Mul Chowk was the scene of almost all the truly important functions of the Malla period. Religious rites of all descriptions, royal weddings, the investiture of the crown prince as well as the coronation of all the Malla kings took place here. According to the Bhasha Vamsavali, Mul chowk was built by Mahendra Malla in 564 while he was building the great Taleju Temle; Bhaskar Malla then rebuilt in 1709 giving it its present appearance.
Mul Chowk is shaped very much like a vihar or Buddhist monastery, with a square courtyard surrounded by a two-storeyed quadrangle. The southern wing of the quadrangle is by far the most important, housing a second and smaller temple of Taleju. On the ground floor of the three wings of the quadrangle there are large, open verandas. In the centre of the courtyard is a low post set in the ground where animals are sacrificed at Dashain festival. At this time, Taleju is worshipped within the small temple according to secret rites. The temple is on the south side of Mul chowk, facing north. To the right and left of its golden door, life-sized images of Ganga and Jamuna stand in poses of graceful service. Above the door, an impressive half moon panel called a torana carries in its central place of the honor an image of goddess Taleju.
In addition to the above-mentioned courtyards and temples of the Hanuman Dhoka complex, there are a number of other interesting and historic temples in the vicinity.
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