Bhaktapur - Nagh Pokhari

A door in the north-east corner of the outer court leads through to the bathing basin of the Malla kings, the Nagh Pokhari, constructed at the beginning of the 17th c. by Jagatir Malla. Following the conquest of Bhaktapur, Pratapa Malla carried off the Naga head as a trophy to Kathmandu. Jitamitra Malla restored the basin, re-erecting the wooden posts embellished with the gilded head of the snake god Vasuki. Once surrounded by elegant buildings the courtyard now ekes out a forgotten existence. The water, brought from the mountains via an 11 km (7 mi.) long conduit, flowed from the tap over which the golden Naga maintains its watch.