Nepal: Vendors and shoppers gather in Durbar Square, Bhaktapur (1997)

That the Durbar Square of Bhaktapur appears so much less cluttered than its counterparts in Kathmandu and Patan is simply due to the earthquake of 1934. The earthquake devastated a large number of buildings in the square and they were never reconstructed. A minor earthquake in 1988 did further damage. According to the Nepalese chronicles, Bhupatindra Malla had laid out 99 courtyards within the palace compound; in 1742, only 12 remained, and today there are but six.

Durbar Square is now a relatively large open space, surrounded by buildings on its fringes but clear of any constructions in the centre. On the west side, the square is accessed through Durbar Square Gate, built by Bhupatindra Malla (1696-1722) as a main entry point to the area. He also erected the figures of monkey god Hanuman and Narasinha, the half-man, half-lion deity, along the lines of the Hanuman and Narasinha figures near the palace gate in Kathmandu.