Revealing Patan through Viewfinder

Strolling around Patan Darbar square in evening with DSLR is a great experience. You reveal hidden delights of an authentic medieval town and creativity which makes you feel proud. That’s how I experienced yesterday evening while trying out one of my Friend’s Nikon D40.

Been bugged by Photography for quite a while and here are some pictures which I’ve managed to captured yesterday evening. Took all these pictures in sRGB at size: 1496×2256 pixels and later changed size and image mood into Grayscale using Photoshop.

Truly the City of Artists: Patan Durbar Square, situated in the heart of the city, is the main tourist attraction. The square is full of ancient palaces, temples, and shrines noted for their exquisite carving. Especially evening is the time when durbar square comes animated when old native people comes the spot for an evening chit chat.

Patan still retains most of its original urban structure and people that has been lost in most big cities. It is famous for its narrow streets and alleys, lined by traditional buildings and vernacular architecture, Hindu and Buddhist monuments like bahals, bahis, temples, chaityas, stupas, patis, aganchhen etc.

Perfect Perspective of Patan Darbar Square: Every single tourist who visits Patan doesn’t miss to click pictures from this perspective you are seeing above. The main attraction of the Patan Durbar Square is the ancient Royal Palace itself. It consists of three main chowks, or courtyards; the central Mul Chok, Sundari Chowk and Main Keshab Narayan Chowk.
Innocent Mahouts: Local children enjoying elephant ride while their mothers are busy selling local made crafts to tourists around the Darbar square.
Tara’s Quite Corner: More you scrutinize more you reveal craftsmanship of wood carving around temples and its pillars. Patan Darbar Square is so rich for its architectural heritage. The most famous Newar artists and master craftsmen, like Arniko, Abhay Raj and Siddhi Raj, were all born in Lalitpur. Patan Durbar Square, enlisted in the UNESCO World Heritage List as one of seven Monument Zones that make up the Kathmandu Valley World Heritage Site.
Patan under my Perspective: Several historical records including many other legends indicate that Patan is the oldest of all the cities of Kathmandu Valley and it is interesting to note that one of the most used and typical Newar name of Patan is Yala. It is said that King Yalamber named this city after himself and ever since this ancient city has been known as Yala.
Self-Portrait: Reflection of Krishna Mandir (Temple of Lord Krishna) which is built in the seventeenth century by King Siddhi Narsingh Malla. It is the only temple in Nepal to have 21 shrines and is completely made of stone. Most of the important scenes from the ancient Hindu epics the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, have been engraved on its friezes.
Underexposed Patan yet to be exposed: The ancient city of Patan is situated on the southern bank of the river Bagmati and is about five kilometers southeast of Kathmandu. The city is full of Hindu temples and Buddhist monuments with bronze gateways, guardian deities and wonderful carvings.

Costume and Craft still Alive: An old man in ‘Daura Suruwal’ traditional costume basking under warmth of setting Sun. Patan is famous for its diverse cultural heritage. It is considered as one of the living cities, where all ethnic communities belonging to both Hinduism and Buddhism have embraced each other in harmony.

Photo Blog by: Rina Maharjan
Camera: Nikon D40
Lens: Af-S Nikkor 18-55 mm/f3.5-5.6
ISO: 200Information
Credit: Nepal Traveller Sept-Oct 2006

Original Post: http://everestuncensored.org