| 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.
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.
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.
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.
Budhanilkantha
:
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.
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 AD and said to be the oldest temple in the valley.It was
listed in the UNESCO world Heritage Monument List in 1979.
Palanchowk Bhagawati :
It is a 42km , one hour drive from kathmandu to palanchwok
on the Arniko Highway .This noted historic temple of goddess
kali is located at a hilltop some 7km north of panchkhal .One
can really enjoy the panoramic view of the landscape from
this spot .This temple is said to have been constructed during
the region of king Man Dev.The temple houses a three feet
high idol of goddess Bhagwati (Kali) artistically carved in
a black stone which is one of the best examples of such intricate
workmanship.
Dhulikhel
:
This ancient town is situated 30km east of kathmandu on the
side of the Arniko Rajmarga (Kathmandu-kodari Highway) .The
Newar town of Dhulikhel offers a traditional atmosphere along
with spectacular viwes.Once an important link in the ancient
trade route to Tibet , Dhulikhel has a glorious past which
can be seen in the lovely building and intricate wood carvings
in the shop-lined streets and temples.Pleasant climate (Even
during summer) is big attraction at Dhulikhel.
Dhulikhel is an exotic place to magnify a dramatic and beautiful
changing color of the mountain range from gray to silver and
gold with the rising of the sun .Both sunrise and sunset views
are really breathtaking and sensational.
Lumbini :
Lumbini, the birthplace
of Siddhartha Gautam Buddha, the Shakya prince and the ultimateBuddha,
the Enlightened One, is the pilgrimage destination of the
world'’ millions of people faithful to all schools of
Buddhism. This nativity site identified by Indian Emperor
Ashoka’s comme–morative pillar .
The main attraction at the Lumbini remains the sacred Garden
spread over 8 sq km and possessing all the treasures of the
historic area. The Mayadevi temple is the main attraction
for pilgrims and archaeologists alike. Here we find a bas
relief of Mayadevi ,the Buddha’s mother giving birth
to him. Standing west to the Mayadevi shrine is the oldest
monument of Nepal, the Ashoka's pillar .The pillar was ereced
by Emperor Ashoka in 249 BC to commemorate his pilgrimage
to the sacred site. To the south of the pillar, we fine the
sacred pond, Puskarni, where Queen Mayadevi had taken a bath
just before giving birth to the Buddha.
There are other places of interest too nearby as Kapilbastu
etc. It is accessible by air from Kathmandu to Bhairahwa.
From Kathmandu it takes about eight hours by bus or car.
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