Bhaktapur Yakshya Malla partitioned his realm into three kingdoms before his death: Kantipur (Kathmandu),Lalitpur (Patan) and Bhaktapur(Bhadgaun). As a result, rivalry and bitter feuds arose, which were sometimes resolved with the assistance of outsiders. The traditional adage, “United we stand, divided we fall,” was disregarded. King Prithvi Narayan Shah, the monarch of Gorkha, a kingdom to the north of Kathmandu, declared himself monarch of the entire valley from the Chandragiri hills overlooking the valley.
He didn’t attack the valley for a long time. He is reported to have appeared at Kantipur‘s gates as the residents were engrossed in the festivities of the Indra Jatra Festival. When Kumari (the Living Goddess ), who is paraded in a chariot procession during this festival, gifted him with a Tika, his army met no resistance and the city became his. Lalitpur (Patan) and then Bhaktapur came into his hands during the next few years, ending the Malla’s 400 year reign.
