Swayambhunath:
The Buddhist temple of Swayambhunath situated
on the top of a hill west of the city,
is on the most popular and instantly recognisable
symbols of Nepal. The temple is colloquially
know as the 'monkey templ' after the large
tribe of handsome monkeys which guards
the hill and amuses visitors and devotees
with tricks, including slinding gracefully
down the double banisters of the main
stairway to the temple. The roving monkeys
quickly snatch up any offerings of food
made by devotes and will just as quickly
grab anything you may be carrying.
Temple
of Kumari: Kumari (Vestal
virgin), or the Living Goddess, who represent
a very ancient Hindu diety of Nepal locally
known as Taleju, is Buddhist by birth.
The temple of Kumari is situated in the
vicinity of the Hanuman Dhoka Palace.
The building has intricately carved wooden
balconies and window screens. The Kumari
acknowledges greetings from her balcony
window. Once a year, during Indra Jatra
festival, the King of Nepal seeks the
Kumari’s blessing.
Bouddhanath:
The Stupa of Bouddhanath lies 8 km east
of Kathmandu. This ancient colossal Stupa
is one of the biggest in the world, and
the center of Tibetan Buddhism in the
world. Budhanilkanth
: About 8 km north of
Kathmandu, at the base of Shivapuri hill
is a remarkable colossal statue of Lord
Vishnu, reclining on a bed of snakes.
This is one of the masterpieces of stone
sculptures of the Lichchhavi period. This
fifth century status is in the middle
of a small pond and seems to float in
water. Patan:
The ancient city of Patan, lying
5km southeast
of Kathmandu, is known as the city of
fine arts .The city is full of Hindus
temples and Buddhist monuments .The diversity
of the medieval culture that allowed both
Hinduism and Buddhism to flourish has
left a rich legacy of impressive sightseeing
in this city for today’s visitors. Hanumandhoka:
It is the historic seat of royalty. The
Durbar Square, with its old temples and
palaces, epitomizes the religious and
cultural life of the people. It is here
that kings of Nepal are crowned and their
coronations
solemnized. Interesting things to see
here are:
Taleju Temple built by King Mahendra Malla
in 1549 AD, the temple of Kal Bhairav,
the God of destruction, Nautalle Durbar,
Coronation Nasal Chowk, the Gaddi Baithak,
the statue of King Pratap Malla, the Big
Drum and the Jagannath Temple. On the right hand corner,
a large wooden lattice screen hides an
enormous gilded face of Sweta Bhairav.
The screen is removed only during the
Indra Jatra festival. There are also the
Numismatic Museum and Tribhuvan Museum
inside the Hanuman Dhoka Palace building.
Photography is prohibited inside the museum.
Both the museum remain closed on Sundays,
Mondays and government
holidays. Pashupatinath:
Situated 5 km east of Kathmandu, the temple
of Lord Shiva, Pashupatinath, with two
tiered golden roof and silver door is
considered one of the holiest shrines
for Hindu. It is Top Hindu temple of the
world. Although only Hindus are allowed
inside the temple, visitors can clearly
see the temple and the activities performed
in the temple premises from the eastern
bank of the Bagmati river.
Nagarkot : Nagarkot is popular tourist resort of Nepal .It is a situated 32 km east of Kathmandu at an altitude of 2,175 m above sea level .The panorama of the major peaks of the eastern Nepal Himalaya includes Sagarmatha (Mt Everest) can be seen from here. Nagarkot is famous for sunrise and sunset view. Bhaktapur: Situated at an altitude of 1,401m, Bhaktapur covers an area of four square miles. Bhaktapur or the city of Devotees still retains a medieval charm and visitors to this ancient town are treated to myriad wonders of cultural and artistic achievements .The past glory of the Malla rulers continues to be reflected at the Durbar Square. Pottery and weaving are its traditional industries. Bhaktapur is famous for woodcarving, the Bhadgaolen topi (cap) and curd. The city lies about 14 km east of Kathmandu and can be reached by public transport. Godavari: Situated at the foothills of Phulchowki, the Royal Botanical Garden of Godavari has splendid natural beauty .The road from Patan city runs to Godavari to the southeast, passing through the small old towns of Harisiddhi, Thaiba and Bodegaun .The only botanical garden in Nepal, it is open daily including weekends and government holidays. |