A definitive survey of the rich legacy of some 360 Buddhist architectural structures and remains in and around the Kathmandu Valley, including both the urban centers of Kathmandu, Patan and Baktapur, as well as surrounding villages. The study examines, for each site, its history, extant sacred images, details of toraṇa, caitya and other architectural features, as well as the overall maṇḍala represented in the monastery structure. The author also records a myriad of ethnographic details of Nepalese monastic life, such as daily and annual rituals, initiations, lineage deities, monastic governing structure and economics.

First published in 1985 in a local Nepalese imprint, this newly edited volume, including some additional illustrations, benefits from modern scanning technology, revealing for the first time the high quality of the historic photographs.