patan

	Patan
	Patan, an ancient city and once a kingdom in itself, lies just a few miles south of Kathmandu, across the Bagmati River. This city has more than 500 temples and an uncountable number of shrines and monuments still existing. Because of this, the city is also called Lalitpur meaning the wonderful place. Except for some recent urban development, Patan has still maintained its ancient traditional architectural, social, and cultural life.
	Temples at Patan Palace Complex
	The History of Patan began during the Licchivi period. During that time Patan dominated the valley in art and religion, and by the seventh century it became Asia’s major Buddhist center for pilgrims and monks. It is said that during one time one half of the people in Patan were Buddhists and the other half artists. Patan became an independent kingdom in 1376 during the Malla Dynasty with Jayastithi Malla as the king.
	Patan Durbar Square is the main center of the city and is absolutely packed with temples and viharas. The beautiful display of Nepalese architecture in Patan is the most stunning collection among all of the cities in the Valley. It is a rectangular-shaped, brick-paved City Square with palaces on the eastern side and a number of temples facing the palace on the western side of the Durbar Square facing the palace. City Centre - Patan