Kathmandu Durbar Square- (Hanuman Dhoka)

The Kathmandu Durbar Square holds the palaces of the Malla and Shah kings who ruled over the city. The square is presently known as Hanuman Dhoka, a name derived from the statue of Hanuman, the monkey devotee of Lord Ram, near the entrance of the palace. the construction of royal palaces at this site dates back to as early as the Licchavi period in the third century. Here kings of Nepal are crowned. This complex of palace buildings, courtyards and pagoda temples, built between the 12th and 18th centuries. When Prithvi Narayan Shah invaded the Kathmandu Valley in 1769, he also favored the Kathmandu Durbar Square for his palace. Other subsequent Shah kings continued to rule from the square until 1896 when they moved to the Narayan Hiti Palace (current palace). During the Shah dynasty that followed, the Kathmandu Durbar Square saw a number of changes. The oldest temples in the square are those built by Mahendra Malla (1560-1574). Here at Durbar Square one can visit the Kal Bhairav (the god of destruction), the house of Kumari (living goddess), Coronation Nasal Chowk and Kasthamandap. In 1908, a palace, Gaddi Durbar, was built using European architectural designs. The Rana Prime Ministers who had taken over the power but not the throne of the country from the Shahs Kings from 1846 to 1951 were highly influenced by European styles. The temples are being preserved as national heritage sites and the palace is being used as a museum. Only a few parts of the palace are open for visitors and the Taleju Temples are only open for people of Hindu and Buddhist faith. It was listed in the UNESCO world heritage Monument list in 1979.