Pottery Square

Pottery Square is where Bhaktapur's centuries-old craft comes alive — potters hunch over spinning wheels, shaping clay by hand, while hundreds of freshly thrown pots dry in neat rows across the open square. It's an unstaged glimpse of a working tradition, not a display put on for visitors.

A living Newar craft

Pottery is one of the oldest trades in the Kathmandu Valley, and in Bhaktapur it has been carried on for generations by the city's Prajapati (potter) community. You can watch the whole process out in the open: clay is wedged and centred, thrown on a heavy spinning wheel, then set out in the sun to dry before firing. Much of the firing still happens the traditional way, with rows of pots buried under mounds of straw and rice husk that smoulder slowly rather than in a modern kiln. Bhaktapur is part of the Kathmandu Valley UNESCO World Heritage Site, and squares like this are a large part of why the old town still feels lived-in rather than preserved behind glass.

What to see and do

• Potters throwing clay on hand-turned wheels — many are happy for you to watch closely or try the wheel yourself for a small fee.
• Rows of bowls, water jugs, curd pots, oil lamps, incense holders and small animal figurines drying across the square.
• Firing mounds smouldering under straw at the edges, sending up thin trails of smoke.
• Small shops and stalls selling finished pieces straight from the makers — usually cheaper and more characterful than the souvenir shops nearer the main square.

If you want to go beyond watching, some potters run short hands-on sessions where you can sit at the wheel and shape a piece of your own; see Bhaktapur pottery workshops for what to expect. Those same locally made curd pots are what the city's celebrated king curd is served in, so it's worth pairing a visit with a bowl of it while you're in the old town.

Getting there

Pottery Square sits in the heart of Bhaktapur's old town, an easy walk from the main squares. Most visitors reach Bhaktapur from Kathmandu by taxi, local bus or on an organised day tour — it lies east of the capital, and the drive can take anywhere from around 45 minutes to well over an hour depending on traffic. There's an entry fee to Bhaktapur's historic old town, paid at the gates as you arrive; see how to get to Bhaktapur for routes and current details. Once you're inside, the whole town is walkable, and Pottery Square is only a short stroll from the durbar area.

Best time to visit

Come on a dry day, ideally from late morning into the afternoon, when the most potters are working and the square is carpeted with drying pots. The autumn and spring months tend to give the most reliable weather. Activity drops sharply during the monsoon (roughly June to September), when pieces can't be left out to dry — you may still find a few potters working under cover, but the square is far quieter and less of a spectacle.

Nearby

Pottery Square slots neatly into a walking loop of the old town. It's a short stroll from Bhaktapur Durbar Square and the towering Nyatapola Temple on Taumadhi Square, so you can comfortably take in all three in a single morning before breaking for lunch or a bowl of the city's famous king curd.