The square is dominated by the massive pagoda roofs of Maru Satah ( मरु सत :) ( Kasthamandap ) which stands on the northern side of the square . Built in the 12th century , it houses a shrine of Gorakhnath . It was erected as a shelter for travellers on the trade route , and assumed its present shape in the 17th century . The name Kathmandu is derived from Kasthamandap . On the eastern side stands Dhansā Degah ( धन्सा देग :) ( alternative name : Dhunsar ) , a 17th-century pagoda-shaped building . Its carved wood windows provide a specimen of the art of woodworking which has been highly developed in the Kathmandu Valley since ancient times . The upper part was destroyed in the great earthquake of 1934 , and its height was shortened when it was repaired . It was originally a courthouse . A shrine to Nāsa Dya ( नास : द्य :) , the god of music , exists on the ground floor
great earthquake of 1934
1934 Nepal–Bihar earthquake
Maru, Kathmandu