That the Durbar Square of Bhaktapur appears so much less cluttered than its counterparts in Kathmandu and Patan is simply due to the earthquake of 1934. The earthquake devastated a large number of buildings in the square and they were never reconstructed.

A minor earthquake in 1988 did further damage. According to the Nepalese chronicles; Bhupatindra Malla had laid out 99 courtyards within the palace compound; in 1742; only 12 remained; and today there are but six.

Durbar Square is now a relatively large open space; surrounded by buildings on its fringes but clear of any constructions in the centre. On the west side; the square is accessed through Durbar Square Gate; built by Bhupatindra Malla (1696-1722) as a main entry point to the area. He also erected the figures of monkey god Hanuman and Narasinha; the half-man; half-lion deity; along the lines of the Hanuman and Narasinha figures near the palace gate in Kathmandu. Pictures From Asia Rainer Krack