it’s now mostly traffic-free – and more magical for it.

Yet while Bhaktapur’s Durbar Square and nearby Taumadhi Tole and Tachupal Tole retain magnificent monuments – including the Vatsala Durga temple, restored after the 2015 shocks – history lives not only in its ancient temples. Just a few paces from the bustle you’ll stumble upon tucked-away gems: the exquisitely carved wooden Peacock Window, or a Hindu devotee venerating a vermilion-daubed, marigold-petal-adorned statue. Such timeless scenes defy earthquakes and encroaching modernity to endure throughout the ages.

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