Maru (Nepali: मरु) is a historic neighborhood in central Kathmandu, Nepal and one of the most important cultural spots in the city. It is linked with the origin of the name Kathmandu, and forms part of what is generically known as Durbar Square (including Kathmandu Durbar Square, Patan Durbar Square, and Bhaktapur Durbar Square), the old royal palace complexes of temples, shrines and palace buildings all of which have been declared UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
Maru is also a market square, a venue for religious festivals and a celebrated residential quarter. It is a crossroads where two ancient trade routes connecting India and Tibet intersect.[1][2]
Maru consists of a large square encircled by temples and rest houses. It presents an example of a temple square typical of traditional Newar urban planning. Streets radiate out from the square, and inconspicuous entryways lead to residential courtyards that are home to silversmiths and other craftsmen.
- ^ Slusser, Mary Shepherd (1982) Volume 2 of Nepal Mandala: A Cultural Study of the Kathmandu Valley. Princeton University Press. ISBN 0691031282, 9780691031286. Pages 114, 203.
- ^ Oldfield, Henry Ambrose (1880). Sketches from Nipal. London: W.H. Allen and Co. p. 106.