Kathmandu Valley Towns and Monuments
The capital city of Nepal, Kathmandu, is not only the
political and commercial hub of the country but it also
carries the psyche of the nation. For centuries when
simple mountain folk would embark on an annual or once
in a lifetime walk to Kathmandu, when asked, Where are
you going? they would answer, Nepal jane, Going to Nepal. Culture, tradition
and art are the three bulwarks of this beautiful and exotic
hill city that promises to win the heart of everyone and
anyone who visits it. Though not large (only 360 sq km), but
the Kathmandu Valley, which once had more temples than
dwellings, currently presents a vivid picture of red-tiled
roofs donning the hills. The legend of the region has that
the hill nation was covered by a lake and Bodhisattva Manjushri created the first settlement by cutting the
mountain and creating a passage for the water to flow out.
Thus, we have Kathmandu - a city of mystical temples and
rich art. Kathmandu and its rich heritage have to be
contributed to the Newars who have toiled hard to create a
civilization that has given the world the many of its
splendid riches, from pagoda style temples to superb
decorative arts, whether carved in stone or cast in
bronze, silver and gold.
There are thousands of visitors from all over the world
trickling into the quaint little Himalayan kingdom
throughout the year in search of art and culture that they
have only heard about but never seen earlier. People with
interest in history and old cultures consist of the majority
of the visitors. Places that pique the interest of most of
the visitors to Nepal are Kathmandu, Bhaktapur and
Patan or
Lalitpur – all lavishly built towns by the Newars.
Apart from these three major tourist attractions, there are
also smaller villages like Daman, Nagarkot,
Dhulikhel, to visit as they provide vivid
glimpses of the traditional Nepalese culture, art, not to
mention splendid Himalayan views.
All of the three major towns – Kathmandu, Bhaktapur and Patan have a
‘Durbar Square’ which are on the UNESCO World Heritage
list. The Durbar Square consists of palaces, courtyards
and temples and present a great example of the rich
architecture of Nepal. The Durbar Square in Kathmandu houses
the Kumari Ghar, Talejus temple, devoted to
Teleju Bhawan, the guardian deity of the Malla kings, and the
Hanumandhokha palace,
whereas the one in Patan houses the famous Krishna Mandir.
The Durbar Square at Bhaktapur houses the National Art
Gallery. To this day the Durbar Squares of the three towns are
used for a variety of social and religious gatherings. One
thing that is notable about the Durbar Squares is their
intricate architecture and the rich decorations that adorn
the walls.
Some of the most well-know landmarks and symbols of
Kathmandu are its stupas with the characteristic
Buddha's eyes.
The Swambhunath Stupa is considered to be a very holy site
by the Buddhists and it is situated atop the hill on the
western side of the Kathmandu city. It is also a World
Heritage Site and the one of the oldest yet architecturally
the richest Buddhist temples. Bouddhanath is also one of the
primary tourist attractions situated in Kathmandu and is
known as Khasti. Bouddhantah is famous for the 45
monasteries that it houses along with schools for teaching
the younger monks.
Also situated in the Kathmandu valley is
the Pashupati Temple – considered to be one of the most scared shrines
of the Hindus, housing the sacred Linga. Believers
of the Hindu religion visit the temple throughout the year,
Sadhus, the Hindu Hole men, descend upon it in great
numbers during the famous Hindu festival of Shiva Ratri.
As a visitor one is certainly going to find the golden roof
of the pagoda and the silver clad doors of visual interest
but to come during Shivaratri is an unforgettable
experience (February).
Patan too ioffers many tourist attractions.
Apart from the Durbar Square one can visit the Iba Bahi, Kwa
Bahal, Mahabouddha and Oku Bahal. These
places bear marks of the rich architectural heritage of
Nepal and deep religious moorings of the people who ruled
the country for centuries.
Bhaktapur constitutes a living museum.
Wonderfully restored, Bhaktapur is a vibrant Newar city
with scores of superb monuments and rich cultural history of this Himalayan
Kingdom. There is a Taumadhi Square, Dattatreva Square and
Potter’s Square besides the Durbar Square. One can also
visit the Siddha Pukhu and the Surya Binayak, and just
wonder the narrow streets and courtyards, a testament to
Newari ingenuity in urban design.
Hotels of Kathmandu – Blending Luxury with Heritage
Hotel or resort booking forms the most important activity of
a traveler, irrespective of whether he is travelling on his
own or is part of a tourist group. The lodging needs to be
at least as
good as food and transport if not more in order to enjoy a foreign trip
without any hiccups. If you are visiting Kathmandu, you do have
a lot of options at your disposal and naturally it is also the
place where some of the most famous hotels in Nepal are
located.
There are a number of 5 star luxury
deluxe hotels in Kathmandu. All of these hotels have the
best facilities and maintain the highest standards of the
international hospitality industry. Yak and
Yeti, Hyatt
Regency, Soaltee
Oberoi, Crown Plaza,
Radisson Hotel are
perhaps the most well known. Hotel Shangri
La, Hotel de l’ Annapurna,
The Everest, Le Meridian and
The Malla Hotel complete the list of 5 star hotels in the
city. The 5 star deluxe hotels of Kathmandu not
only provide you with the luxury of the contemporary
amenities
but also present a fine blend of heritage and mysticism.
Some of the above mentioned hotels were palaces or
buildings that belonged to the royals of Nepal and it is
almost impossible to miss the touch of royalty on them.
Yak
and Yeti is one such hotel that was once a palace but was
turned into a hotel. New buildings were added to the
existing structure of the old palace. Some of the most
famous people who stayed in this hotel, including the Beatles, numerous world renowned authors
might have drawn inspiration from staying here; simply put,
Yak and Yeti is an institution!
Apart from the 5 star deluxe hotels, there are numerous
4 star and countless 3 star resorts and hotels to suit the
budget
traveler. If you prefer not to spend a lot of money
yet enjoy high class hospitality during your stay in the
Himalayan kingdom then these hotels would definitely suit
your needs. Hotel Thamel,
Hotel Vaishali, Hotel Shanker,
Grand Hotel Kathmandu,
Hotel Himalaya, Hotel Woodlands,
Durbar Hotel, Hotel Sherpa and
Kathmandu Guesthouse are
some of the places that you may want to opt for during your
Nepal journey. These hotels provide all the basic facilities
as well as good location for less.
All the hotels in Kathmandu are situated at convenient
locations and are only a few kilometers from the
international airport. Unique artistic tradition, unique
architecture including that of Tibetan culture, can be found an integral part of
small boutique style hotels,
some lesser known, attracting the discerning traveler,
perhaps a true Kathmandu connoisseur - let us know and we'll
be happy to include one in your itinerary if you wish to
sample the ultimate
luxury in Nepal!
|
