Shrine · Hindu
Hanuman Statue (Hanuman Dhoka)
हनुमान मूर्ति
Hanuman (protector of the royal palace)·1672 AD, erected by King Pratap Malla·Kathmandu
The standing stone figure of Hanuman draped in a red cloak at the entrance to the old royal palace — the image that gave Hanuman Dhoka its name.
Dedicated to
Hanuman (protector of the royal palace)
Period
1672 AD, erected by King Pratap Malla
Hours
Open 24 hours (outdoor statue)
Admission
Free
Neighborhood
Kathmandu Durbar Square, palace entrance
A standing stone statue of Hanuman guards the main entrance to the old royal palace, giving the entire palace complex its name — Hanuman Dhoka (Gate of Hanuman). Erected in 1672 AD by King Pratap Malla, the figure stands on a stone pillar beneath a red umbrella-canopy.
The statue is perpetually draped in a red cloth and smeared thick with sindoor (vermillion paste) by devotees, so much so that the original facial features are no longer visible beneath the layers of red. This thick coating of sindoor, accumulated over 350 years of daily worship, has become the statue's defining visual characteristic.
Hanuman — the monkey god of the Ramayana, symbol of devotion, strength, and loyalty — was chosen as protector of the palace. The statue stands beside the palace gate, which leads into Nasal Chowk and the historic coronation courtyard.
A stone inscription in 15 languages on the wall beside Hanuman, placed by King Pratap Malla (a noted polyglot), adds to the site's significance. The inscription includes Sanskrit, Newari, and several other scripts — a testament to the multilingual court of 17th-century Kathmandu.
The Hanuman statue is often the first thing visitors encounter when entering Durbar Square from the north, and it marks the boundary between the public square and the palace grounds.
- Built by Pratap MallaErected 1672
Set the vermilion-draped Hanuman on its pillar at the palace gate — the image that gave Hanuman Dhoka its name — alongside his celebrated inscription in fifteen scripts.
Folio III
Nearby Sacred Sites
Places within a short walk that help turn this stop into a small sacred cluster.
Taleju Temple
The tallest temple in Kathmandu Durbar Square — a 36-metre triple-roofed pagoda dedicated to the tutelary goddess of the Malla kings, open to Hindus only on Dashain's ninth day.
Kal Bhairav
A massive 12th-century stone relief of the fearsome Bhairav — Shiva's terrifying aspect — standing six feet tall in the open court of Kathmandu Durbar Square.
Shiva-Parvati Temple
An 18th-century temple famous for the carved wooden figures of Shiva and Parvati leaning out from the upper window, gazing at the life of Durbar Square below.
Swet Bhairav
A giant gilded head of White Bhairav hidden behind a lattice screen for most of the year, dramatically revealed only during the eight days of Indra Jatra.
Ashok Binayak
Maru Ganesh shrine near Kathmandu Durbar Square, one of the city's most visited Ganesh temples but not part of the Char Binayak circuit.
Coda
Continue the Pilgrimage
Part of
Kathmandu Durbar Square
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