Taumadhi Square is the busiest of Bhaktapur's three historic squares — a wide open space dominated by the soaring Nyatapola Temple on one side and the squat, heavily decorated Bhairavnath Temple on the other. In between is a constant activity of traders, visitors, priests, and locals who use it as a daily thoroughfare. Cafes on the upper floors of buildings around the square offer terrace seating with views of the temples at eye level.
The square is the focal point of Bhaktapur's social life and also of the Bisket Jatra festival every April, when an enormous chariot carrying images of Bhairavnath is dragged through the streets. Arriving at Taumadhi at dawn, before the tourist crowds, gives a very different impression of the place — quiet, smoke-rising, with a few women buying flowers and a priest making early offerings.