Patan - medieval towns, palaces and temples and modern business center

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Heritages and Temples
The literary meaning of Lalitpur, also known as Patan, is ‘the city of fine arts’. There are a lot of temples, pagodas, stupas, monastries, maths, and chaityas in Patan. The most important monument is the Patan Durbar Square, which was designated as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1979. The Patan Durbar Square Complex consists of 19 monuments in and around it. Some of the popular monuments are the Kumbeshwor temple, the Rato Machhendranath temple, Krishna Mandir, Banglamukhi temple and the Hiranya Varna Maha Vihar.

Handicrafts
Patan is renowned for producing the highest number of artists and finest craftsmen ever recorded in the Nepalese history. The most famous of these is Arniko, who spread the legacy of this city far and wide. Traditional handicrafts and small scale and cottage industries are still popular among the residents of Patan. The majority of people living in the Patan city are Newars.

Ashokan Stupas
According to a legend, Emperor Ashoka of India visited Patan with his daughter in 250 BC and erected 5 stupas, four around Patan (one in each of the corner) and one in the middle. The 4 Ashokan stupas are at Imadol in the east, Ibahi in the north, Pulchowk in the west and Lagankhlel in the south.

Museum
Patan Museum, which dates back to 1734, is situated in the Keshav Narayan Chowk. Most of the objects are cast bronzes and gilt copper repousse work, traditional crafts for which Patan is famous. There are about 1500 objects on display in the museum. There is also a café offering various delicacies right next to the museum. The museum is open from 10.30 am to 4.30 pm, except on Tuesdays.

Transportation
In order to go to Patan, you could board a safa tempo that leaves from Kathmandu main post office or a micro bus (route 14) that leaves from Shahid gate. You will reach Lagankhel from where you could walk ten minutes north to reach Patan Durbar Square. If you take a bus (route 26) then it will drop you in Patan Dhoka from where you can reach Patan Durbar Square in about fifteen minutes. If you take a taxi from Thamel, it will cost you about Rs. 200 (about 3 dollars). If you are in other areas of the valley, you could take a public vehicle to Lagankhel Bus Park and walk from the bus park.
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Tags: festivals, museums, patan, patan durbar square, temples, transportation