Kantipur Temple House located in Jyatha, on the way between Kantipath and Thamel is a noticeable hotel that looks similar to most of the temples around the valley. In its own way, hotel promises to preserve Nepal’s history and glorious woodcraft heritage.

The gate is manned by the guards dressed up like the warriors of King Prithvi Narayan Shah of Gorkha in black daura suruwal (national dress of Nepal) and white patuka (a cummerbund) with a khukuri (traditional knife) tucked into it. Two stone lions stand guard at the end of the few steps leading into the hotel compound, just like in most of the temples. The lawns on the left and right sides of the compound are, although small, they are well maintained. The left lawn is perfect for a morning stroll or just for reclining, however, the lawn on the right has a statue of meditating Buddha built inside a temple-like structure. There is also a small pond at the base of the temple that has hyacinths and other water plants floating in it. The water in the pond is restored by the five dhunge dharas (traditional stone water spouts) jutting out from the wall which supports the whole set-up.

One of the major attractions of the hotel is the grand display of woodcraft seen from the inner courtyard where you can see the major woodcarvings on the windows and the balconies of each floor from bottom to the top. These carvings are inspired from Nepal’s ancient traditional architecture particularly belonging to the Malla era. To replicate the designs seen in the palaces and temples located in the Basantapur Durbar Square and Bhaktapur Durbar Square, expert craftsmen from Bungmati were called. The corridors on each floor containing small statues of the Hindu deities resemble the circumlocutory of a temple.

The hotel has standard rooms as well as luxury suites on the first, second and third floors while the fourth floor houses VIP suites that also include a well appointed kitchen apart from other facilities. The hotel promotes locally made products like bed sheets, cushion covers, carpets, etc. that are all locally woven and also the sinks and the soap cases that are made locally. It also attempts to minimize the use of plastics as much as possible.

Kantipur Temple House has made an attempt to preserve the culture, promote sustainable livelihood and give a local feel about being there. You can experience authentic Nepali taste not only in terms of food but also in terms of hospitality.