Nepal » Sightseeing in Nepal

The history of Nepal is characterized by its isolated position in the Himalayas and its two dominant neighbors, India and China. Due to the arrival of disparate settler groups from outside through the ages, it is now a multi-ethnic, multi-cultural, multi-lingual country. Its population is predominantly Hindu with significant presence of Buddhists, who were in majority at one time in the past. Nepal was split in three kingdoms from the 15th to 18th century, when it was unified under a monarchy. The national language is “Nepali”

Kathmandu Durbar Square:-
The literal meaning of Durbar Square is a place of palaces. The history of the city Kathmandu, which is inseparable from that of the Kathmandu valley, dates back to ancient times.

Kasthamandap: -
Kasthamandap is a three storied temple enshrining the deity of Gorakhnath. The Lord who protects cows a form of the god 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 Kasthamandap. It was built under the reign of King Laxmi Narsingha Malla and an interesting legend is stated to its wooden construction.

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. Kumari Ghar: - Living goddess of Nepal at Kumari Ghar is a palace in the center of the Kathmandu city, next to the Durbar Square where a Kumari selected from several Kumaris from several places resides. Kumari is the tradition of worshipping young pre-pubescent girls as manifestations of the divine female energy (Devi) in South Asian countries. In Nepal the selection process for her is very rigorous.

Patan Durbar Square: -
Patan is one of the major cities of Nepal. It is one of the sub-metropolitan cities of Nepal located in the south-western part of Kathmandu valley. It is best known for its rich cultural heritage, particularly its tradition of arts and crafts. It is also called as city of festival and feast, fine ancient art, making of metallic and stone carving statue. At the time of the 2001 Nepal census it had a population of 162,991 in 68,922 individual households.

Bhaktapur: -
Bhaktapur also Bhadgaon is an ancient Newar town in the east corner of the Kathmandu Valley. It is located in Bhaktapur District in the Bagmati Zone. It is the third largest city in Kathmandu valley and was once the capital of Nepal during the great Malla Kingdom until the second half of the 15th century. Bhaktapur is listed as a World Heritage by UNESCO for its rich culture, temples, and wood, metal and stone art work. It is the home of traditional art and architecture, historical monuments and craft works, magnificent windows, pottery and weaving industries, excellent temples, beautiful ponds, rich local customs, culture, religion, festivals, musical mystic and so on. Bhaktapur is still an untouched as well as preserved ancient city, which in fact, is itself a world to explore for tourist.

Pashupatinath Temple:-
The Pashupatinath Temple is the largest Hindu temple of Lord Shiva (Pashupati) in the world and regarded as the most sacred. Located on the banks of the Bagmati River in the eastern part of Kathmandu, Pashupatinath Temple is the oldest Hindu temple in Kathmandu and was established in the 5th century and served as the seat of national deity, Lord Pashupatinath, until Nepal was secularized. The temple is listed in UNESCO World Heritage Sites list. Shivaratri or the night of Lord Shiva is the most important festival, attracting thousands of devotees and Sadhus. The temple is built in the pagoda style of architecture, with cubic constructions, beautifully carved wooden rafters on which they rest (tundal) 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 (Nandi) again covered in gold. The deity is of black stone, about 6 feet in height and the same in circumference.

Boudhanath:-
The Boudhanath is one of the holiest Buddhist sites in Nepal along with Swayambhunath, and it is one of the most popular tourist sites in the Kathmandu area. It is lies 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 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, Om Mani Padme Hum. At the northern entrance where visitors must 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. The influx of large populations of Tibetan refugees from China has seen the construction of over 50 Tibetan Gompas (Monasteries) around Boudhanath.

Swayambhunath:-
Swayambhunath, 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. 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 toran 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 km to the north of Bhaktapur and 22 km 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 Lichavi 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 (vehicle of Vishnu) with a snake around its neck faces the temple. The gilded door depicts stone lions guarding 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. The tower has a spiral staircase inside containing 113 steps or none because there is an elevator. The 8th floor holds a circular balcony for an observer that provides a panoramic view of the whole Kathmandu valley. The tower has a 5.2 m bronze mast on the roof. The tower has been open for the general public since 2005 for a small fee.

Narayanhiti Royal Palace:-
Narayanhiti Palace is made up of two words ‘Narayan’ and ‘Hiti’. 'Narayan' 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, which was built on the occasion of the marriage of King Birenda Bir Bikram Shah, the then heir apparent to the throne. The palace, as previously discused in Kathmandu's history, 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.

Dakshin Kali Temple:-
This Temple is located 22 km outside Kathmandu, and about 1 km outside the village of Pharping, is one of the main temples of Nepal dedicated to the goddess Kali. Animal sacrifices, particularly of cockerels and uncastrated male goats, are the main way that the goddess is worshipped, and this is especially seen during the Dashain festival.

Khokana:-
Khokana is a traditional and tiny Newari village eight kilometers south of Kathmandu (on the outskirts of Patan), which has its own history and has retained its tradition and culture. The farming community Newars who live here are mostly dependent on agriculture and much of their daily activities take place outside of their dwellings. In the center is a three-storey temple, Shree Rudrayani, with a particularly wide main street, especially for a village of such small size. There are women sitting outside spinning, men crushing seeds, and other daily activities. The village is famous for its unusual mustard-oil harvesting process in which a heavy wooden beam is used to crush the mustard seeds in order to extract the oil. It is believed that a share system was used in the past here. This oil can be consumed if desired, but it can also be used for therapeutic massage. This was also the first village, indeed the first habitation, to be electrified, before Kathmandu.

Bungmati:-
Bungmati is a village development committee in Lalitpur District in the Bagmati Zone of central Nepal. At the time of the 1991 Nepal census it had a population of 4813 in 886 individual households.

Lumbini:-
Lumbini is a Buddhist pilgrimage site in the Rupandehi district of Nepal, near the Indian border. It is the place where Queen Mayadevi is said to have given birth to Siddhartha Gautam, who as the Buddha Gautam founded the Buddhist tradition. Lumbini is one of four magnets for pilgrimage that sprang up in places pivotal to the life of the Buddha, the others being at Kushinagar, Bodh Gaya, and Sarnath. Lumbini has a number of temples, including the Mayadevi temple and others under construction. Also here is the Puskarini or Holy Pond, where the Buddha's mother took the ritual dip prior to his birth and where he, too, had his first bath. As well as the remains of Kapilvastu palace. At other sites near Lumbini, earlier Buddhas were, according to tradition, born, achieved ultimate awakening and finally relinquished earthly form.

Pokhara:-
Pokhara is a city of close to 200,000 inhabitants in central Nepal located at 200 km west of Kathmandu. It is the third largest city of Nepal after Kathmandu and Biratnagar. It is the Headquarters of Kaski District, Gandaki Zone and the Western Development Region. Pokhara is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Nepal, noted for its tranquil atmosphere and the beauty of the surrounding countryside. It is also a base for trekkers undertaking the Annapurna Circuit.

Gorkha:-
Gurkhas are best known for their history of bravery and strength in the Indian Army's Gorkha regiments and the British Army's Brigade of Gurkhas. The Gurkhas were designated by British officials as a "Martial Race". "Martial Race" was a designation created by officials of British India to describe "races" (peoples) that were thought to be naturally war like and aggressive in battle, and to possess qualities of courage, loyalty, self sufficiency, physical strength, resilience, orderliness, the ability to work hard for long periods of time, fighting tenacity and military strategy. The British recruited heavily from these Martial Races for service in the British Indian Army.

Bandipur:-
Bandipur is located at 143 km to the west of Kathmandu and 80 km to the east of Pokhara and an elevation of 1030m on a mountain saddle (Mahabharata range) approximately 700m above the Marsyangdi River Valley, since 1998 it is connected by a 8 km access road from Dumre. Until then there was only an unreliable road, in monsoon usually not accessible or only by tractors. The mountain saddle, just 200m long, is barely wide enough to accommodate the main street lined by 2 – 3 storey buildings on either side. At the backsides of these houses the mountainsides steeply descend and the gardens are only accessible by stairs.

Manakamana Temple:-
Manakamana is the name of a Hindu Goddess. It is believed that the Goddess fulfils the wishes of the people. The term ‘Mana’ means the ‘heart’ or ‘soul’ and ‘Kamana’ means the ‘wish’. The most popular temple of Manakamana is in Gorkha. The others are in various places like Manakamana. It is said that a King of Gorkha was blessed by the goddess to get victory over small kingdoms and make a big Gorkha. Manakamana of Gorkha is a popular place for a specific fair called Panchami. The temple was initially inaccessible and one had to ride on horseback for 2–3 days. Now it is easily accessible by Cable Car.

Nagarkot:-
Nagarkot is an international tourist destination with spectacular views of the whole Langtang range, sunrise on the mountains and sunset views. We can see the panoramic views of the captivating landscapes and hills with the Kathmandu valley. You can breathe the cool mountain breeze in the resort town of Nagarkot. There are resorts from top-end quality to decent lodges to accommodate you and serves different cuisines.

Daman:-
Daman is a village in the central part of Nepal, located in the district of Makwanpur. It is halfway between Kathmandu and Hetauda at 2320m. Daman on the Tribhuvan Highway has probably the finest view of the Himalayas extending on a good day from Dhaulagiri in the west to Everest in the east.

Kakani:-
Kakani is a settlement in the Nuwakot District of the Bagmati Zone in central Nepal. As one of the most accessible settlements from Kathmandu over 2000 meters, this hill station hosts a British Gurkhas welfare bungalow and a couple of simple hotels offering basic accommodation to travelers. The village is also home to a memorial park to the victims of Thai Airways International Flight TG 311. A notable local industry is strawberry farming. With the assistance of a United Nations Development Programmed project, a local farmers' cooperative now produces close to 250 000 kg of the fruit per year.

Shivapuri Nagarjun National Park:-
Shivapuri Nagarjun National Park is the ninth national park in Nepal and was established in 2002. It is located in the country's mid-hills on the northern fringe of the Kathmandu Valley and named after Shivapuri Peak of 2,732m altitude. The area has always been an important water catchments area, supplying the Kathmandu Valley daily with several hundred thousands cubic liter of water. In 1976, the area was established as a protected watershed and wildlife reserve.

Dhulikhel:-
Dhulikhel is the administrative centre of Kavrepalanchok District, Nepal. Dhulikhel lies along the Arniko Highway. It connects to Kathmandu, Nepal's capital city with Tibet's border town of Kodari. Dhulikhel is located near the Himalayas at 1550m above sea level and is situated 30 km southeast of Kathmandu and 74 km southwest of Kodari. The people in the village are Newars, Bhramin, Chetri, Tamang and Dalit. Drinking water in Dhulikhel is one of the best water in Nepal. It was made with the Help of the German NGO, German Technical Cooperation.