The City

Welcome to my blog,
Exploring Nepal

You will find many websites,blogs and bloggers who will give u an complete info about the country but I would like to give you more insight on the place. Like everybody else I would not define Nepal as a country of Mt. Everest, Buddha and The Himalayas. It still has many things to offer not to mention the friendly people and such diverse culture in one place one can not get enough of this place. I have been born brought up here and it is today being away from home  I realize how beautiful this place is. So come with me as i take you to the tour of this mystical land.

Kathmandu the capital of Nepal is one the most important places both culturally and historically as the city has a lot of places which showcases the rich heritage of the country and the people. Today the city has become a hub for independent travellers as well as a growing vacationing spot for tourists. The heart of Kathmandu Valley is surrounded with temples and palaces. One of them being the Kathmandu Durbar Square also known as  "Kasthamandap" or  "Wooden House" that gives the city its name.  The square has been in active use since the construction of a palace around 1000 AD. This site is the most popular UNESCO World Heritage Site in Nepal.

Kathmandu Durbar Square at night

Kathmandu Durbar Saquare during the day time

Historically speaking the city has rich history spanning nearly 2000 years, as inferred from an inscription in the valley. Most of Kathmandu's people follow Hinduism followed by Buddhism. People of other religious beliefs also live in Kathmandu giving it a cosmopolitan culture. Nepali is the most common language of the city.

 Today Kathmandu is not only the capital of the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal but also the headquarters of the Central Region among the five development regions constituted by the 14 administrative zones of Nepal located at the central part of the country.

      Kathmandu valley is described as "an enormous treasure house of art and sculptures", which are made of -wood, stone, metal and terracotta, and found in profusion in temples, shrines, stupas, gompas, chaityas and palaces. Living in the city will give you the taste of different culture and cuisines at the sametime as people of all caste and religion are living within the same place once you are here one can enjoy every festival and colours of different castes at the same time.Moving on without giving you a much detail about the ancient history of the city I would like to guide you and show what more the city has to offer. 

 If you are making a trip to Kathmandu Valley these are some of the most important places to be:

PASHUPATINATH

 Lying 6 Km from central Kathmandu, Pashupatinath temple is one of the holiest Hindu temples dedicated to Lord Shiva. Situated amidst a lush green natural setting on the bank of the sacred Bagmati river, the temple, which was built in pagoda style, has a gilded roof and beautifully carved silver doors. Visitors will be permitted to view the temple from the east bank of the Bagmati river, as entrance into the temple is strictly forbidden to all non-Hindus. Pashupatinath is the centre of an annual pilgrimage on the day Shivaratri, which falls in February or March. Behind the temples are the cremation grounds.

Pashupatinath Temple

Boudanath

This stupa, situated 11 Km. from the center of Kathmandu, is one of the biggest in the world of its kind. It stands with four pairs of eyes in the four cardinal directions, keeping a lookout for righteous behavior and human prosperity. This Buddhist stupa was built by King Man Deva at the advice of the Goddess Mani Jogini. It is built on an octagonal base and is contains inset prayer wheels. The shrine is surrounded by the homes of Lamas, or Buddhist priests.

Boudhanath

Swayambunath

Located approximately 3km from the center of Kathmandu, this Buddist stupa is said to be 2000 years old. The stupa which forms the main structure is composed of a solid hemisphere of brick and earth which supports a lofty conical spire capped by a pinnacle of gilt copper.Painted on the four sided base below the spire are the all seeing eyes of lord Buddha. The whole area around the Stupa contains an array of small stupas and temples. This is one of the best places from which to view the Kathmandu valley, as it is situated an a small hillock.

Swayambunath

Nagarkot

It is situated about 35Km. east of Kathmandu city and from here one can see Mt. Everet and other peaks of the Himalayas. Nagarkot is located between Kathmandu valley in the west and Indravati in the east.The top of Nagarkot commmands accelerating views in all direction. The altitude of Nagarkot is 2229Mt. Above from sea level. It is also very popular for the viewing sunrise and sunset.

A view from Nagarkot 

Narayanhiti Palace Museum 

 The once Royal palace was turned officialy in 2009 partly into a Museum and the Foreign Ministry.It is designed to be a contemporary pagoda with sprawling, park-like grounds covering an area of (30 hectares (74 acres)) all fully enclused with walls and guarded gates. The current Narayanhiti Palace was built in 1970, replacing the original 1915 building, which had been destroyed in an earthquake. It was first used on the occasion of the marriage of King Birenda Bir Bikram Shah Dev, the then heir apparent to the throne.  Now you can visit the splendid Halls of the main building of the palace, entrance fee is 500 NRS for foreigners.

Narayanhiti Palace Museum

There are basically many more places to be when you are in Kathmandu Valley but the ones mentioned above are one of the most important places to be. I will be covering many other such places in my next edition.

What to buy??

Handicrafts: Nepali handicrafts are famous all over the world. In Nepal, the production of handicraft is an age-old practise. Novel handicraft is also developed in harmony with changing market taste. For the last 25–30 years, export of handicrafts has been growing. Handicrafts in Nepal are classified mainly mainly in two types. they are Textile products and Non- textile products. Textile products includes the following: Pashmina Products Woollen Goods Felt Products Silk Products Cotton Goods Hemp Goods Allo Goods Dhaka Products Misc.Textile Products The Non textile products includes the following products: Silver Jewellery Metal Craft Handmade Paper Products Wood Craft Glass Products Bone & Horn Products Crystal Products Ceramics Products Leather Goods Incense Plastic Items Paubha (Thanka) Beads Items Stone Craft Bamboo Products Miscellaneous Goods Handicraft.

Pashmina (the South Asian word for cashmere): Scarves and shawls can be purchased for a fraction of the price of those in Europe or North America. Look for those produced by the Tibetan refugee camp just outside of Patan or other charitable organizations.

Clothing: Kathmandu is a great place to shop for clothes. Flowing hippie gauzes, Monk's robes in saffrons and maroons, funky neon trance-wear, hemp clothing, dozens of elegant silks and 'suiting and shirting' are available in all qualities and prices.The alleys around Indra Chowk, between Thamel and Durbar Square, have dozens of fabric shops and tailors, much more dedicated to customer satisfaction than the hurried and expensive shops in Thamel. Bishal Bazaar near the corner of New Road and Durbar Square is a mall-like experience which also boasts several fabric shops and tailors. 

Electronics: A lot of people find Kathmandu a good place to buy a camera or other electronic device due to the lack of sales tax and import duty on electronics. There are shops in Thamel, and around New Road.

How to reach??

By Plane

Kathmandu's Tribhuvan International Airport  is the largest, and only international airport in Nepal. Most flights to Kathmandu arrive via Delhi, gulf countries (UAE Qatar, and Bahrain), or Bangkok, and of the remaining only a few originate from outside Asia.

By Bus

Kathmandu has frequent and cheap bus service to nearly all parts of Nepal, unfortunately due to poor roads and frequent delays the buses are some of the slowest and least comfortable in South Asia.Connections include India (usually Patna, Gorakhpur, Varanasi or Lucknow) and other parts of Nepal such as Chitwan National Park and the trekking hubs of Pokhara to the west, Langtang to the north and Jiri to the east of Kathmandu.