Old brick houses with men in an entrance talking
Monday walks,  Nepal,  Squares,  Sunday Stills,  Travel galleries

Gallery: the old town of Dhulikhel

Paved streets gently wind uphill, lined with brick houses three or more stories high. Every door, every window is surrounded by exquisitely carved wood. Locals sit chatting, their day’s work over, or watch from an upper window.

Here we are in another Nepalese town, but very different from the two we have visited so far, Kathmandu and Bhaktapur. Not in terms of beauty, Dhulikhel’s traditional Newari architecture is stunning, but in character.

It is far less busy than nearby Bhaktapur; we seemed to be the only tourists here. It’s higher too, with cool mountain air that made it a real pleasure to wander its streets. And I was pleased to find some street art here, something I didn’t see in many places in Nepal.

At the top of the hill we visited one of the town’s many temples dedicated to the goddess Bhagwati, a manifestation of Parvati. This temple is recorded as having been reconstructed in 1647 by King Jagat Malla of Bhaktapur, but there is no record of its original construction date.

Apart from that one temple this was a place to soak up the atmosphere rather than tick off the sights. And of course to take plenty of photos! Let me take you on a visual stroll around the town, for Jo’s Monday Walks and as a final contribution to Becky’s Walking Squares. I hope too that I have enough vivid colours to qualify for Terri’s Sunday Stills theme; certainly I will have vivid memories of this trip for years to come.

Carved wooden door
Man looking out of carved wooden window frame
Wall painting of woman in traditional black and red dress
Large mural of girl's face in traditional headdress
Small stone statue draped in marigold garlands
Carving of Ganesh, the Elephant God
Colourful street art depicting Hindu gods
Wooden door panel carved with Ganesh
Carved dark wood window frame
Mural of a hand
Two girls with a dog in front of street art
Small stone statue with hands in prayer position
Stone carving of fierce beast painted gold
Bhagwati Temple
Golden lion sculpture
On a column in front of Bhagwati Temple
Tall brick temple with tiered roof
Bhagwati Temple
Young girl sliding on stone wall watched by father
At Bhagwati Temple
Stone carved Hindu god and lions
Entrance gate to Bhagwati Temple
Tall brick temple with tiered roof
Bhagwati Temple
Metal roof edge with small bird and red fringe
Bhagwati Temple roof detail

I visited Dhulikhel in October 2022

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