Culture · Bandipur, Nepal
Bandipur bazaar and its Newar houses
Walk the car-free main street of Bandipur at dusk, reading the story of a trading town in its brick and timber: shopfronts, carved windows, the old library and temples, ending at the Tundikhel as the light goes.
Photo: Bijay Chaurasia · CC BY-SA 4.0 · CommonsStart at the edge of town where the road ends and walk into the bazaar. The houses are tall and narrow, three or four storeys of brick with carved wooden windows, tiled roofs and ground-floor shop fronts that once opened onto passing mule trains. Look for the doorways with wooden shutters that fold away for trading and the small shrines set into walls.
Midway along the street are the Bindebasini temple and old public buildings from the Rana period, when Bandipur was rich enough to have its own library. Families still sit on the stone platforms called phalcha in front of their houses, and children play on the paving. Most of the buildings are private homes, so look rather than enter unless invited.
Continue to the Tundikhel at the end of the bazaar, where the town held parades and markets. From here, the view opens north over the Marsyangdi valley. Walk back along the street as lights come on and pick a table under a balcony for dinner.
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Questions
Before you book
Is Bandipur bazaar closed to traffic?
Yes, vehicles are kept out of the main street, so you can walk freely. Cars park at the edge of town.
What style are Bandipur's houses?
They are Newar-style brick townhouses with carved wooden windows and tiled roofs, similar to those in Bhaktapur, where the founding traders came from.
When is the best time to walk the bazaar?
Late afternoon and early evening, when the light is soft and families are out on the street.