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| KATHMANDU
DURBAR SQUARE |
| The seat of royalty till
the last century, Kathmandu Durbar Square is a wondorous cluster
of ancient temples, palaces, courtyards, and streets. The most
noteworthy among them are the Hanumandhoka palace complex, Kumari
Dyochhen and Taleju temple. Even to date, all major state and
religious ceremonies, including the solemnization of coronations,
are carried out in one or the other courtyards within this complex.
It is one of the World Heritage sites in Nepal. |
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| PATAN DURBAR
SQUARE |
| Nowhere else can
be seen such a compression of marvelous monumnents within a
limited space like in the Patan Durbar Square. Besides the old
royal palace, what dominates all others in grace and grandeur
in this complex is the 17th century Krishna Mandir. Entirely
made of stone, this unique shikara-style structure has 21 pinnacles.
Other landmakrks within the Square are the wondrous Tusha-hity,
Sundari Chowk, Taleju Temple and the Keshav Narayan Chowk. The
Hiranyavarna Mahavihar (Golden Temple), Rudravarna Mahavihar
and the terracotta temple of Mahaboudha are other highlights
in the vicinity. It is another World Heritage sites in Nepal. |
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| BHAKTAPUR
DURBAR SQUARE |
| Of the Valley's three
Durbar Squares, the one in Bhaktapur is the best preserved.
Still emanating the medieval aura, this splendid palatial complex
has its gems in such artistic masterpieces as the 55-Windows
Palace, the Golden Gate, Golden Spout, the Taleju Temple Complex
and Nyatapola, the Five-Storied temple, in the nearby Taumadhi
Square. The 15th century Dattatreya temple and the world famous
Peacock Window at Tachapal, the terracotta windows at Tahamal
and Nepal's largest Shiva Lingum at Hanumanghat are also there
to keep visitors spellbound. It is also the other World Heritage
sites in Nepal. |
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| PASHUPATINATH
TEMPLE |
| The temple of Pashupatinath
is the richest and holiest Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Shiva.
It is merely 6 km east of Kathmandu and a center of annual pilgrimage
on the day of Maha Shivaratri which falls in the month of February/March.
This temple is situated amidst a lush green natural setting
on the bank of the sacred Bagmati River. The temple in Pagoda
style has gold gilded two tier roof and richly carved silver
doors which are famous for the superb architecture. The premise
of this temple is accessible only to hindus. Visitors and non-hindus
are permitted to view the temple only from the east bank of
River Bagmati. It is also the other World Heritage sites in
Nepal. |
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| SWAYAMBHUNATH
TEMPLE |
| It is one of the world’s
most glorious Buddhist Stupas (Chaityas) and believed to be
more than 2000 years old, presenting a typical example of stupa
architecture. This stupa is situated approximately 4 km west
of Kathmandu City. It is made of solid hemisphere of brick and
earth supporting a lofty conical spire capped by a pinnacle
of copper gilded with gold. Painted on the four sides of the
spire bases are the all seeing eyes of Lord Buddha to witness
the reality. It is situated on a hillock of 77 m high above
the level of the Kathmandu valley and has a bird’s eye
view of Kathmandu City. This hill is the mosaic of small stupas
and pagoda temples. It is also the other World Heritage sites
in Nepal. |
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| BOUDDHANATH
STUPA |
| Bouddhanath Stupa is
situated 8 km east of Kathmandu and built in 5th century AD
by Lichchhavi King Mana Dev on an octagonal base inset with
prayer wheels. This colossal and ancient Stupa is one of the
biggest in the world and has all the seeing eyes of Lord Buddha
in four cardinal directions, keeping the eternal watch over
the people and their doings. This spherical Stupa is held in
great veneration both by the Lamas of Nepal and Tibet. It is
also the other World Heritage sites in Nepal. |
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| BUDHANILAKANTHA |
| Budhanilakantha, situated
about 8 km north of Kathmandu at the base of Shivapuri Hill,
is a remarkable colossal statue of Lord Vishnu reclining on
the bed of snakes and floating in the water. It is one of the
masterpieces of stone sculpture of Lichchhavi period of 5th
century. This fifth century statue is in the middle of a small
pond and seems to float in the water. It is also a famous place
of pilgrimage for Hindus. |
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| CHANGU
NARAYAN TEMPLE |
| Seated atop a serene
hilltop some 6 km north of Bhaktapur, the Changu is dedicated
to Lord Vishnu the Preserver, boasts of being the oldest pagoda
in Nepal. Moreover, it in its brick-paved premises houses a
stone inscription, which dates back to 424 AD and is believed
to be the oldest of all such written records. While the two-storied
temple's main entrance is an excellent example of repuse art,
the many art-works scattered in and arond the enclave embody
ancient craftsmen's flawless proficiency in wood, stone and
metal. It is also the other World Heritage sites in Nepal. |
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| KIRTIPUR |
| It is a beautiful small
town, located 8 km southwest of Kathmandu city on the top of
a plateau shaped ridge, built by Shiva Dev in the 11th Century.
This historic and a typical village has many types of attractions,
like old shrines and temples, houses, old lanes, the people
typically dressed in old traditional costumes and ancient hand
looms etc. |
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| CHOVAR |
| Chovar, situated 9 km
southwest of Kathmandu, is a famous place for its gorge. All
the waters of the valley drain through it. Legend has it that
Manjushree cut the gorge to drain out water of the Kathmandu
Valley, which was then a lake. There is a small but picturesque
temple of Adhinath on the summit of the hill and from there
one can have an enchanting views of snowcapped mountain peaks
on clear days. By the side of the Chovar Gorge a temple of Jal
Vinayak is situated. The main image of the shrine is on a massive
rock, which extends out on the back side of the temple and only
a small part in the front vaguely resembles an elephant tusk.
The image of Jal Vinayak is different from other images of the
Lord Ganesh. |
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| LUMBINI |
Lumbini, the birth place
of Siddhartha Gautam, is the ultimate tourist destination. It
is the pilgrimage destination of the world's millions of people
faithful to all schools of Buddhism. This nativity site, identified
by Indian Emperor Ashoka's commemorative pillar is listed as
a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
The main attraction at the Lumbini remains the Sacred Garden
spread over 8 sq km and possesses all the treasures of the historic
area. The Mayadevi Temple is the attraction for the pilgrims
and archaeologists alike. Standing west of the Mayadevi Temple
is the oldest monument of Nepal, the Ashoka pillar. To the south
of the pillar, we find the sacred pond, puskarini, where queen
Mayadevi had taken a bath just before giving birth to the Buddha. |
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| DHANUSHADHAM |
| Dhanushadham, a historical
and religious site, dates back to the time of the great epic
- Ramayana. It is located 18 km nort -east of Janakpur in
the south - central region of Nepal. Dhanushadham was the
place where Lord Rama had broke Shiva's divine bow, a condition
for winning the hand of Sita in marriage. According to the
epic, one of the three pieces of the bow fell in the present
day Dhanushadham. |
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|
SIMRAUNGADH |
The capital of the former
kingdom of Tirahut, is the seat of a rich civilization, which
peaked between the 11th and 14th centuries. The ancient city
suffered terrible devastation in the hands of invaders but its
cultural glory remained in the archeological treasures that
are found here.
Simraugdh is situated in the Terai plains to the south of Kathmandu. |
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