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Patan (or Lalitpur) is currently one of the largest cities in the Kingdom of Nepal, located about 5 km southeast of the capital Kathmandu.
With a history spanning 2,300 years, Patan is one of the three major cities located in the Kathmandu Valley, featuring temples with distinctive "pointed" architecture.
There are many legends surrounding the name Lalitpur. The most popular is the legend of the saint Rato Machhindranath in Assam, India, who was brought to the city by a group of three people representing the three kingdoms of the valley. One of those three was a farmer named Lalit.
The purpose of bringing the deity Rato Machhindranath to the valley was their strong belief that Rato would bring rain, overcoming the severe drought that was occurring.
After praying for rain, the farmer Lalit made efforts to help the saint Rato settle in Lalitpur. Many believe that the town was named after the farmer Lalit to commemorate his service, and "Pur" here means "city" in Nepali.
Lalitpur boasts a rich artistic and architectural heritage and a large number of artisans, particularly in metalworking and woodworking.
Lalitpur is also known as the "city of art". It boasts a large number of temples, pagodas, stupas, and monasteries with distinctive architecture.
Thanks to these stupas, researchers were able to easily identify Lalitpur as one of the oldest structures. The stupas still preserve inscriptions dating from the 14th century or earlier.
Patan is a major Buddhist center with over 1,200 Buddhist relics of varying shapes and sizes scattered in and around the city.
Among them, Durbar Square is recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. This cultural heritage site is considered the former royal palace of Nepal, complete with ancient palaces, temples, and tombs.
The entire heritage site comprises three areas: Mul Chowk, Sundari Chowk, and Keshav Narayan Chowk.
The buildings within this complex are among the greatest achievements of the Malla dynasty. Of the temples here, the most prominent is the Krishna Temple, dedicated to the god Krishna.
The temple was built by Siddhi Narsingha Malla in 1637. The temple's three-tiered structure showcases the distinctive Shikhara style.
The first floor houses a statue of the god Krishna. This is one of the most visited temples in the city and a popular gathering place for thousands of Buddhists during the Janmashtami festival.
The Golden Temple, located near Durbar Square, was built in the 12th century and is considered the most "valuable" landmark in the city.
The Golden Pagoda features a three-roofed temple architecture, a bronze-colored entrance hall, and two lion statues guarding the entrance.
Every year, tourists and Buddhists flock to visit the unique temple architecture and learn about the legends passed down here. This is what creates the bustling and lively atmosphere of this ancient city nestled in the valley.
(According to MASK)
