Places to see in Kathmandu or Kathmandu City Tour in Nepal
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Kathmandu Valley |
Hanuman Dhoka (Durbar Square)
The square is the complex of
palaces, courtyards and temples that are built between the 12th and the 18th
centuries by the ancient Malla Kings of Nepal. It is the social, religious and
urban focal point of the city. Taleju Temple, Kal Bhairab (God of Destruction),
Nautalle Durbar, Coronation Nasal Chowk, the Gaddi Baithak, the statue of King
Pratap Malla, the Big Bell, Big Drum and the Jagnnath Temple are some of the
interesting things to see in this Square.
An intriguing piece here is
the 17 th century stone inscription that is set into the wall of the palace
with writings in 15 languages.It is believed that if anybody deciphers this
entire inscription, the milk would flow from the spout, which lies just below
the inscripted stone wall. Some people say that the inscription contains coded
directions to a treasure King Pratap Malla has buried beneath Mohan chowk of
Durbar Square.
There are several museums
inside the palace building. There is an entrance feeof Rs. 250 for all the
foreign visitors to visit all the museums of the palace building.
Akash Bhairav Temple
This is a three-storey
temple situated in the main Market Avenue called Indra Chowk. The image of
Akash Bhairav is displayed outside for a week during Indra Jatra, the festival of
Indra (the God of Indra). The festival of Indra falls on monsoon season of
Nepal.
Kumari Ghar (Temple of Kumari)Living Goddess
The temple or the residence
of Living Goddess, Kumari, is situated in the vicinity of Hanuman Dhoka Palace.
The building has beautifully carved wooden balconies and window screens. The
Kumari- the living Goddess acknowledges the greetings from her balcony window.
Photography is prohibited.
Kasthamandap
King Laxmi Narsingha Malla
built this temple in the sixteenth century. It is said to be constructed from
the wood of single tree. It is located near the temple of Kumari. Indeed the
city of Kathmandu derives its name from this temple.
Behind Kasthamandap, there
is a small but a very important temple of Ashok Vinayak, also known as
Kathmandu Ganesh or Maru Ganesh.
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.
Bhadrakali Templ
It is at the eastern edge of
the Tudikhel, near Shahid Gate. This temple is one of the main "Shankta or
Shaktipeeth" temples of Kathmandu City.
Singha Durbar
A grand imposing palace
built on the neo-classical style. It was the private residence of Rana Prime
Minister. Now it's the Secretariat of His Majesty's Government of Nepal.
Narayanhity Durbar
It is the Royal Palace of
present King, His Majesty King Birendra Bir Bikram Shahdev of Nepal. The Shah
kings moved to this palace from their old palace in the late 18th century. The
new edifice was inaugurated in 1970 on the occasion of the wedding of His
Majesty king Birendra Bir Bikram Shahdev.
The palace takes its name
from the Narayanhiti, a famous historic waterspout situated at the southern
corner of the Palace. The Palace compound is immense, surrounded by high walls
and guarded by soldiers.
Swayambhu Stupa
The most ancient and
enigmatic of all the Valley's holy shrines lies 2 km west of Kathmandu city,
across the Vishnumati river. The golden spire of Swayambhunath stupa crowns a
wooded hillock and offers a commanding view of Kathmandu city. On clear days,
one can even view a line of
Himalayan peaks. The view is splendid at dusk as city lights flicker one by
one, and even better when a full moon hangs in the sky.
The establishment of
Swayambhunath Stupa goes back to the legendary beginning of the Kathmandu
Valley.The legend says that when the bodhisattva Manjushri drained the waters
of the lake to reveal the Kathmandu valley, the lotus of the lake was
transformed into the hillock and the blazing light became the Swayambhu stupa.
Swayambhunath stupa is a
World Heritage Site. One can get to Swayambhu by taxi or bike or have a nice
short walk from the Kathmandu city, leaving the hustle and bustle of the city
for the quieter neighborhood on the banks of the Vishnumati river. The main
gate of the stupa leads to the steep stairs, which is indeed a traditional
ancient pilgrim route. It's really wonderful to climb up the worn stone steps,
365 in all,that leads straight up to the top, where Swayambhunath's painted
eyes peer down at all comers. If one doesn't want to climb all these stairs,
one can go around the south side of the hill where you will find a small
parking area for taxis and tourist bus.
Once one is in the site of
Swayambhunath, one can explore the hillock and visit a small stupa of Manjushri
too.
Balaju Water Garden
It is situated below
Nagarjun Hill about five-kilometer northwest of Kathmandu City. The garden is known
for its bank of 22 stone waterspouts (hiti) carved in the shape of sea-dragons.
It also consists of religious shrines, fishponds and a replica of the statue of
Budhanilkantha. . There is also a swimming pool inside the park.
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.
Boudhanath Stupa
It is the biggest stupa in
the Valley. The stupa, well known as Khasti, is also known as the World
Heritage Site. It looms 36 meters high and presents one of the most fascinating
specimens of stupa design. There are more than 45 Buddhist monasteries in the
area. It lies about 6 km to the east of downtown Kathmandu. The Bouddha Area
Preservation & Development Committee runs an information center.
Pashupatinath Temple
The temple of Pashupatinath
is Nepal's most scared Hindu shrines and one of the subcontinent's greatest
Shiva sites, a sprawling collection of temples, ashrams, images and
inscriptions raised over the centuries along the banks of the sacred Bagmati
river. The richly- ornamented pagoda, houses the sacred linga or phallic symbol
of Lord Shiva.
Chronicles indicate the
temlple's existence prior to 400 A.D, but a shrine may have stood here nearly
1000 years before that. Legend says that Shiva once took the form of an
antelope and sported unkown in the forest on Bagmati river's east bank. The
gods later caught up with him , and grabbing him by the horn, forced him to resume
his divine form. The broken horn was worshipped as a linga and overtime was
buried and lost. Centuries later an astonished herdsmen found one of his cows
showering the earth with milk. Digging deep at the site, he discovered the
divine linga of Pashupatinath.
The temple complex has been
renovated and improved over the centuries. Entrance to the shrine is only
restricted to Hindus, however, one can still get the good view of the sacred
temple from vantage points across Bagmati river. Across the river, one can also
visit the temple of Guhyeshwori and a classic 6th century ekmukhi
"one-faced" linga of Shiva.
The temple is a World
Heritage site, that lies 5 km east of the Kathmandu city. One can reach there
by bike, taxi or take a bus from the bus stop at Kathmandu city to Gaushala.
The other option is to take a three-wheeler tempoes to Chabhil from the city.
It doesn't take more than forty minutes to reach here from the city. Early
morning and evening, the prime puja (worshipping) hours, is the best time to visit
this magnificent temple. Pashupatinath is also Nepal's most renowned Hindu
creamtion site.
Gokarna
Situated about ten-kilometer
northeast of Kathmandu, this lovely Royal Game Sanctuary is also well known as
Gokarna Safari Park. Many wild animals like spotted dear can be viewed in the
sanctuary from an elephant bank. On the northern side of Gokarna is a pagoda of
Gokarneshwor Mahadev.
Sankhu
It is a typical Newari town
with many fine old buildings and temples. Beyond the village, up a long flight
of stone stairs, is Bajra Jogini, a historical temple with a beautiful view of
the local area.
Sundarijal
It is a famous for its
scenic beauty. There are magnificent waterfalls, cataracts and rock formations.
It is an ideal place for picnic requiring a short walk after the motorable
road.
Changu Narayan Temple
It lies on a ridge over
looking the Valley, about twelve-kilometer to the east of the city. It is
dedicated to the Hindu God Vishnu. The scared complex is a World Heritage Site.
It has one of the finest and oldest specimens of pagoda architecture that is
embellished with exquisite wood and stone carvings.
Kirtipur
It is a small town, situated
on a ridge 6-km southwest of Kathmandu. The ancient township is a natural fortress
and has a proud and courageous history. The Chilamchu stupa and the temple of
Bagh Bhairav are major
sights here. The city offers quaint streets lined with artistic houses and
temple squares. The people are known for their skill in building and weaving.
Chobhar
Situated nine-kilometer
southwest of Kathmandu, this place is famous for its gorge. All the water of
the valley drains through it. There is a small but picturesque temple of
Adinath on the top of a hill. From this top one can have a panoramic view of
snow capped mountain peaks.
Dakshinkali
The temple of Dakshinkali is
situated about two kilometers south of Shekha Narayan. Dakshinkali is regarded
as one of the most important Hindu Goddesses. Pilgrims visit this temple to
offer their prayer and animal sacrifices to the goddess. Besides, this place
has been developed as a popular picnic spot.
The National Museum
This museum is located at
Chhauni near Swayambhu. It offers breathtaking bronzes and a rich collection of
paubha scroll paintings. It also has an extraordinary collection of ancient
firearms, leather cannons and relics of the Great Earthquake of 1934.
The Museum of Natural History
This museum is behind the
Swayambhu stupa. The museum contains animals, butterflies and plants. Stuffed
animals, birds and crocodiles are some of the main attractions of the museum.
Kaiser Library
Collections of a single man,
Kaiser Shumsher Jung Bahadur Rana (1891 - 1964) adorn this palatial building
near Thamel. The repertoire of books here (over 45,000) covers as unrelated
topics as astrology and law, with history, hunting, religion and philosophy in
between.
Asa Archives
It is located at Kulambhu
west of Nhyokha Tol, on the western fringe of the old part of Kathmandu. The
archives possess an exceptional collection of about 7,000 loose-leaf
handwritten books and over 1,200 palm-leaf documents. The oldest manuscript
here is dated 1464 AD. Most of the manuscripts are in Sanskrit and Nepalbhasa
languages.
The Nepal Association of Fine Arts (NAFA)
It is housed in an old
building at Naxal. The National Birendra Art Gallery here has a collection of
about 150 art pieces by prominent Nepalese artists. Art exhibitions are
regularly organized where paintings can be bought. It also has studios where
artists can be seen at work.
Kakani
This place, 1982 meters
above sea-level and located 29 kilometers northwest of Kathmandu city, is
famous for its magnificent view of the Valley. It overlooks the northwestern
Himalayan ranges set against the vastness of the blue sky. The holiday area of
Kakani features attractions ranging from beautiful alpine scenery to the
magnificent Himalayan panorama, particularly of the Ganesh Himal. Other peaks
that can be seen from Kakani are Gaurishanker (7, 134 m), Choba Bhamre (6,016
m) and several other peaks One should not miss the majestic sunset that Kakani
offers. A trip to Kakani along the mountain highway, Trisuli Road, is rewarding
with views of green forests on one side and terraced cultivation on the other.
The vehicles can go right up to the top of Kakani. It takes about one and a
half hours to reach Kakani by car from Kathmandu
Lele
The charming lele valley
lies 19 kilometers southeast of Kathmandu. The road leading to this area is at
the Saat Dobato intersection along the Ring Road beyond Lagankhel. Getting
there by car may be quite uncomfortable due to the many potholes along the way,
but that is offset by the never-ending stretch of picturesque scenery. Along
the road are some typical old Newari villages: Sunakothi, Thecho, ]nd
Chapagaon. Close to the last, in a very scenic setting, is the temple of Vajra
Varahi. Built in 1665, the Vajra Varahi is the most important Tantric temple of
the valley. In the shrine of Tika Bhairab dedicated to Shiva in his terrible
form is a somewhat abstract but attractive mural on a brick wall 3 by 6 meters.
Namo Buddha
Another interesting side-trip from Dhulikhel
is to the tiny hamlet of Namo Buddha situated close to Panauti. Namo Buddha is
an important pilgrimage site particularly to the Tamang Buddhists of Nepal.
Since it is connected by dirt trails from both Dhulikhel and Panauti,it is
possible to
Hike there from Dhulikhel and return via Panauti.
Much of the scenery along the route is impressive.
Nagarjun Forest
This hill above Balaju and
the road leading to Kakani and Trishuli shelters a pristine forest barricaded
at accessible points by walls. The entrance is guarded and a nominal fee is
charged for entry inside. This is another good area for bird watching, and the
forest also harbors deer and pheasants. The vehicular road leading to the top
is 37 kilometers long but ,here are plenty of shortcuts for hikers. On the top of
the hill is a Buddhist shrine and on the eastern slopes are two caves, one of
which is dedicated to the Buddha, and the other to Nagarjuna, a famous South
Indian philosopher.
Palanchwok Bhagwati
Some 7 kilometers north of
the mountain of Panchkhaal, on the top of a hill lies the noted historic temple
of Palanchowk Bhagawati.This temple is said to have been constructed during the
reign of King Man Dev. The temple houses a three foot long idol of Goddess
Bhagawati carved in a black stone.
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