|
There are many beautiful and interesting places to visit
outside the Kathmandu Valley. The places are full of
history and historical remains and are remarkable for
their beauties. Most of the places can be easily reached
from Kathmandu by road or by air.
High in the Himalayan Mountains lies the small Kingdom
of Nepal, with its lofty mountains, deep valleys, lush
jungles, exotic wildlife and diverse peoples. Mostly
known as the ?Land of Everest? or the ?Birthplace of the
Lord Buddha?, Nepal has a variety of attractions to keep
tourists coming back for more.
Visit Nepal - We welcome you to Nepal, the country which
is one of the most exotic destinations of the world with
Adventure, Cultural, Pilgrimage & Wildlife Travel
Packages. We also offer hotel reservation & hotel
holiday packages.
|
Kathmandu |
| |
 Kathmandu,
the capital and the largest city of
Nepal, derives its name from Kasthmandap
or "house of wood" a pagoda-style
temple. A few steps away is the Temple
of the Living Goddess, where the clients
may catch a glimpse of the Kumari at one
of the open windows overlooking the
inner courtyard. All around the
splendour of historical monuments is the
hustle & bustle of the market place.
Vegetable vendors, trees of flutes,
salesmen with their wares displayed on
their person, souvenir hawkers, street
shop selling imported goods and tucked
away in a quiet corner the glittering
bead market for custom made bead
necklaces. |
| |
Top.. |
 |
|
|
Patan |
| |
 Patan
is also known as Lalitpur or the "city
of fine arts" and is the oldest city in
the valley. This Buddhist City is said
to have been founded by Emperor Ashoka
in the 3rd century BC. Patan is the
cradle of arts and architecture of the
valley, a great center both of the
Newari Buddhist religion and of
traditional arts & crafts with 136
bahals or courtyards and 55 major
temples. Well known among these are the
Krishna Mandir, Hiranya Varna Mahavihar,
Kumbheshwar temple, Jagatnarayan temple
& the Mahabouddha temple. Patan is
enclosed within 4 Buddhist stupas set on
the four-corners of the outer boundaries
of this ancient city. A tour of Patan
would also include a visit to the
Tibetan refugee village to witness the
hand weaving of Tibetan carpets using
age-old methods of dyeing and finishing.
Three or four persons at each loom
weaving traditional designs, chatting &
singing can also be seen here. |
| |
Top.. |
|
|
|
|
Bhaktapur |
| |
 Bhaktapur
or Bhadgaon meaning the "city of
devotees" lies 14 km east of Kathmandu.
It is the home of medieval art &
architecture and still retains its rich
medieval aroma. A city of farmers,
Bhaktapur is also known for it's pottery
and weaving. Bhaktapur is the most
charming and the best preserved of the
valley?s three cities. The intricately
carved temples, alleyways and timeless
atmosphere of this place is simply
intriguing. The major sightseeing places
in Bhaktapur include Durbar Square, the
Golden Gate, Palace of 55 windows, Bell
of the barking dogs, Nyatapole Temple,
Bhairavanath Temple, Dattatrya Temple,
Pujari Math etc; |
| |
Top.. |
|
|
|
|
Boudhanath |
| |
 The
stupa of Bodhanath lies 8 km east of
Kathmandu. It is the biggest Stupa in
Nepal and is located on flat land and
encircled by houses & monasteries, where
Rinpoches reside. This colossal Stupa is
set on concentric ascending terraces in
the powerful pattern of a Mandala.
Around the base of this strikingly
enormous and simple stupa is a ring of
108 images of the Buddha and 147 insets
containing prayer wheels.
|
| |
Top.. |
|
|
|
|
Bungmati & Khokana |
| |
 The
twin villages of Bungmati & Khokana date
from the 16th century and are located
south of Kathmandu, down a rutty road
dotted with Chaityas. Bungmati is the
winter home of lord Rato Machhendranath,
the protector God of Patan. The shrine
of Karya Binayak is located between the
two villages. At Khokana ancient oil
presses can be seen at work in village
houses.
|
| |
Top.. |
|
|
|
|
Budhanilkantha |
| |
9 km
north of Kathmandu in a small pond at
the foot of the Shivapuri Hills lies the
half-submerged massive black stone
statue of the reclining Vishnu resting
on a bed of snakes. Worshippers strew
the sleeping Vishnu with offerings of
flowers & rice. It is a monumental
sculpture from the Lichhavi period. |
| |
Top.. |
|
|
|
|
Champa Devi |
| |
The
hike to the top of Champa Devi (2,278m),
the highest peak on the Chandragiri
Ridge south west of Kirtipur, affords a
panoramic view of the west Kathmandu
valley, back dropped by the snow covered
Himalayas. Either starting from Chovar
or from Pharping the trail climbs
steeply to join at a saddle close to the
top. A Hindu shrine and a white stupa
mark the Champa Devi summit. Several
return routes are possible. Staying
close to the ridge continuing west, a
trail descends from the second saddle
north to Kirtipur. Another descends from
the third saddle and reaches Kisipidi. |
| |
Top.. |
|
|
|
|
Chandeshwari |
| |
Chandeshwari shrine is located north of
the sprawling trading town of Banepa
near Dhulikhel. A track leads northeast
past the town hospital to the temple on
the bank of a forested gorge. The temple
is dedicated to Parvati, whom they
called upon to slay ?Chand?, the most
fearsome of the demons. It thus became
known as Chandeshwari, "the slayer of
Chand". The main attraction is a
remarkable fresco of Bhairav, painted on
the western wall of the main structure.
The torana and struts of the
three-tiered temple are richly carved
with the eight Astha Marikas, or "Mother
goddesses" and eight Bhairavs. |
| |
Top.. |
|
|
