Lalitpur is Located between India and Tibet, the Kathmandu Valley is south of the Great Himalayas at an altitude of 1,500 m. It is traversed by the Bagmati River and its affluents, around which a number of sites have been developed, including the durbars (urban squares) of Bhatgaon, Patan and Kathmandu, the Buddhist stupas of Swayambu and Bodnath, and the Hindu temples of Pashupati and Changu Narayan.
Historical Reference:
- During the first centuries A.D., the practice of Indian Buddhism, then of Hinduism, was widespread in Nepal. From this time on, architecture and urban planning could not be dissociated from religion.
- Under the Malla Dynasty, Nepal's architecture distinguished itself in the 11th century. It developed first in the Kathmandu Valley, then in Bhatgaon, Patan and the city of Kathmandu.
- At the begining of the 14th century, Nepal was divided and Bhatgaon and Patan were rivals. The country was subjected to a number of invasions, including that of the Muslims from Bengal in 1349.
- Reunited under the Malla Dynasty between 1380 and 1395, Nepal enjoyed its golden era around the 15th century; Bhodgaon, Patan and Kathmandu flourished during this period of prosperity.
- At the beginning of the 16th century, the three cities were capitals of three kingdoms. A series of fruitless battles ensued. In 1768, the Rajputs, who came from Gurkha, conquered the country, which finally recovered its independence in 1947.
