Lalitpur sub-metropolitan city, popularly known as Patan is currently one of the most vibrant cities of the kingdom of Nepal. It is located in about 5 kilometers south-east of Kathmandu. With its urban history dating back to as far as 2300 years, LSMC is one of the three major cities located inside the Kathmandu valley, besides Kathmandu and Bhaktapur. Rich historic past, centuries old living culture of the people, thriving city development are what this historic city today boasts of. Of the fifty-eight municipalities of Nepal, Lalitpur is the third largest city.

Lalitpur, since ancient times has been preserving its unique place and role in the geo-political and economic arena of the country. For many centuries, Lalitpur was a sovereign city-state. In 1768 AD, King Prithivi Narayan Shah assimilated it into the Kingdom of Nepal.

Lalitpur is extremely rich in its arts and architecture and boasts on the largest community of artisans, especially metal and wood workers. In fact, the literary meaning of Lalitpur means the city of fine arts. It nurtures a large number of sacred buildings, temples, pagodas, Stupas and Shikharas, monasteries, math and Chaitya. The city is renowned the world over for its art and craftsmanship and has produced number of famous artists and master craftsmen, the most famous being Arniko, who spread the legacy of this city far and wide.

In other words, Lalitpur may be termed the artistic capital of the country. In recognition, UNESCO has enlisted the conglomerate of the buildings in Patan Durbar Square as a World Heritage Site, one of the seven Heritage sites in the Kathmandu valley. Located adjacent to the capital city of Kathmandu, LSMC has today become an integral part of the valley capital region, called Greater Kathmandu, consisting of two major cities Kathmandu, and Lalitpur.

According to tradition, Patan is the oldest city in the Kathmandu Valley. This claim has not been verified but the association of the four main Stupas with Ashok seems plausible. In fact, it seems not unlikely that having had Stupas built in widely separate places in India, and certainly having visited the birthplace of Buddha in Lumbini, legend has it that Ashok could also have erected these. The simple form of the mounds is also consistent with an early date of origin, though it remains to be seen whether the present earth covering masks an earlier brick structure.

The history of the Valley, in a proper sense, begins only with the Lichhavi and the inscriptions of Manadeva in the 5th century. The palace of this ruler, the Managriha or House of Mana , referred to in the inscriptions , may, perhaps, be identified with the Mansiggal which was later used by the Malla kings and which may have given its name to the area now called Mangal Bazaar adjoining Darbar Square. Two other palaces mentioned in the inscriptions cannot be identified although the name of one –Kailasakuta-seems to indicate a building with a high tower, supporting the view that even at that early date there were timber structures in the peculiar Nepalese style.

Patan Durbar Square Patan Durbar Square complex, situated in the center of Patan city, also known as Lalitpur, houses the residence of the former Patan royal family. Patan Square and its surroundings are good specimen of ancient Newari architecture. There are three main courtyards in the palace: Mul Chowk, Sundari Chowk and Keshav Narayan Chowk. Mul Chowk, the oldest one, is at the centre of Patan square.

Several multi-sized and multi-styled temples occupy the western part of the complex. Main among these are Krishna Temple, Bhimsen Temple and the Golden Temple of Hiranya Varna.

Mul Chowk
This is the most famous and one of the largest courtyards among three main chowks. Bidya Temple is located at the center of the courtyard and the Taleju temples stand around the courtyard.

Sundari Chowk
Sundari Chowk is to the south of the Mul Chowk with its sunken tank known as Tusha Hiti Mul Chowk & Taleju Temple.

Keshav Narayan Chowk
Keshav Narayan Chowk is towards the northern part. Dominating Degutale temple is next to it. It is the site of the earliest Malla palace in Patan. The Chowk sits on the older foundations of a Buddhist monastery.

Places To Visit
Krishna Temple
This temple of red stone, dedicated to Hindu Lord Krishna was erected in the 17th century. The temple is considered to be the first one to be constructed in Shikara architecture. Thanks to this attribute, it holds a commanding position in the durbar square. The elegant shikhara-style temple is ranked as one of the gems of Durbar Square. The temple is compared with sacred Mount Meru, which is abode of the god Shiva according to Hindu scriptures.

Mahaboudha
Buddhist temple Mahaboudha, which is made of clay bricks, lies to the east of the Durbar Square. Hundereds of Buddha images are engraved in the bricks. The temple is known for its fine terra cota work.

Kumbheshwor
The five-storied pagoda-style Lord Siva temple was constructed by King Jayasthiti Malla. Inside the temple is a natural spring whose source, is said to be the famous glacial lake of Gosainkunda. The golden work was added later in 1422 A.D. One the festival of Janai Purnima, ritual bathing takes place and a fair is also held.

Jagat narayan Temple
Jagatnarayan temple is a tall shikhara style temple devoted to Lord Vishnu. Red bricks are used for the construction of the temple. The temple also holds a fine metal statue of Garuda, Ganesh and Hanuman, all related to Hindu religion and mythology.

Rudra Varna Mahavihar
This Buddhist monastery holds amazing collection of images and idols in metal, stone and wood. Legend holds that the Kings in the ancient times were crowned in this monastery. Many of the treasures offered by the people can be seen here even today.

The Ashokan Stupas
Indian Emperor Ashoka visited Nepal in 250 B.C and constructed four ancient stupas at the four corners of Patan. The four stupas are located in Pulchowk, Lagankhel, Ebahi and in Teta (way to Sano Gaon) respectively.

Kumbeshwar Temple
Directly north of Durbar Sq is Kumbeshwar Temple , one of the valley's three five-storey temples. The temple dominates the surrounding streets and is said to date from 1392, making it the oldest temple in Patan. The temple is noted for its graceful proportions and fine woodcarvings and is dedicated to Shiva, as indicated by the large Nandi, or bull, facing the temple.

The temple platform has two ponds whose water is said to come straight from the holy lake at Gosainkund, a long trek north of the valley. An annual ritual bath in the Kumbeshwar Temple's tank is claimed to be as meritorious as making the arduous walk to Gosainkund.

Thousands of pilgrims visit the Kumbeshwar Temple during the Janai Purnima festival in July or August to worship the silver-and-gold lingam that is set up in the tank. It's a colourful occasion: bathers immerse themselves in the tank while members of the Brahmin and Chhetri castes replace the sacred thread they wear looped over their left shoulder. Jhankris (faith healers) beating drums and wearing colourful headdresses and skirts dance around the temple to complete the dramatic scene. On the southeastern edge of the courtyard, behind a black lacquered grill, is an important Bhairab Temple, with a life-size wooden image of the god. Next door is the more active single-storey Baglamukhi (Parvati) Temple. On the western side of the Kumbeshwar Temple courtyard is the large Konti Hiti, a popular gathering place for local women. On the northern side is the Kumbeshwar Technical School.

Mahaboudha Temple
Located in Patan City, the Mahaboudha Temple features some of the finest terra cotta work in the Kathmandu Valley. It is believed that the monument is based on the famous temple at Bodhgaya which commemorates Lord Buddha's life and contributions. During the sixteenth century, Bodhgaya was a well-known pilgrimage site in the region. When Jivaraja, a Buddhist devotee from Bodhgaya, came to Kathmandu he wanted to build a temple in like that of Bodhgaya. He designed the Mahaboudha Temple, however, in a smaller size than that of his inspiration. Most, even the pujari, priest of the temple, assert that the temple was actually built by Pandit Abhaya Raj. It is said that when he returned to Kathmandu from Bodhgaya after a three-year pilgrimage, he had brought with him a model of Bodhgaya's temple during the time of King Amara Malla (1529-1560 AD). Pandit Abhaya Raj is reported to have received a vision of the goddess Bidhyadhari Devi, his kul deuta, or clan god, requisitioning him to build a temple according to the model of Bodhgaya's temple. Being a pandit, he was highly devoted to the deities, and along with his five sons, set to work in building the temple in 1555. Pandit Abhaya Raj and his five sons, Mayaraju, Byadharaju, Jagannathju, Hareju, and Budhaju, died before the temple was completed. It took another thirteen years for Pandit Abhaya Raj's grandson, Jiwa Raj, and his great grandson, Jaya Muni, to conclude the construction. In 1601, the temple was inaugurated by Sivasingh Malla.

However, in the process of building, Newars put in many original features and much of Mahaboudha's resemblance to the original temple at Bodhgaya was lost. The expertise that resulted in the fine images of the temple showed that the people of the Kathmandu Valley had long practiced the art of terra cotta and had become knowledgeable and skilled in the craft.

The temple is among the early Shikhara style monuments built in the Valley. The architectural style was developed around the sixteenth century during the Gupta period in what is now India. Also known as the "Temple of the Thousand Buddhas," Mahaboudha was badly damaged by a devastating earthquake in 1934. The descendants of Pandit Abhaya Raj once more got together to collect enough funds for the required reconstruction. The money was raised mostly by personal contributions and loans. In 1938, Prime Minister Juddha Samsher Jung Bahadur Rana, sympathized with the effort to rebuild the temple and annulled the loans while further donating some money for the construction. This sikhara temple was renovated but into a smaller size and with the remaining bricks a smaller and interesting temple dedicated to Lord Buddha's mother, Mayadevi, was built.

The temple is located nearby the Patan Durbar Square and has recently been renovated by the local community in 2001. For those who are interested in the terra cotta tradition, one of human being's earliest masteries, Mahaboudha Temple provides interesting insight and experience. Some of the images are more than two feet in height and remain highly detailed despite years of erosion.

Unfortunately, the terra cotta monument is set in a small courtyard with hardly enough open space to view the pinnacle of the temple unless one was to climb a story of a surrounding house. As in other Buddhist shrines, there is a small Vajra Dhatu Mandala, meaning a vajra placed on a stone mandala. The surface of the temple is covered with terra cotta tiles, many of which display Buddha in a meditative posture with his right hand in Bhumisparsa mudra, the gesture when he touches the ground as an answer to Mara, meaning that the earth is his witness to his efforts and meditation. There are many terra cotta beasts like lions, horses, elephants, mythical chhepu, and birds that add to the complexity of the temple. It is believed that these beasts are spiritually invoked to protect the temple from human destruction. Above the first floor platform, there are four small terra cotta sikharas at the four corners of the temple. Each sikhara is complete in itself with a base and a central tower. Originating from the middle of these four sikharas is the main tower rising above the surrounding houses. There are windows on each side of the tower and vertical rows of Buddha images leading up to another platform that holds the pinnacle. The unique gajur, pinnacle, is a metal stupa set on a massive dome. There is a line of oil lamp stands surrounding the temple along with the traditional praying wheels found at Buddhist temples and shrines.