Raj, Madhu, and family friend Pritiki took me on a rainy-day excursion to Bakhtipur.

The three major towns in the valley, Kathmandu, Patan, and Bakhtipur were each once the seat of a rival Newari kingdoms. Having long ago come under political dominance of Kathmandu to the west, Bakhtipur remained for a long time a nearly medieval backwater, known for its crafts, particularly pottery.