Lalitpur Metropolitan City, formerly Patan, is Nepal's third-largest city after Kathmandu and Pokhara and is located in the Kathmandu Valley's south-central region. Lalitpur is also known as Manigal. It is well-known for its diverse cultural heritage, particularly in the arts and crafts.
Lalitpur City's Geography
Lalitpur is in the Kathmandu Valley, on the south bank of the Bagmati River, which divides Kathmandu into north and west sides. The Nakkhu Khola serves as a border on the southern side. It grew in the center area of the Nagdaha, an ancient dried lake, on weak layers of accumulated clay and gravel.
History of Lalitpur
King Varadeva created Lalitpur in 299 CE, according to Nepalese history. It was the capital of the Licchavi, Thakuri, and Malla kingdoms, according to certain researchers; however, this theory is now debunked. Lalitpur was ravaged and the people were treated with extreme violence when Prithvi Narayan Shah invaded the valley in 1769.
Its name conjures up a slew of legends. The mythology of God Rato Machhindranath is the most well-known. Three persons from the three kingdoms based in the Kathmandu Valley took him to the valley from Kamaru Kamachhya in Assam, India.
Lalit, a farmer from Assam, India, was one among them, having traveled from Assam to deliver God Rato Machhindranath to the valley. The purpose of bringing God Rato Machhindranath to the valley was to end the valley's worst drought. According to popular belief, the God Rato Machhindranath would bring rain to the valley. Thanks to Lalit's efforts, the God Rato Machhindranath has made his home in Lalitpur. Many people believe the town's name comes from his surname Lalit combined with the word 'pur', which means "township." The Bunga Dyah Jatra, a chariot festival honoring the god, takes place in Patan in May. It is one of Patan's largest and most well-known religious festivals. Throughout the month-long festival, an image of Rato Machhendanath is mounted on a high chariot and driven around the city streets in stages. Although Lalitpur is said to have been established around 299 AD by King Veer Deva, scholars disagree.
Patan was founded by Kirat monarchs long before the Licchavi rulers entered the Kathmandu Valley political scene, according to an ancient Kirat chronicle. According to the chronicle, Thankot was the oldest known capital of the Kirat monarchs. Kathmandu, the current capital, was most likely shifted from Thankot to Patan after the Kirati King Yalamber came to power in the second century AD.
In 1768, Prithvi Narayan Shah peacefully added Lalitpur to the Gorkha Kingdom.
Historical Monuments Found in Lalitpur
At initially, the city was designed in the shape of a Buddhist Dharma-Chakra (Wheel of Righteousness). Asoka Stupas are four 'thurs' or mounds that encircle Patan's perimeter, one at each of its cardinal points.
Emperor Asoka (the fabled King of India) is said to have visited Kathmandu with his daughter Charumati around 250 BC and built five Asoka Stupas, four in Patan and one in the center. The size and shape of these stupas appear to emote their age. Around 1,200 Buddhist monuments of various types and sizes may be found in and around the city.
The city's most noteworthy monument, according to UNESCO, is Patan Durbar Square, one of seven Monumental Zones that make up the Kathmandu Valley's World Heritage Sites.
The seven monument zones were listed on the UNESCO World Heritage List as a single unit in 1979. Monument zones are protected and conserved under the Monuments Preservation Act of 1956. The Square was extensively damaged by an earthquake on April 25, 2015.
Lalitpur was designed using Vihars and Bahils. Patan is home to 295 Vihars and Bahils, or 56% of the valley's total. Water conduits, stone spouts, Jaladroni (water reservoirs), gorgeous gateways, Hindu temples, and Buddhist Vihars adorn the city.
The city's appeal is boosted by its architectural and cultural history, such as the royal palace, which has ornately carved doors and windows, as well as charming courtyards with exquisite symbols. Such pieces of art are made of stone, metal, clay, ivory, and other materials. The craftsmen's aesthetic brilliance is evident in these things, and the entire city resembles an open museum.
Lalitpur Tourist Attractions
The artistic tradition of Lalitpur is well-known. The majority of Nepalese art is dedicated to Gods, and temples and viharas abound. Here are some noteworthy points of interest:
1. Patan Durbar Square
2. Patan Dhoka
3. Krishna Mandir
The Malla monarchs' palace plaza and home, which is now a museum in Patan.
One of the historic gateways to the ancient city.
In the 16th century, King Siddhinarsingh Malla built one of Nepal's most spectacular stone temples, the Krishna Mandir.
4. Kumbheshwar Temple
A Shiva shrine with two ponds that are supposed to be nourished by the water of Gosaikunda.
5. Mahabouddha Temple
1000 Buddha Temple is a replica of the Mahabodhi Temple in Bodh Gaya.
6. Bhaskerdev Samskarita Hiranyabarna Mahavihara
Golden Temple is a Buddhist temple in the area.
7. Ratnakar Mahavihar
The viahara complex, also known as Ha Baha, is the formal house of the Kumari of Patan.
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