Image title: West-East sections (of Patan Museum)

West-East sections & ground floor plan—Known as Keshav Narayan Chowk, the quadrangle around the main courtyard used to be the residence of the Malla kings of Patan. Though resting on much older foundations, the palace received its final historic shape and embellishments during the early 18th century. Since then, the ravages of heavy monsoons and of two major earthquakes, as well as the building's more recent use as a school, have led to some considerable changes from the original design.

After its extensive restoration and partial reconstruction, the palace now looks again as it did when inaugurated in 1734, while the structure has been strengthened with appropriate modern technology. The walls, for example, have been damp-proofed at the bottom and reinforced at the top with concrete ring-beams for earthquake safety. All roofs are new, but covered with traditional tiles on top of a modern water-resistant membrane.

The main courtyard’s upper floor balcony, which had been lost, was reconstructed based on comparable traditional designs. Also, all windows and doors which had been later added were either removed or replaced with copies of original ones. The East wing was completely reconstructed.

Gallery information:

The Patan Museum is located on the Durbar square of Patan (Lalitpur/Lalitapura, Kathmandu, Nepal) which is associated Keshav Narayan Chowk (Keshavnarayan)—a form of Lord Vishnu. Being listed as a World Heritage Site, the whole of Durbar square is filled with exquisite temples, sculptures and other ancient structures, of which the ancient history history can be traced to the Malla Kings of Lalitpur. It is an important site for both Buddhism and Hinduism.