Kathmandu the serene capital of Nepal

  Kathmandu, capital of the only Hindu Country Nepal.

Jalnarayan - Nepal

A view from the flight

 My visit to Nepal was an unplanned and unexpected journey. Nepal is known as the only country declared officially as a Hindu Country. My travel to the sacred Hindu temples and places had helped me to know more about the Hindu culture. I was able to interact to the people of these Hindu pilgrimage centres and was able to know more and more about the ancient culture of Hindus which is undoubtedly authentic. There is no culture in the world who can claim this much of rich, cultured and authentic civilization where all the living beings are considered as god’s creation. One of my visits was to the ancient Hindu religious places and temples, that is Kathmandu, capital city of Nepal. I am giving below what I came to know about this holy Hindu pilgrimage centre and Hindu temples of Kathmandu.

View of Kathmandu from flight

Kathmandu is the capital and the largest metropolitan city of Nepal. The city is the urban conglomeration of the Kathmandu Valley in the Himalayas, which contains two sister cities: Lalitpur (Patan), to its south and Bhaktapur or Bhadgaon, to its east, and a number of smaller towns. The city stands at an elevation of approximately 1,400 metres (4,600 ft) in the bowl-shaped valley in central Nepal surrounded by four major hills, namely: Shivapuri, Phulchowki, Nagarjun and Chandragiri. Kathmandu valley is part of three districts, Kathmandu District, Lalitpur District and Bhaktapur District, with the highest population density in the country.

An outside view from the flight

View of Kathmandu from flight

A view from the flight

Kathmandu is not only the capital of the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal but also the headquarters of the Central Region (Madhyamanchal) among the five development regions constituted by the 14 administrative zones of Nepal located at the central part of the country. The Central region has three zones namely, Bagmati, Narayani and Janakpur. Kathmandu is located in the Bagmati Zone. 

Kathmandu, as the gateway to Nepal Tourism, is the nerve centre of the country’s economy. The city’s rich history is more than 2000 years old, as inferred from an inscription in the valley. Its religious affiliations are predominantly Hindu, followed by Buddhism. People of various other religious beliefs also live in Kathmandu, giving it a cosmopolitan culture. Nepali is the common language of the city; English is generally understood by the educated population of the city. In addition, a significant proportion of the population speaks or understands other foreign languages such as Hindi, French, German, Chinese, Hebrew, Korean, etc. The literacy rate is estimated to be about 98% in the city. 

View of Kathmandu from flight

An outside view through the window of flight

From the point of view of tourism, economy and cultural heritage, the sister cities of Lalitpur (Patan) and Bhaktapur are integral to Kathmandu. The cultural heritage recognition under the World Heritage list of the UNESCO has recognized all the monuments in the three cities as one unit under the title “Kathmandu Valley”.

History

Kathmandu

Kathmandu

Kathmandu

Kathmandu

The city of Kathmandu is named after a structure in Durbar Square called Kasthamandap. In Sanskrit, Kastha is "wood" and Mandap is "covered shelter." This unique temple, also known as Maru Sthal, was built in 1596 by King Laxmi Narsingh Malla. The two-story structure is made entirely of wood, using no iron nails or supports. Legend has it that the timber used for this pagoda was obtained from a single tree. 

The medieval era name of Kathmandu was Kantipur, which is sometimes used to denote the city. This name derives from two Sanskrit words- Kanti and pur. "Kanti" is an alternate name of the Goddess Lakshmi, and "pur" means place.

Its original name, "Yen", was given to it by the indigenous Newar people, before the introduction of Sanskritized culture. The meaning and significance of it is still unknown and under debate. In daily usage, locals call the city Yen. The Nepalbhasha version of the name of the metropolis is Yen Mahanagarpalika.

Tourism, considered as an important industry in Nepal, opened up as the country's political equation changed in 1950 and thus isloation with the rest of the world ended. In the following year, establishing air services and the opening of the Tribhuvan Highway between Kathmandu and Raxaul at the border with India in 1956 were started. Separate organizations to promote this activity was created in the form of the Tourism Development Board, Department of Tourism and Civil Aviation Department in Kathmandu. Further, Nepal became a member of several international tourists associations. Establishing diplomatic relations with other nations further accentuated this activity. 

Bhairav Temple in front of Kasthamandap

Bhairav Temple in front of Kasthamandap

Since tourism has opened up in the country it is sometimes said to be the 'third religion' of Nepal, as the country's most important industry that plays a large role in the economic activity of Kathmandu. This activity is central to Kathmandu, the gateway to Nepal. It is a major source of income for most of the people of the city with some several hundred thousands of visitors annually. Hindu and Buddhist pilgrims from all over the world visit various religious places located in Kathmandu and the surrounding district such as Pashupatinath, Swayambhunath, Baudhanath, Budhanilkantha etc. All this tourism is attributed to the natural grandeur of the Himalayas and rich cultural heritage of the country. 

The neighborhood of Thamel is Kathmandu's primary 'traveler's ghetto,' packed with guest houses, restaurants, shops and bookstores catering to tourists from abroad. Freak Street, also known as Jochhen Tole, is Kathmandu's original traveler's haunt made popular by the hippies of the 1970s and remains a popular alternative to Thamel.

The largest ethnic groups are Newars, Brahmins and Kshetris. Tamangs originating from surrounding hill districts can be seen quite clearly in Kathmandu. More recently, other hill ethnic groups and Caste groups from Terai have shown their presence as well. The major languages are Nepali and Nepal Bhasa. The major religions are Hinduism and Buddhism. 

The linguistic profile of Kathmandu underwent drastic changes during the Shah Dynasty rule on account of their very strong bias towards the Brahminic culture. Sanskrit language, therefore, got a boost and people were encouraged to learn this language even by attending Sanskrit learning centres in India. Sanskrit schools were specially set up in Kathmandu and in the terai region to inculcate traditional Hindu culture and practices. 

The ancient and refined traditional culture in Kathmandu, for that matter in the whole of Nepal, is an uninterrupted and exceptional meeting of the Hindu and Buddhist ethos practiced by its highly religious people. It has also embraced in its fold the cultural diversity provided by the other religions such as Jainism, Islam and Christianity. The ancient trade route between India and Tibet that passed through Kathmandu enabled fusion of artistic and architectural traditions of other cultures to be amalgamated with local architectural and artistic culture. 

Kathmandu has also been described variously as "Land of Gods" and as "land of the largest congregations of magnificent historical monuments and shrines ever built".

The City Core has most of the remarkable cultural wealth that evolved during the reign of the Malla (Nepal) kings between 15th and 18th centuries. The city was filled with sculptures, pagodas, stupas and palace buildings of exceptional beauty. There are also 106 monastic courtyards (known as baha or bahi) known for their art and piety. The level of skill of the local artisans are the exquisite wood carving, stone carving, metal casting, weaving, pottery and other crafts. The finest wood carvings are seen on the ornate windows of old buildings and on the roof struts of temples. 

Architectural heritage of Kathmandu city is integral to that of the Kathmandu valley since all monuments have evolved over centuries of craftsmanship influenced by Hindu and Buddhist religious practices. The architectural treasure of the Kathmandu valley has been categorized under the well known seven groups of heritage monuments and buildings. In 2006, UNESCO declared these seven groups of monuments as a "World Heritage Site" (WHS). The seven monuments zones cover an area of 188.95 hectares (466.9 acres), with the buffer zone extending to 239.34 hectares (591.4 acres). The Seven Monument Zones (Mzs) inscribed originally in 1979 with a minor modification is inscribed in the year 2006, are: Five monuments in Kathmandu – Durbar square of Hanuman Dhaka, Hindu temples of Pashupatinath and Changunarayan, the Buddha stupas of Swayambu and Boudhanath; and two monuments outside Kathmandu city limits, in the satellite towns of Patan and Bhaktapur – Durbar square at Patan, Durbar square at Bhaktapur. 

Places of Interest

Durbar square

 

The literal meaning of Durbar Square is a place of palaces. There are three preserved Durbar Squares in Kathmandu valley and one unpreserved in Kirtipur. The Durbar Square of Kathmandu is located in the old city and has heritage buildings representing four kingdoms (Kantipur, Lalitpur, Bhaktapur, Kirtipur), built over centuries, the earliest being the Licchavi dynasty. There were further additions and refurbishments during the reign of Mallas (9th century) and then the Ranas. The complex has 50 temples and is distributed in two quadrangles of the Durbar Square. The outer quadrangle has the Kasthamandap, Kumari Ghar and Shiva-Parvati Temple while the inner quadrangle has the Hanuman dhoka and the main palace.

Kasthamandap

Kasthamandap

Kasthamandap

Kasthamandap

Kasthamandap

Kasthamandap

 

Kasthamandap is a three storied temple enshrining the deity of Goraknath – The Lord who protects cows) – a form of the Lord Shiva. It was built in the 16th century in Pagoda style. It is said to be one of the oldest wooden buildings in the world. The name of Kathmandu is a derivative of the Kashtamandap. It was built under the reign of King Laxmi Narsingha Malla and an interesting legend is stated to its wooden construction. The story narrated is about Gorakhnath, a disciple of Machindranath Gorakhnath, who was spotted by a tantrik in human form, during the chariot procession of his guru Machhindranath. The tantrik held him under a spell and sought his help seeking materials to build a temple in Kathmandu. Once the boon was bestowed, a huge tree started growing at the location where the present temple exists. With the wood of this single tree, the tantrik built the Kastamantap temple. Once in a year a huge ceremony is performed in the temple. The temple is open after midday until midnight.

Hanuman Dhoka 

Hanuman Dhoka is a complex of structures with the Royal Palace of the Malla kings and also of the Shah dynasty. It is spread over five acres. The eastern wing with ten courtyards is the oldest part dated to the mid-16th century. It was expanded by King Pratap Malla in the 17th century with many temples. Sundari Chowk and Mohan Chowk in the north part of the palace are both closed. In 1768, in the southeast part of the palace, four lookout towers were added by Prithvi Narayan Shah. The royal family lived in this palace till 1886, where after they shifted to Narayanhiti Palace. The stone inscription outside is in fifteen languages and legend states that if all the 15 are read milk would spring from the middle of stone tablet.

Kumari Ghar

Kumari Ghar is a palace in the center of the Kathmandu city, next to the Durbar square where a Royal Kumari (Virgin) selected from several Kumaris from several places resides. Kumari, or Kumari Devi, is the tradition of worshipping young pre-pubescent girls as manifestations of the divine female energy or devi in South Asian countries. In Nepal the selection process for her is very rigorous. Kumari is believed to be the bodily incarnation of the goddess Taleju (the Nepalese name for Durga) until she menstruates, after which it is believed that the goddess vacates her body. Serious illness or a major loss of blood from an injury are also causes for her to revert to common status. The current Royal Kumari, Matina Shakya, aged four, was installed in October 2008.

Pashupatinath Temple

Opposite to Pasupathinath Temple

Opposite to Pasupathinath Temple

Pasupathinath Temple

Premaanand in front of Pasupathinath Temple

Premaanand in front of Pasupathinath Temple

Pasupathinath Temple

Opposite to Pasupathinath Temple

Pashupatinath Temple is a famous Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Shiva (Pashupati). Located on the banks of the Bagmati River in the eastern part of Kathmandu, Pashupatinath Temple is the oldest Hindu temple in Kathmandu which is near to Hareram Ghar established by Pt Kaviprasad Gautam in 1929 for endless 24hrs harerama kirtan and was established in the 5th century, and served as the seat of national deity, Lord Pashupatinath. However, a significant part of the temple was destroyed by Mughal invaders in the 14th century and little or nothing remains of the original 5th century temple exterior. The temple as it stands today was built in the 19th century, although the image of the bull and the black four headed image of Pashupati are at least 300 years old. The temple is listed in UNESCO World Heritage Sites list. Shivaratri is the most important festival, attracting thousands of devotees and sadhus.

Believers in Pashupatinath (mainly Hindus) are allowed to enter the temple premises but non-Hindu visitors are allowed to view the temple from the across the bank of Bagmati river. The priests who perform the services at this temple have been Brahmins from South India since the time of Malla King Yaksha Malla. This tradition is believed to have been started at the request of Adi Shankaracharya who sought to unify the different states of Bharatam (India) by encouraging cultural exchange. This procedure is also followed in other temples around India, which were sanctified by Adi Shankaracharya.

The temple is built in the pagoda style of architecture, with cubic constructions, beautifully carved wooden rafters on which they rest and two level roofs made of copper and gilded in gold. It has four main doors, all covered with silver sheets and the western door has a statue of large bull or Nandi, again covered in gold. The deity is of black stone, about 6 feet in height and the same in circumference.

The banks of River Bhagmati near the temple of Lord Pashupatinath are considered sacred and hence famous for cremations. Every day hundreds of cremations are done in the banks of Bhagmati in the backside of the temple of Lord Pashupatinath. It is believed if the last rites are performed here the soul will be able to attain salvation by the grace of Lord Pashupatinath.

Boudhanath

Bhoudhanath Temple

Bhoudhanath Temple

Antique shop at Bhoudhanath Temple

The Boudhanath, (also written Bouddhanath, Bodhnath, Baudhanath or the Khasa Chaitya), is one of the holiest Buddhist sites in Nepal along with Swayambhu, and it is one of the most popular tourist sites in the Kathmandu area. It is known as Khasti by Newars and as Bauddha or Bodhnath by modern speakers of Nepali. Located about 11 km from the center and northeastern outskirts of Kathmandu, the stupa's massive mandala makes it one of the largest spherical stupas in Nepal. Boudhanath became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979.

The Gopalarajavaṃsavali documents that the Boudhanath was founded by the Nepalese Licchavi king Sivadeva (c.590–604 AD); though other Nepalese chronicles date it to the reign of King Manadeva (464–505 AD). Tibetan sources claim a mound on the site was excavated in the late 15th or early 16th century and the bones of king Amshuvarma 605–621 were discovered, while other Nepali sources claim it was constructed by a prince to seek forgiveness for unwittingly killing his own father. However, the Emperor of the Tibetan Empire, Trisong Detsan (r. 755 to 797) is also traditionally associated with the construction of the Boudhanath Stupa, after Songsten Gampo was converted to Buddhism by his wives the Nepali princess Bhrikuti Devi and Princess Wen Cheng of China in the 7th century and passes it on to Detsan. However, given that Kathmandu was invaded by the Mughals in the 14th century and destroyed the monument, the current stupa is believed to date to sometime after this.

The base of the stupa has 108 small depictions of the Dhyani Buddha Amitabha and is surrounded with a brick wall with 147 niches, each with four or five prayer wheels engraved with the mantra, “Aum Mani Padme Hum”. At the northern entrance where visitors pass is a shrine dedicated to the goddess of smallpox, Ajima. The stupa attracts many Tibetan Buddhist pilgrims annually who perform full body prostrations in the inner lower enclosure, circumambulate the stupa with prayer wheels and chant and pray. Thousands of prayer flags are hoisted up from the top of the stupa downwards and dot the parameters of the complex. The influx of large populations of Tibetan refugees from China has seen the construction of over 50 Tibetan Gompas (Monasteries) around Boudhanath.

Swayambhu

View of Kathmandu from Swayambu

Swayambhu Temple

Swayambhu Temple

Swayambhu Temple

Premaanand in front of Swayambhu Temple

Entrance to Swayambhu Temple

Swayambhu, also known as the Monkey Temple as there are holy monkeys living in parts of the temple in the north-west, is among the oldest religious sites in Nepal. Although the site is considered Buddhist, the place is revered by both Buddhists and Hindus. Numerous kings, Hindu followers, are known to have paid their homage to the temple, including Pratap Malla, the powerful king of Kathmandu, who is responsible for the construction of the eastern stairway in the 17th century. According to the Gopalarajavaṃsavali Swayambhu was founded by the great-grandfather of King Manadeva (464–505 AD), King Vrsadeva, about the beginning of the 5th century AD. This seems to be confirmed by a damaged stone inscription found at the site, which indicates that King Manadeva ordered work done in 640 AD. However, Emperor Ashoka is said to have visited the site in the 3rd century BC and built a temple on the hill, which was later destroyed. Legend has it that the Buddha himself visited Swayambhu and gave teachings there two hundred years earlier. 

The stupa consists of a dome at the base. Above the dome, there is a cubical structure present with eyes of Buddha looking in all four directions with the word "unity" in the main Nepali dialect between them. There are pentagonal Toran present above each of the four sides with statues engraved in them. Behind and above the torana there are thirteen tiers. Above all the tiers, there is a small space above which the Gajur is present.

Changu Narayan

Changu Narayan is an ancient Hindu temple located near the village of Changunarayan in the Kathmandu Valley on top of a hill at the eastern end of the valley. Its location is 6 kilometres to the north of Bhakthapur and 22 kilometres from Kathmandu. The temple is one of the oldest Hindu temples of the valley, and is believed to have been constructed first in the 4th century. Changu Narayan is the name of Vishnu, and the temple is dedicated to him. A stone slab discovered in the vicinity of the temple dates to the 5th century, and is the oldest such stone inscription discovered in Nepal. It was rebuilt after the old temple was devastated. Many stone sculptures here date to the Licchavi period. Changu Narayan Temple is listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. 

The temple is a double-roofed structure where the idol of Lord Vishnu in his incarnation as Narayana is deified. The exquisitely built temple has intricate roof struts showing multi-armed Tantric deities. A kneeling image of Garuda (dated to the 5th century), the vahana or vehicle of Vishnu with a snake around its neck, faces the temple. The gilded door depicts stone lions guarding the temple. Gilded windows also flank the door. A conch and a disc, symbols of Vishnu, are carved on the two pillars at the entrance. Non-Hindus are not allowed inside the temple. 

Bhimsen Tower (Dharahara)

 

Dharahara, also known as the Bhimsen Tower is a nine story tall tower in the center of Kathmandu. It was originally built in 1832 by the Prime Minister of the time, Bhimsen Thapa, under the command of Queen Lalit Tripura Sundari. It survived an earthquake just two years after construction in 1834, but on January 15, 1934, another earthquake destroyed the tower and it was then rebuilt by the prime minister of the time, Juddha Shumsher, who renovated Dharahara to its previous form. 

The tower has a spiral staircase inside containing 113 steps. The 8th floor holds a circular balcony for observers to have a panoramic view of the whole Kathmandu valley. The tower has a 5.2 metres (17 ft)) bronze mast on the roof. The tower has been open for the general public since 2005 for a small fee. 

Narayanhiti

Narayanhiti, in Narayanhiti Palace, is made up of two words ‘narayan’ and ‘hiti’. 'Naryan' is a form of Hindu god "Lord Vishnu” whose temple is located opposite to the palace and ‘hiti’ means “water spout” which is also located to the east of main entrance in the precincts of the palace, and which has a legend associated with it. The entire enclosure surrounded by a compound wall, located in the north-central part of Kathmandu, is called the Narayanhiti palace. It was a new palace, in front of the old palace of 1915 vintage, built in 1970 in the form of a contemporary Pagoda. It was built on the occasion of the marriage of King Birenda Bir Bikram Shah, the then heir apparent to the throne. The southern gate of the palace is located at the crossing of Prithvipath and Darbar Marg roads. The palace area covers (30 hectares (74 acres)) and is fully secured with gate controlled walls on all sides. The palace, was the scene of a gruesome tragedy, termed “Nepal’s greatest tragedy”, on June 1, 2001 at the hall in the palace where the Crown Prince Dipendra in an inebriated state supposedly gunned down his immediate family consisting of his father King Birendra, his mother Queen Aishvarya, his brother and sister, and also five of his relatives, later killing himself. After the massacre of King Birendra and his family, the next king in line was his brother Gyanendra and his family who lived at the palace. The newly elected assembly on 28 May 2008 declared that Nepal had become a secular and inclusive democratic republic. The King was thereafter given 15 days to vacate the Narayanhiti Royal Palace, to reopen it as a public museum.

Budhanilkantha – Jal Narayan

Located here is a Deity of Lord Vishnu, Vishnu (Narayan) Jalasayana, lying on Ananta Sesha, in the cosmic ocean. The Deity is over 1,000 years old. Lord Vishnu is about 5m (17 ft) long and is lying in a 13m (43 ft) long tank, as if floating, with His legs crossed. His four hands hold the four symbols of Vishnu: the chakra (disc), club, and conch-shell and lotus flower.

Jalnarayan

Jalnarayan

Jalnarayan

Jalnarayan

Jalnarayan

Jalnarayan

Budhanilkantha literally means “old blue-throat.” Ananta has 11-hooded heads. It is believed that the deity was carved in the 7th or 8th century during the Licchavi period. Hindus can walk down the steps and touch His feet, but foreigners cannot. The main festival of the year is when Lord Vishnu, who sleeps on the cosmic ocean during Caturmasya period wakes up on the Haribondhini Ekadashi day in late October or early November.

Three other images of Lord Vishnu were carved at the same time. One here at Budhanilkantha is considered the most important and original, one is at Balaju Gardens, and one is at the old Royal Palace in Kathmandu, but can not be viewed by tourist. The king of Nepal is not allowed to see the deity at Budhanilkantha, but he can see the other two deities.

It is believed if the king sees this deity of Vishnu he will die immediately. The deity of Budhanilkantha was lost for a while and was later rediscovered by a farmer. It is believed that the farmers struck the buried deity with his plough and that blood came out from the ground.The morning puja between 9 and 10 am is interesting.

Sleeping Narayana from Budha Nilakantha, Nepal, circa 8th century. The idol is more than life size. Lord Vishnu reclining on the coils of a cosmic serpent on the infinite ocean from which the world emerges. The Lord is shown lying on a thousand-headed snake named Shesha or Ananta Nag - Timeless or Ageless snake.