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          Bhaktapur is clean, calm and quiet. Nepal's best preserved ancient city, it is one of the nation's least polluted townships as well. While here, visitors not only enjoy close-up views of the majestic monuments, magnificent mountains and the creative men best known for their long traditions of art, culture and craftsmanship, but also explore a different dimension of human civilization.

Despite recent development, the city still retains a distinctly timeless air with much of its glorious architecture dating from the end of the 17^th century. Monumental masterpieces in Bhaktapur are innumerable, and each is more attractive than the other. In the city, visitors confront a smaller or larger monument almost at every ten or twenty steps. Most sights can be easily traversed by foot.

Durbar Square is the main square of the city. As you walk in, you cannot but be overcome by a feeling of inner harmony. It contains numerous temples, statues and columns, many with grisly histories behind them. For instance, the sculptor of the Ugrachandi & Bhairab Statues had his hands chopped off to prevent him from duplicating his masterpieces. 55 Window Palace, situated to the left as you enter through the city gate, inspires admiration. The National Art Gallery is also housed inside. The gallery contains ancient and medieval paintings belonging to Hindu and Buddhist schools depicting Tantrism of various periods and descriptions. The palace entrance, the Golden Gate, is a masterpiece in repousse art.

Bhaktapur's second main square is Taumadhi Tole, which features Nyatapola Temple, one of the tallest temples in the valley famous for its massive structure and subtle workmanship, and Til Mahadev Narayan, an important place of pilgrimage.

Siddha Pukhu, a pond dating back to the Lichhavi period, is better known as Ta-Pukhu, meaning big pond. It provides a serene atmosphere with its sashaying fish and the stone images of different Hindu and Buddhist gods.

Sometimes it's best to take a break from temples and sit back and watch the unchanging rituals of daily life: the laying out of grain to dry in the sun; families collecting water or washing under communal taps; children playing simple games; dyed yarns flapping in the breeze; or potters at work throwing clay.

The cultural traditions of Bhaktapur are no less glorious than its artistic masterpieces. The ancient ritual dances and festivals here are observed with the same fervour and enthusiasm as they were centuries ago. Consequently, the city is still a venue for a great many festivals and cultural dances, many of them as unique as the city itself. While Bhaktapur’s Gai-Jatra (July/August) and the tantrically inspired Nava Durga Dance (October-June), which is comprised of the city’s protectress deities, are the "only ones of their kinds" in Nepal, the Biska Jatra (April), one of Nepal’s greatest and most exciting festivals, is the only such event observed according to the official solar calendar.

Besides the physical monuments and cultural festivities, the Newars of Bhaktapur have also inherited a long history of craftsmanship. It is here where visitors can have rare close-up views of Nepal’s master craftsmen giving continuity to their time-honoured traditions of art. In its two famed Pottery Squares, they can see potters giving shape to lumps of clay on their traditional wooden wheels. Besides, they also encounter the city’s well-acclaimed artisans who, with their wondrously skilled hands, produce a great variety of handicrafts. Bhaktapur’s indigenous handicraft varieties include paubha scroll paintings, papier-mâché masks, cotton cloth, woodcarvings, metalwork, jewellery and ceramic products. In addition, the home-spun haku-patasi (black sari), black cap and the delicious Juju-dhau, literally the "King of all yoghurt varieties", have also made this city a favoured spot for tourists and the Nepalese alike.

Bhaktapur is world renowned for its elegant art, fabulous culture and indigenous lifestyle. For its majestic monuments, colourful festivals and the native Newars best known for their long history of craftsmanship, the ancient city is also variously known as the "City of Culture", the "Living Heritage" and "Nepal’s Cultural Gem". The city is more like an open living museum, closed off to all motorized traffic. The ambiance here is such that it instantly transports visitors back by centuries the moment they step into its territory.

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