July 27, 2025

Housed inside the 55-Window Palace of Bhaktapur Durbar Square, the National Art Gallery is a treasure chest of sacred paintings, palm-leaf manuscripts, and traditional paubha art. The collection focuses on Nepalese and Newar religious art—especially from the medieval Malla period, when Bhaktapur was a flourishing center of power, faith, and creativity.

Though compact, the gallery boasts an exceptional array of Buddhist and Hindu iconography. Visitors can view original paubha scrolls (the Newar counterpart to Tibetan thangkas), woodblock prints, palm-leaf texts written in Ranjana script, and gilded deity images that once adorned temples and shrines.

The building itself is a work of art: the 55-Window Palace is a hallmark of Newar architecture, with intricately carved wooden lattices and panoramic views over the ancient square. Inside, the hushed galleries and filtered light allow for quiet reflection and appreciation.

For lovers of traditional painting, sacred geometry, and Himalayan iconography, the National Art Gallery is a quiet but essential stop in Bhaktapur.