Kathmandu City Tour

Having been constructed between the 12th and the 18th centuries, the Kathmandu Durbar Square is the historic seat of royalty. Since 1979, the area has been protected as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which epitomizes the social, religious and cultural life of the Nepalese. It is the place where the kings of Nepal used to be crowned and their coronations solemnized.

The ferocious Kal Bhairav, Nautalle Durbar Square, Coronation Nasal Chowk, the Gaddi Baithak, the statue of King Pratap Malla, the big Drum and the Jagannath Temple are some of the major tourist attractions of the Kathmandu Durbar Square.

Another attraction of this spot is the Kumari Ghar (house of the Living Goddess Kumari). The temple is situated in Hanuman Dhoka Palace. Visitors greet Kumari and she receives greetings from the wooden window, which is artistically carved. Kumari is a young girl child who is considered the living goddess. She is kept in her palace until about the age of thirteen when she is replaced by another Kumari.

The area is home to a large number of monuments. There is also the Numismatic Museum and Tribhuvan Museum inside the palace building. Photography is prohibited inside the museum. It is the place to observe the juxtaposition of past and present, old and new.

The Swayambhu Nath Stupa located atop a hillock just three kilometers west of the Kathmandu down town. This is one of the holiest Buddhist sites and the best places to observe religious harmony in Nepal. Both Hindus and Buddhists visit the stupa, which is said to be over 2,000-year-old. The stupa was listed on the UNESCO World Heritage Monument List in 1979.

A large image of Lord Buddha is in a monastery next to the stupa. This is often known as the Monkey temple, and the major landmark in the valley. One can have a panoramic view of the Kathmandu city from the western part of the hillock.

This is considered the holiest Hindu pilgrimage that lies just five kilometers east of the heart of Kathmandu. The world-famous pagoda-style temple of the Lord Shiva has the scared linga, or phallic symbol of Lord Shiva. There are also small temples dedicated to other deities. The temple was also inscribed in the UNESCO World Heritage Monument List in 1979.

Although only Hindus are allowed inside the temple, visitors can clearly see the temple and the activities performed in the temple from the eastern bank of the Bagmati River. Regarded as a very important part of the city from religious and cultural point of views, hundreds of thousands of pilgrims from Nepal and India visit the temple every year. Near the temple lies the “Arya Ghat” on the banks of the Bagmati River. As a major cremation area, dead bodies are cremated here.

The Bouddha Nath Stupa is the focal point of Tibetan Buddhism in Nepal. The artistic stupa lies about eight kilometers north-east of Kathmandu. The stupa is said to be the largest one in South Asia. Having been inscribed on the list of World Heritage in 1979, the stupa stands for the Lord of wisdom. The name ‘Boudhanath’ is made up of two words– Boudha and Nath. Boudha means wisdom and the suffix Nath symbolises Lord. There are more than 45 Buddhist monasteries located at the base of the stupa.

Both Hindus and Buddhists visit this pilgrimage site. They are found sacrificing animals in the name of goddess. Pilgrims mostly visit this site during on Tuesdays and Saturdays.Lying about 15 kilometres south of Kathmandu, the temple of Dakshinkali is dedicated to the Hindu Goddess Kali or the goddess of power. She is regarded as one of the most important Hindu goddesses.

The most enigmatic statue of Hindu God Bishnu, Budhanilkantha statue is located at a distance of  10 km from the center of Kathmandu. It is located at the base of the Shivapuri Hill and is the largest and most beautiful stone carving in all of Nepal. It is also the most enigmatic. Carves from a single block of black basalt stone of unknown origin, the statue of Budhanilkantha is 5 meters in length and it lies in a reclining position inside a recessed tank of water also representing the cosmic sea which is 13 meters in length.
Also referred to as the Sleeping Bishnu, or Jalakshayan Narayan, the statue, depicts the deity reclining on the twisting coils of the cosmic serpent Shrestha, the eternal, multi-headed king of the serpent deities known as Nagas, and also is the servant of the Lord Bishnu. With crossed legs and eleven heads of Shesh cradling his head, the statue of Bishnu’s four hands hold objects symbolizing his divine qualities: a chakra representing the mind, a conch-shell; the four elements, a lotus flower; the moving universe and the club; primeval knowledge. Budhanilkantha receives large numbers of pilgrims during Haribondhini Ekadashi, which takes place during the 11th day of the Hindu month of Kartik (October-November). It is the major festivals for the year in celebration of the awakening of the lord Bishnu from his long sleep.