Welcome to Nepal's capital city Kathmandu occupies 218
square miles of land, situated above 4400 ft above sea
level with three historic, artistic and cultural towns
namely Kathmandu, Patan and Bhaktapur together form
what is known as the `Kathmandu Valley'. Kathmandu is
the hub of Nepal's traditional culture and arts. This
is the place for rest, relaxation and easy-day sightseeing
of historic and artistic temples and monuments, and
mountain views. Being the capital city of Nepal, it
offers many services including international airlines,
hotels and other facilities. One also enjoys Kathmandu
for nightlife, shopping and of course for the mountain
views
Mountains to see
from Kathmandu: Following mountains can be seen from Kathmandu: Himal Chuli 7893m, Manaslu 8156m, Pabil
GIV 7102m, Ganesh II 7150m, Ganesh V 6950 m, Lang
tang 7246m, Gang Chhenpo 6297m, Sisa Pangma 8013m,
Gur Karpori 6874m Dorje Lhakpa 6790m, Gyaltzen PK
6705m, Phurbi Chyachu 6722m, Kharane Tippa 5674m,
Choba Bhamare 5970m, Choo-yu 8153m, Gauri Shankar
7145m, Melungtse 7181m, Lindartsubugo 6690m, Mt. Everest
8848m, Chobutse 6660m, Takargo 6782m.
Kathmandu Durbar
Square: A very old Hindu text has described Kathmandu
as the land of gods surrounded by beautiful mountains
around. Some two hundred years ago a western Visitor
wrote that there were as many temples as there were
houses and many idols as there were people. In fact
Kathmandu boasts one of the largest congregations
of magnificent historical monuments and shrines ever
built. Duly recognized as a world Heritage Site by
UNESCO- this particular area best known as Kathmandu
Durbar Square lies in the heart of this city. Locally
also called as Hanuman Dhoka Palace Square-an ancient
seat of the Nepalese Royalty.Hanuman Dhoka Palace
Complex consists of a huge Royal Square imposing a
tremendous variety of temples dedicated to different
Hindu gods and goddess. Most of the buildings we see
here date from 15th to 18th century.
Major Places we
visit our Clients in Kathmandu Valley
Jaishi Dewal :
Five minutes from Kasthmandap the Shiva Temple
of Jaishi Dewal is famous for its erotic carvings.
It is still one of the main tourist routes of the
chariot festivals of Indra Jatra, Gai Jatra and other
festivals.
Swyambu Nath Stupa
Located in a lovely little hill rock Swoyambhu Nath
Stupa middle of city is one of the most fascinating
architectural jewels of the world. This great Stoup
is said to have been built around 250 B.C.
Generally a holy
memorial site Stoup represents a typical Buddhist
architecture. Its main feature the white dome is identified
with a spotless pure jewel of Nirvana and a thirteen
tiered golden spire in conical shape surmounted on
the dome. Underneath this towering structure are a
pair of all seeing eyes of Buddha painted on all four
sides of the Stupa.
The Stupa of Swoyambhunath stands on a typically stylized
lotus mandala base-a long time ago believed to have
originated from a legendary lake of Kathmandu Valley.
As the ancient legend
goes Kathmandu Valley was a lake a long time ago.
Right in the centre of this lake was a full blown
lotus with the divine light a top. When Maha Manjushri
a saint from China heard about this he came rushing
all the way from China to the Valley. He cut through
the southern wall hill of the valley with his divine
sword. The cleft made by the sword immediately drained
the entire lake water making the valley floor open
for a close up view of the divine lotus light.
This holy site in
fact is the massive stupa complex ever built in Nepal.
Hundreds of votive shrines and other historical monuments
built in and around this stupa speak a lot about the
significance and antiquity of this famed stupa.
It lies about 3k.m.
west of down town Kathmandu. There are two different
ways to reach for this site. One is from the west
side which is relatively a short cut and another is
from the east side where it leads to the main entrance
with 360 steps leading all the way to the top, where
the most venerated Swayambhu Stupa stands-commanding
a magnificent view of Kathmandu Valley and the breathtaking
panorama of the north eastern Himalayan range.
Other important things
to be seen here include a magnificent two tiered golden
temple dedicated to Harati. She is the grand mother
deity of children and small pox who was said to be
the Ogress until Lord Buddha converted her to be the
great caretaker of the children.
Not to far from this
temple is Dewa Dharma monastery-noted for a bronze
icon of Buddha and traditional Tibetan paintings .
The huge gold plated
vajra ' tha priestly symbol of Vajrayana Buddhism
set on the Dharmadhatu mandala at the side of the
stupa is worth a close look.
Important to visit
Pashupatinath : One day Lord
Shiva got tired of his glittering place on Mt.Kailash,
his armies of ghosts and spirits, and even Parbati
- his beautiful wife. Through his cosmic powers, he
searched for a perfect place where he could holiday.
Without telling anyone, he ran away from his place
and came to live in Slesmantak Forest in the Kathmandu
Valley. He gained great fame here as Pashupati - Lord
of the animals - before other gods discovered his
hiding place and came to fetch him.
The Pashupati where he stayed has received
the attention of worshippers for at least fifteen
hundred years; it is the holiest Hindu pilgrimage
destination in Nepal. There are linga images of Shiva
along with statues, shrines, and temple dedicated
to other deities in the complex. A temple dedicated
to Shiva existed at this site in AD 879. However,
the present temples were built by King Bhupatindra
Malla in 1697. A gold-plated roof, silver doors, and
wood carvings of the finest quality decorate the pagoda
construction. Guheswari Temple, restored in AD 1653,
represents the female "force". It is wife,
who gave up her life in the flames of her father's
fire ritual.
Lord Shiva once more escaped from Kailash
and came back to Pashupati as a hunter, but Parbati
followed him disguised as a beautiful huntress. Shiva
tried to seduce her, and discovering her true identity
returned home shamefully. Kirateswar Temple commemorates
this rather unfortunate jaunt.
A circuit of the Pashupati area takes
visitors past a sixth-century statue of the Buddha,
an eighth-century statue Brahma the creator and numerous
other temples. Some other places to visit are Rajrajeswari
Temple, built in 1407, Kailash with lingas more than
1,400 years old, Gorakhnath temple, and the courtyard
of Biswarup. There are rows of Shiva shines and Hindu
pilgrims from all over South Asia offering puja worship
to Shiva, the Lord of Destruction.
Boudha Nath Stupa : One of the
oldest and the biggest Buddhist monuments ever built
in Nepal, Boudhanath is an imposing structure standing
some 36 meters. The Stupa stands on the massive three
level mandala style Platforms surrounded by colourful
private family houses.
The basic feature of this great stupa is very much
like that of Swoyambhunath stupa except its finial
displaying. It is much bigger than Swoyambhu stupa
and lies on the valley floor whereas the former one
stands on the hill top. This stupa is said to have
been built in 5th century A. D. The site is considered
very much like Mecca for the Tibetan Buddhists and
every year tens of thousands of pilgrims from all
over the Himalayan region visit the stupa.
According to a very popular legend long
time ago the kingdom of Kathmandu was under terrifying
draught. King Dharma Deva was very worried. An astrologer
advised him that only the sacrifice of an ideal man
with 32 virtues in front of the dry royal water spout
could make the rain fall in the country. And in the
following night he commanded his son to go to the
dry water spout inside the royal palace compound at
mid night and behead the person shrouded in white
robe without looking at him. The Prince obeyed his
father but to his great horror only to find it was
none other than his own father.
In order to atone the big sin and in
removal the prince said to have built this great stupa.
As an entry point of ancient Nepal-Tibet trade rout,
the site is popularly frequented by Tibetan visitors.
During Lhosar festival the pilgrims
worship the Buddhist deities, light the increase and
butter lamp day and night. Every twelve year a special
ceremony is observed with great gusto and fervor .
During that time they dance, play musical instruments,
chant and hymns.
Budhanilkantha : Situated below
Shivapuri hill at the northern end of the valley,
Buddhanilkantha temple is 9 km from Kathmandu city.
The temple consists of a pond in which lies a great
stone figure of the Hindu god Vishnu reclining on
the coils of a cosmic serpent. The huge statue of
sleeping Vishnu is carved from the single block of
black stone of a type not found in the valley. It
is believed that ages before the two hardworking farmers
(husband and wife) discovered the statue when they
were ploughing their field.
Besides Budhanilkantha temple, there
are other two sets of exactly similar, but smaller
statues of 'sleeping Vishnu' in the Valley. One set
is in the Balaju garden and the other is hidden in
the old garden of Hanuman Dhoka Palace of Kathmandu
city. A prophetic dream of King Pratap Malla generated
the belief that the King of Nepal should never visit
Buddhanilkantha temple on threat of death. He then
built the similar statue in two places.
The huge massive statue is one of the
finest masterpiece of art that should be seen. One
can get to the temple by hike, bike, taxi or take
a public bus from bus stop at Kathmandu city or catch
a three- wheeler tempo to Budhanilkantha from Jamal
at Kathmandu. It takes around an hour from Kathmandu
to reach here. Early morning is the best time to visit
the temple. The priest performs daily puja around
nine o' clock in the morning.
