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KATHMANDU, PATAN & BHAKTAPUR
KATHMANDU
CITY
Kathmandu,
the capital city is the largest and most exciting city in Nepal.
It is also the cultural capital with several Hindu and Buddhist
festival being celebrated every month. This historic city
abounds in a wealth of artistic creations several centuries old.
The temples, stupas and old palaces are works of art displaying
woodcraft, metal craft and architectural wonders second to none
in the world.
Places
to visit in Kathmandu
Pashupatinath,
the holiest of Shiva shrines attracts hundreds of thousands of
pilgrims every year both from India as well as from within
Nepal. It lies only a two-minute drive away from the
International airport. The holy Bagmati river flows immediately
below. This is where most Hindus in the valley cremate their
dead.
Boudhanath,
one of the largest stupas in Asia is only fifteen minutes away
from Pashupatinath by car. This is the most important pilgrimage
site for Buddhists from all over the world. Many Buddhist
monasteries surround the stupa and a large Buddhist community
lives here.
Swayambhunath,
the second stupa of importance lies west of the city perched on
a hill overlooking the capital. The history of this stupa goes
back to the time of the creation of Kathmandu valley. It is
believed that the boddhisatva ‘Manjushri’ arrived from Tibet
and with one stroke of his magical sword cut open a path for the
lake waters to flow out of the valley. Kathmandu was a huge lake
until then. The opening of the Chobar Gorge enabled the water to
drain giving birth to one of the most fertile valleys in the
world.
Durbar
Square (durbar=palace)
is a must see. It is a trip back to the past, when Malla Kings
and then Shah Kings ruled the valley. The exquisite
woodcarvings, the unique architecture and sheer splendour of the
palace buildings and temples leave one in awe.
But
Kathmandu also boasts of four casinos (open 24 hrs), several
discotheques, restaurants serving international cuisine and
five- star hotels that meet international standards. Freak
Street where once hippies lived in stoned out bliss is worth a
visit. Pashupatinath, Boudhanath, Swayambhunath and Durbar
Square are all World Heritage Sites.
PATAN
Patan
also known as Lalitpur (city of artisans) lies five kilometers
southeast of Kathmandu and is even today the center of art. This
ancient city still retains the old architectural charms of a
bygone era. The art of metal craft has been kept alive and metal
workers can be seen in all parts of the city. Patan has a
predominantly Newari population of which some are Buddhists
while the rest are Hindus. The Newars are the original
inhabitants of Kathmandu valley and were master builders and
exceptional craftsmen, taking their craft as far as China during
the reign of Kublai Khan. Their masterpieces can be seen even
today.
The
most notable rulers of Patan, which was an independent kingdom
before the invasion by the Shah dynasty, were the Malla kings.
During the reign of these Malla kings, art and culture
flourished and much of what is seen today belong to the Malla
era. Most of the beautiful architectural creations found here
date back to the 18th century.
Places
to visit in Patan
Durbar
Square The
Patan Durbar Square, a World Heritage Site is an architectural
wonder and the highlight of the city tour. The palace complex
along with the brick and stone temples are outstanding works of
art. Among these the Krishna temple is unique and also the most
important culturally. Built completely of stone, it has entire
Krishna related legends carved in friezes on its façade.
The
Royal Palace occupies the entire eastern side of this
large Square and is well worth visiting. Most of what is seen
today was built around the 17th and 18th
centuries by Malla kings. The exquisite woodcarvings, superb
metal works and unique architecture are an art lovers delight.
The
Patan Museum, which has been renovated in recent times
houses a fascinating collection of cast bronze and gilt copper
work depicting Hindu and Buddhist deities. The galleries display
interesting photographs of Patan at the turn of the century. The
other temples worth visiting are the Golden temple,
Kumbeshwar temple and Mahabouddha temple (temple of the
thousand Buddhas). The Jawalakhel Zoo lies within Patan
and holds an interesting collection of animals and exotic birds.
Jawalakhel is also famous for its carpet center.
BHAKTAPUR
Bhaktapur
literally means “city
of devotees” and is the most fascinating of the three cities
of the valley. Once known as Bhadgaon it was an independent
kingdom ruled by the benevolent Malla kings until the Gorkha
conquest. Farming and pottery are the major occupations of these
simple Newari people. Their simple way of life has been little
influenced by the trappings of modern living. Every morning and
evening there are devotional songs sung at the temples in this
city of devotees who religiously visit temple after temple.
Being in Bhaktapur is akin to taking a step back in time.
Only
14 km east of Kathmandu, this city seems far removed from
modernization. With traffic only a trickle within the inner city
there is an aura of peace and the citizens live in harmony.
Hindus predominate but there are many Buddhist monasteries worth
visiting.
Places
to visit in Bhaktapur
Durbar
Square The
Bhaktapur Durbar Square, also a World Heritage Site is less
cluttered than its counterparts. The west side is dominated by
the palace, which also houses the National Museum (worth
visiting). Tremendous amount of renovation work has been carried
out in Bhaktapur and the most remarkable piece of restoration is
the eight-sided Chyasalin Mandap, which was rebuilt from
scratch. The most talked about piece of metal craft here is the
tympanum of the Golden Gate leading to the sacred Taleju temple.
King Bhupatindra Malla’s bronze statue on a stone column faces
the palace.
Taumadhi
Square & Dattatreya Square
The
other important squares are the Taumadi square and Dattatreya
square. The former is dominated by the five storied pagoda style
Nyatapola
temple,
which is the tallest in the country. Next to it lies the
important Bhairavnath
temple.
At the Dattatreya square, the Dattatreya
temple
stands at the center with the Woodcarving
Museum and Bronze and Brass Museums at
its flanks.
Around
here are also seen the Maths (monasteries for Hindu priests)
which now house museums and woodcraft shops. These old buildings
have exquisitely carved windows.
Changu
Narayan & Surya Binayak Temples
From
Bhaktapur the Changu Narayan temple, which is the oldest in the
valley, is worth a visit. Only twenty-five minutes away by car,
this temple from the Lichhavi era and built around the 4th
cent. A.D. is perched on a hill overlooking the valley. Some
fine stone sculptures can be seen here. The other temple of
interest lies barely ten minutes drive away from the city. This
is the Surya Binayakl temple dedicated to the elephant-headed
Hindu God Ganesh.
The cost and tour details
are available on your request.
Please Click here or just drop us
an email to : suryaktm@mos.com.np
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