Pottery Square
A living open-air workshop in Bhaktapur where potters spin clay using centuries-old techniques, surrounded by temples and thangka painting schools.
- Altitude
- 1,401 m
- Coordinates
- 27.670°, 85.427°
Current Weather
Pottery Square (Kumha Tole or Talakwoh in Newari) is one of Bhaktapur's most photogenic and culturally rich corners — a working artisan quarter where potters have been shaping clay by hand for centuries.
Rows of freshly thrown pots, water jugs, and planters line the sun-drenched square, drying on beds of straw before being fired in traditional kilns. Visitors can try their hand at the wheel at several pottery training centres that offer drop-in sessions, or browse the surrounding thangka painting schools where artists create intricate Buddhist scrolls.
The square is anchored by the Jeth Ganesh Temple, a two-storey structure with a golden roof and exquisite carved struts depicting the Ashtamatrikas and Ashtabhairavas. On the elevated northern terrace called Taladamfo sits the Gorakhnath Temple, the site of sacred pujas during Bisket Jatra. The Akhandasheel Mahavihar (Akhankhu Baha), said to have been founded by Licchavi King Narendradeva, is one of the area's most important Buddhist monasteries.
During Bisket Jatra, a ceremonial lingam (Lyo Sin Dyo) is erected in the square — one of the festival's key rituals. The rest of the year, the square offers a peaceful glimpse into Bhaktapur's living craft tradition.
Location
Part of
Bhaktapur Durbar Square
Trips that visit here
Elsewhere in this region
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