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.
Boudhanath :
The
stupa of Boudhanath lies 8 km east of Kathmandu. The ancient colossal
stupa is considered one of the biggest in the world. It stands
on an octagonal base inset with prayer wheels and ringed by houses
of lamas or Buddhist priests.
The stupa is believed to have been built
by King Manadeva at the advice of goddess Mani Jogini. It has
four pair of eyes in the four cardinal directions. The God is
believed to keep on watching for righteous behavior and human
prosperity.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Bandipur
Located
on a 1,000m ridge in T anahu district some 140m from kathmandu
,Bandipur's hallmark is its beautiful scenery .At the eastern
part of the town is the pagoda -roofed Bandabasini temple which
houses goddess Durga ,bandipur 's guardian deity.The rich wooden
carving and detailed brass -work that adorn the temple are replicas
of those found in the many old pagoda structures of the kathmandu
valley.The other important temples and shrines in the vicinity
include the Mahalaxmi temple with its exquisite woodwork and the
Khadga Devi temple which comes alive once a year during the Dasain
festival.