Asan Tole Kathmandu

"Located just south of Thahiti Chowk, Ason Tol (Chowk) is an exceptional place to pass through if you're on a heritage walk through Kathmandu Durbar square as it later links to Indra Chowk through six roads. The center of the chowk is mainly a hustling bustling local marketplace. While it is old, the marketplace is very active and there are temples and shrines surrounding the area. The 3 storey Annapurna temple is the most famous temple here. By three in the morning, Ason streets come alive as tea sellers get to work.

Fresh vegetables brought from Kathmandu valley can also be found earlier in the morning. Ason gets unimaginably crowded during late afternoons and late mornings, so if you're planning to do a heritage walk, you should start as soon as possible. Ason also has a gilded mouse attendant that is opposite to the Maru Ganesh temple. Along the walls of Kathmandu, you'll see it as an elongated mouse statue.

According to tradition, the rice sold in Ason Chowk must first be offered to Goddess Annapurna. While Saturdays are good for heritage walks, most vendors take a day off during it. So Ason will not have the same vibe it carries during the rest of the week.

Table of Contents

History of Ason

Places to Visit Inside Ason Bazaar

The Annapurna Temple

Ganesh Temple

Narayan Temple

Kumari Bhairav Shrine

Celestial Fish

Things to Shop in Ason Bazaar (Market)

Directions to Ason

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History of Ason

While nobody knows for sure the history of Ason chowk, it was a small market square at the start of the 20th century. After the construction of the Annapurna temple during the Malla era, Ason's popularity shot skywards. Nobody can exactly pinpoint where the name Ason came from, but some people believe that a trader said: "Ana San" which translates to nearby when asked where he came from while he was resting. Another local lore suggests that the name was adapted from an old Ashok tree which used to stand in the square.

It is most likely that its name came from a combination of things including a building named Ashwok mandap that is there. Ason Chowk market is the most bustling market you'll find in Kathmandu city. An ancient market surviving headstrong in modern times, Ason Chowk is filled to the brim with a miscellany of items from fresh vegetables to spices and curios. There are also many temples and shrines surrounding the main square of Ason chowk.

In the olden days, Ason once was a major rice market from where you could get a variety of rice, near the Annapurna temple along with beans, lentils, and beaten rice. Sacks filled with foodstuff would be overflowing here in the olden days. Traditions demanded that Goddess Annapurna had to be offered a certain amount of rice as an offering by sellers before it could be sold as a way of ensuring good trade for the day.

In the old days, Ason really was the center of Kathmandu city and people all the way from Nuwakot, Sankhu and Thankot used to come here to buy and sell goods as there was no other significant market at that time.

A major role in the lives of locals has been played by platforms (Dabalis) since ancient times. They were the heart and soul of entertainment and rituals during festivals. Chariots of gods rode through, and religious dances were performed in the Dabali in front of the Annapurna temple. In the olden days, if someone had to exchange money then they used to visit the Dabali. But the days have changed and now the platform is used by incense selling merchants during the day. The big Satal is now used by policemen to provide security while previously it was used for people to gather and sing religious hymns.

Places to Visit Inside Ason Bazaar

The Annapurna Temple

This three-storey Newari style temple is the most popular temple in Ason chowk and has a rich history. Elaborated torans, mirrors, lamps, plates and statues decorate the spaces of this temple. The surprising thing is that there is no deity inside, instead, there is a Kalas (tantric silver"

Bimal Sundas

"Wow fast survice"

Roshan Shrestha

"Nice place"

Bijay Chaudhary