Exclusive, In-depth look at Bhaktapur — the town that everyone loves.

Bhaktapur, a historic little town, is a short drive outside of Kathmandu. The name, Bhaktapur, literally means a ‘place for worshippers.’

On any given day, you’d find the streets bustling with worshippers, local residents, tourists and folks from Kathmandu ‘getting out of town’ for a few hours.

The streets are lined with temples, houses made of bricks glued together with mud, and handicraftsmen sells gorgeous dragon masks, little temples made of wood, and other artifacts made of brass. Bhaktapur is a delightful little town, with something to offer for everyone.

But not today, today was different.

The streets were still crowded, but there was silence. People walked around the Bhaktapur courtyard with protective masks on, as they stared at the temples, tents with medical clinics, and the city skyline that once was so majestic.

It’s eerily quiet, despite there being so many people. I have never seen Bhaktapur quite like this.

Unlike other damaged UNESCO heritage sites like the Basantapur Durbar Square and the Patan Durbar Square, the main square in Bhaktapur is not cordoned off because this isn’t just a tourist attraction. This is in the heart of a vibrant town, where local residents live and move about freely.

As I stared at the remains of a temple, next to a medical facility run by the Chinese aid workers in a tent, I couldn’t yet comprehend the scope of the damage here.

In Bhaktapur, you’re never more than a stone throws away from a temple. But today, about half of them are no longer standing and have themselves turned into rocks. To make matters worse, I don’t know how much longer most of the other temples will be allowed to stand due to the damage they’ve suffered. A couple of temples looked like they would topple if someone leaned against them.