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Detailed itinerary of Sight Seeing in and around
Kathmandu-Sankhu-Nagarkot-Changunarayan-Patan
The Kathmandu Valley is home to the country's most
spectacular artistic & architectural. Achievements,
complemented by the backdrop of the verdant hills and
the awe-inspiring peaks of the Himalaya. Clusters of
temples and palaces stand as reminders of the region's
rich cultural history. Kathmandu and Bhaktapur, each
boast a Durbar Square filled with brick-and wooden
temples and unrivalled metal works crafted by the
valley's indigenous Newari people, who are among South
Asia's foremost artisans. Our tour offers the perfect
blend to experience Nepal for you - one that is sure to
provide a lifetime of wonderful memories. You'll stroll
the bustling streets of Kathmandu, Asia's hippie
capital, visit temples, go on elephant back in search of
Royal Bengal tigers, leopards, rhinos and other wild
game in their natural habitat, stay at some of the best
hotels and lodges in Nepal.
Kathmandu Durbar Square
The Kathmandu Durbar Square holds the palaces of the
Malla and Shah kings who ruled over the city. Along with
these palaces, the square also surrounds quadrangles
revealing courtyards and temples. The square is
presently known as Hanuman Dhoka, a name derived from
the statue of Hanuman, the monkey devotee of Lord Ram,
near the entrance of the palace. The oldest temples in
the square are those built by Mahendra Malla
(1560-1574).
They are the temples of Jagannath, Kotilingeswara
Mahadev, Mahendreswara, and the Taleju Temple.
Jayaprakash Malla, the last Malla king to rule Kathmandu,
built a temple for Kumari, Durga in her virginal state.
The temple was named Kumari Bahal and was structured
like a typical Newari vihara.
In his house resides the Kumari, an immature girl who is
revered as the living goddess. He also made a chariot
for Kumari and in the courtyard had detailed terra cotta
tiles of that time laid down. One can also buy the
things of interest such as curious, arts and crafts and
jewelleries.
Swayambhunath
At the top of a knoll on the west of Kathmandu, they're
one of the famous temples in Nepal. Swayambhunath Stupa.
Because of there are many wild monkeys in the area, it
is also very well known as Monkey temple. This is one of
the important places for study of the Buddhism; it has a
history of up to 2500 years.
The Stupa has the eyes of the Buddha painted on the four
sides; it represented the invisible power of the Buddha.
In between the eyes, there is a sign that look like a
question mark (?) at the position of the nose; it is
actually the number 1 in Nepalese language.
It represents the unity of the universal. The Stupa has
classic structure. At the white half globe base, first
level is round which represents the Earth; second level
is square which represents the Air; third level is
triangle which represents Water; forth level is an
umbrella which represents Fire; fifth level is spiral
shape which represents Live.
Bouddhnath
The Great Stupa is five km. to the north-east of
Kathmandu . It is surrounded by many gompas and an
arcade of shops. Since the hippie influx, tourism has
brought new opportunities to the area and there are
Tibetan, Tamang, and Sherpa and Newari people living
there.
This Stupa is the largest Buddhist structure in Nepal ,
and has been a power place and an important site of
pilgrimage since its construction. On their way north
out of the Valley, caravans of salt traders, monks,
lamas and others made an obligatory stop here to perform
protection and prosperity rituals. Nepalese historians
trace the construction of the Stupa to the early reign
of Manadeva who ruled Nepal in the fifth century CE.
Patan (Patan Durbar Square)
The ancient city is situated on the southern bank of the
river Bagmati and is about five kms southeast of
Kathmandu. The city is full of Buddhist monuments and
Hindu temples with fine bronze gateways, guardian
deities and wonderful carvings. Noted for its craftsmen
and metal workers, it is known as the city of artists.
Patan is the oldest of the three ancient city-kingdoms
of the Kathmandu valley which once ruled by the mallas.
Patan is still populated mostly by Newars, two-thirds of
them being Buddhist. As in Kathmandu and Bhaktapur, a
fusion prevails between Hinduism and Buddhism. Also, as
in those cities, Patan has a Durbar Square and a
labyrinth of winding lanes. The square boasts of many
famous sites and unique architecture.
Krishna Mandir in the Patan Durbar Square was
built to honor an incarnation of Vishnu. Krishna fought
by the side of the Pandavs in the Mahabharat war to
assure that truth would prevail. This temple is the best
example of stone architecture in Nepal. Scenes from the
Mahabharat, Asia's greatest mythological war, are carved
on the temple's wall. The Bhimsen Temple which honors
Bhim - great wrestler, brother of the Pandavs, and a
deity to Nepalese businessmen - contains fine samples of
metal craft. The best place, however, to see metal
sculpture is the Hiranya Varna Mahabihar, the "Golden
Temple". It is a Newar monastery which contains wall
painting, fourteenth century statues, and scriptures.
Other sites including the Mahabouddha Temple and Uku
Bahal are only a few minutes walk away from the square.
The streets in this area are home to metal sculptors of
the present day. Many more temples dedicated to Ganesh,
the elephant-headed god, Shiva, Narsingha, Taleju, and
others are situated in the Patan Durbar Square.
Bhaktapur (Bhadgoan)
Bhaktapur situated at an altitudue of 1,401 m. Bhaktapur
covers an area of 4 square miles. Shaped like a
conch-shell. Bhaktapur means the city of devotees.
Pottery and weaving are its traditional industries. The
city lies about 14 kilometres East of Kathmandu and can
be reached by public transport and by trolley buses. The
major sightseeing places in Bhaktapur include:
Durbar Square: The main square of the city
contains innumerable temples and other architectural
showpieces like the Lion Gate, the Statue of King
Bhupatindra Malla, the Picture Gallery, the Golden Gate,
the Palace of 55 windows, the Batsala temple and the
Bell of barking dogs, etc. The statue of the King
Bhupatindra Malla in the act of worship is placed on a
column facing the palace. Of the many statues available
in Nepal this is considered to be the most magnificent.
The Palace of 55 Windows: was built in the
seventeenth century by King Bhupatindra Malla. Among the
brick walls with their gracious setting and sculptural
design, is a balcony of 55 windows. This balcony is a
masterpiece of wood carving.
The Stone Temple of Batsala Devi: which is also
located in the Durbar square is full of intricate
carvings. This temple also sets a beautiful example of
Shikhara style of architecture in Nepal. There is a
bronze bell on the terrace of the temple which is also
known as the "bell of barking dogs". This colossal bell,
placed in 1737 A.D. was used to sound curfew during that
time.
Nyatapola Temple: This five-storey pagoda was
built in 1702 A.D. by King Bhupatindra Malla. It stands
on a five-terraced platform. On each of the terraces
squat a pair of figures; two famous wrestlers, two
elephants, two lions, two griffins and Baghini and
Singini the tiger and the lion goddesses. This is one of
the tallest pagodas and is famous for its massive
structureand subtle workmanship.
Dattatraya Temple: Built in 1427 A.D. this temple
is said to have been built from trunk of a single tree.
Near this temple is a monastery with exquisitely carved
peacock windows.
Changu Narayan: Situated at the end of a long
ridge which runs well into the Valley, it is said to
have been built by King Hari Dutta in 323 A.D. and said
to be the oldest temple in the Valley.
Nagarkot: Nagarkot is a popular tourist resort of
Nepal. It is situated 32 kilometers east of Kathmandu at
an altitude of 2,175 m. above the sealevel. The panorama
of the major peaks of eastern Nepal Himalayas
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