Kathmandu, also spelled Katmandu, or Kantipur, capital of Nepal. It lies in a hilly region near the confluence of the Baghmati and Vishnumati rivers, at an elevation of 4,344 feet (1,324 metres) above sea level. The Kathmandu is the home of 7 world heritages inside Valley namely: Pashupatinath Temple, Swyambhunath Stupa, Boudhanath Stupa, Changunarayan Temple, Bashantapur (Kathmandu) Durbar Square, Bhaktapur Durbar and Patan Durbar Square. The tree other word heritage are outside Kathmandu Valley: Lumbini, Sagarmatha National Park and Chitwan National Park.
Note: On April 25, 2015, a magnitude-7.8 earthquake struck central Nepal, its epicenter about 50 miles (80 km) northwest of Kathmandu. Initial estimates on how many people had been killed in the country by the quake were more than 1,500, but that number quickly grew as rescue and recovery workers reached more-remote locations. In all, some 9,000 people died and about 16,800 were injured throughout Nepal by the main quake and numerous aftershocks. Kathmandu was severely damaged, especially the buildings in its historic centre, and tens of thousands were made homeless. The monuments are being reconstructed and some in verge of completion.
THAMEL
Thamel is a walkable, efficient neighborhood known for being relaxing and having abundant choices for arts and handicrafts, restaurants, bars, spas and coffee shops and many others. Part of the neighborhood’s charisma is its architecture. Many visitors come to relax in its beautiful outdoor settings, namely the mountains, gardens, and flowers: Walking through the narrow allies – buzzing night bazaars and lively market. Hotels in Thamel provide a good starting point for sightseeing in and around the Kathmandu area from budget to luxury.
The area’s storied past is told through the monuments and temples. For local culture, consider a visit to Narayanhiti Palace Museum, Taleju Temple, Bhadrakali Temple, and Swayambhunath and landmark of Bashantapur Durbar square. Shopping, hiking, and camping are just a few things to do in the area. You can spend a leisurely day outdoors at Garden of Dreams or Shivapuri National Park or Visit national zoo. If retail therapy is on the agenda, you might consider a shop. If you’re chilling out after a trek, happy hours will draw you into the wee hours, from pub to club through grub that’s as diverse and globalized as anywhere in South Asia.
Durbar Squares : The Major places to visit in Nepal
The major attraction of Kathmandu Valley, Entering the Durbar square is like travelling back in time. Durbar means palace and it is not only a square, but that is a set of squares interconnected with each other, and in the middle, temples, a lot of people (old and young), devotes, pigeons, vendors, colors, etc, This was the site from where the kings reigned and was crowned. While there is an enclosure very large and catches every attentions for spending couples of hours least. And if well by the typical architecture of the time seems to stop, the intricate wood carving of varying architecture give a touch of freshness! Among the three major cities of the Kathmandu Valley, Bhaktapur, to this date, is the living representation of how the entire Kathmandu Valley would have looked like during the medieval periods. The city is celebrated for its glorious architecture; sky-high temples built in pagoda style – which is believed to be the stairway to the heaven, fine clay pottery, and massive royal courtyards whose existence date back to the 12th century, where devotees, still, celebrate their pre-historic festivals by equal amount of craving and passion.
Bashantapur Durbar Square
The Bashantapur (Kathmandu) Durbar Square is a large esplanade where you’ll find many stalls of handicrafts in the open air. It is good to wander through the various spaces that make up this Heritage of Humanity, seeing the local people to tourism, others to practice their religion in a way of earnest or just sitting in the temples without doing .The Square Basantapur also called Durbar Square is located in front of the old royal palace in Kathmandu (Hanuman Dhoka), a world Heritage site. For its beauty is one of the most famous places of the city. You can take a whole morning to visit it or late evening on a rickshaw ride.
Patan Durbar Square
Patan is merely 5 km away from the capital city, Kathmandu, but, despite such proximity, its ‘preserved’ ancestral uniqueness distinguishes Patan as a different environment to experience in a short travel. Patan is also known as Lalitpur, “City of Beauty”, and its unique Durbar Squares, temples, alleys, cuisine, hospitality and religious tolerance justify the pre-historic status of the city.
The town, which is the headquarters for the Banra sect of the Newar people, has an agricultural economy (barley, rice, wheat, millet, vegetables, and fruit). Lalitpur is known for its craftsmen, particularly metalworkers and wood-carvers. There are fine Buddhist temples, including the Temple of Machendranath in Durbar Square. The town contains a number of viharas, originally Buddhist monasteries but now inhabited by descendants of the priests who once occupied them. According to legend, the Mauryan emperor Ashoka visited the town about 250 BCE and built the four large stupas (Buddhist temples and burial mounds) that still exist on the four sides of the town
Living Goddess Kumari
Regarded as a Living Goddess, a young Newar girl with no blemishes represents the Goddess Kumari. It is the major attraction of Kathmandu valley. To local people she is the Goddess Kumari and is worshipped accordingly with great reverence. .Dating back to the 17th century, the tradition was started by a Malla king.
The candidates must go through an extremely strict selection process before one of them is chosen to represent the Goddess.. Visit the Kumari Ghar (House of the Kumari) across Durbar Square, at Basantapur, where she resides and catch a glimpse of this Goddess.
If you are visiting in late August or early September, you may get the opportunity to observe the fascinating festival known as Indra Jatra, when the Kumari leaves her residence and is pulled on a chariot through the narrow roads of old Kathmandu. It is quite a sight to behold, as masked dancers come out on the streets and the chariots of Lord Indra and Kumari are pulled by devotees in a boisterous procession.
Swyambhunath Stupa : Temple of the Monkeys
To see the sunset, we decided to walk up to the Temple of Swayambhunath, or better to remember: the Monkey Temple or “Monkey Temple“another of the musts to see in major attractions in Kathmandu valley. The sunset is one of the best times to visit this iconic temple. One of the most talked about and famous of the city. It is an ancient religious complex located on top of a hill west of Kathmandu city. As its name says there is usually a lot of monkeys, which are considered sacred. This temple occupies a central position in the tibetan buddhist. To visit will have to climb 365 steps, but… What is that for someone willing to do a trekking by the himalayas? Can or not you came to Nepal to that?
Boudhanath Stupa
Boudhanath stupa is the largest stupa in Nepal and the most sacred site in the country, along with Swayambhu. This major attraction of Kathmandu valley is located about 11 km from the district of Thamel and is close to Pashupatinath Temple. For those who like it or don’t mind getting up early, every morning at 7 about performing a ritual in which people walk three or more times around the stupa while repeating the famous mantra Om Mani Padme Um and spilled pots of paint to the stupa.
Pashupatinath Temple
Pashupatinath natural place in kathmandu, is more than just a religious destination on Kathmandu valley and major attraction for tourists. It is a combination of religion, art, and culture. It offers peace and devotion. The temple, spread across 246 hectors of land abounds in temples and monuments. Hundreds of rituals are performed here every day. The temple premises is an open museum. This temple is an important destination for art historians. It displays a variety of temple design some of which are Dome style, Pagoda style, Shikhara style and so on. Additionally there are varieties of statues and sculptures around the complex. There are statues made out of stone, metal, and wood. The door and pillars around the temple area are carved in beautiful shapes of God and griffins.Pashupatinath stretches from the main temple of Pashupatinath to Guheshwori. There are many famous temples inside this area including the Bhuwaneshwori, the Dakshinamurti, Tamreshwor, Panchdewal, Bishwarupa, and others.
Buddhist monasteries of Kapan and Phullari
This is one of the least tourist routes but no less interesting to do in Kathmandu valley. If you like Buddhist monasteries in the Tibetan style, you have to go through here. It is a long excursion, more than half a day, but it is nice as you walk through a part of Gokarna Park (near Boudhanath ). From there you have the wonderful view of Kathmandu Valley and Boudhanath Stupa. Take a leisurely walk around the monastery compund, and you will not only have an incredible view of the Kathmandu valley, you will also see a large large number of stupas, statues, prayerwheels and other holy objects, all embedded into a landscape of gardens and ponds.
Cultural Cities around Kathmandu
Kirtipur a major Attractions of Kathmandu Valley is Newari metropolis in the valley of Kathmandu in Nepal, is 5 km Southeast of Kathmandu. The metropolis realized in the XII century as the suburb of Patan. In Kirtipur preserved a tremendous number of Hindu and Buddhist temples, dwellings with Newari wood carving.
Dhulikhel is major Attractions of Kathmandu Valley, a Newari town normal close Tamanskij villages. It is 30 km East of Kathmandu on the arniko high way in the direction of Tibet. Dhulikhel a popular beauty of nature and ancient usages. Day otchetlivee see the Himalayan ranges from Langtang mountains in the West to mount Everest in the East. Dhulikhel is a place where there are snow-capped top, and ascend the gorgeous sunsets, and this space stands out from any other. People talking about Dhulikhel, how about the space where the top talking. Dhulikel at the time, was popular under the title the Buddhist Srirangapur, and still a number of Buddhist stupas preserved in the memory of the old days. Namo Buddha is an entertaining and cute three-hour hike from the metropolis. It mixes the smells of the elderly Buddhism with Hindu temples. At Dhulikhel there are a number of ancient temples dedicated to Sweta Songs, Hari siddhi, Shiva, and Narayana. Every temple has its own interesting situation creation.
Bungmati is a medieval village lies about 6km South of Patan medieval town has to go straight road from Jawalakhel crossing the ring road. According to the legend Bungmati was founded during 7th century, Bungmati is a home, one of the most important Gods of the Kathmandu Valley known as Machhindranath (Matsyendranath), the God of rain and compassion, worshipped equally by Hindus and Buddhists and accredited by locals with the introduction of paddy-rice plantations in the valley. There is a Machhindranath Temple in Bungmati, where the God Machhindranath is kept for 3 – 4 months in a year as well as one temple in Patan. Truly, speaking Bungmati is the living museum inside Kathmandu Valley, which preserves the prosperous legacy of arts and civilization of the ancient and medieval Nepal. In evey 12 years, there is a greatest fair “Mela” of Ratomachindarnath, if you are at Kathmandu during that time you should not miss.
Khokana ; Not far from, Kathmandu Valley, Bungmati, a small traditional Newari Village and the more authentic Living Museum, Khokana lies. Khokana, has its own incredible history and has the most authentic Newari culture that has been preserved here in every house since the medieval era. Most of the households in Khokana depend on farming and traditional occupations like woodcarvings. It is wonderful to watch the natives spending their times in the yards of their houses working and gossiping, which has been the integral part of Newa Community for ages. The Rudrayani temple, Jitapur mandap, Sikhili (Sikhali) Temple, Karya Binayak Temple are major monuments to explore.
Panauti, secret places in kathmandu Situated about six km south-east from Banepa, the beautiful village of Panauti is located between Punyemati and Roshi Khola. The local people believe that the Basuki Naga(serpent deity) has occupied the area of Panauti to protect them from evils and keep them safe. Hence, people are not allowed to use dhiki as the sound might disturb the sleep of the deity. It is also believed that the village itself rests upon one which is why not a single house was broke or dismantled during the great earthquake in 1925 AD and 2015 AD It is also one of the very important trade centers lying next to Banepa as it lies in a small valley surrounded by the villages. However, most of the people here are involved into farming.
The major attraction of Kathmandu, Panauti is also famous for the art gallery of beautiful and fine idols, woodcarving in the temple struts, doors and windows of the temples and monasteries. It is also considered as a holy place and in every twelve years, a great fair known as MakarMela, commonly known as Panauti Mela, is conducted here for a whole month of Magh at Triveni Ghat where several artistic stone idols are places in temples as well as open areas for exhibition and worship. Moreover, a chariot festival of Nama–Buddha is held here every year and according to the legend Mahasatva who later became Nama Buddha was the prince of Panauti. Another major attraction is the temple of Indresvar Mahadev. It is also mentioned that Sri Viramadevi, princes of Bhota (Banepa) dynasty built Aindrakuta (Indresvartemple) in Nepal Sambat 414. It is said that on the occasion of Janai Purnima, various gods and goddesses come to Panauti in human disguise to observe the glorious chariot festival of Bhadrakali, Bhairab and Indresvar Mahadev.
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