THE PLACES TO SEE IN NEPAL INSIDE THE KATHMANDU CITY

INSIDE THE BHADGAON CITY:

BHADGAON:

Bhadgaon, also known as Bhaktapur, 14 km east of the Kathmandu City, is situated at an altitude of 1401 m. It is the home of medieval art and architecture. This city shaped like a conch-shell covers an area of 4 square miles. Bhaktapur means a city of the devotees. Pottery and weaving are its traditional industries. During the tour of Bhadgaon, a visit to Durbar square is unavoidable.

This Durbar Square has innumerable temples and architectural showpieces like the Lion Gate, the statue of King Bhupatindra Malla, the picture gallery, the Golden Gate, the Palace of 55 Windows, the Batsala Temple, the Bell of Barking Dogs and the replica of Pashupatinath Temple. The Lion Gate, built by Bhupatindra Malla, is adorned with the stone figures of Barnana Narasingh Narayan. The statue of Bhupatinclra Malla in the devotional position is placed on a column facing the palace. This statue is considered to be the most magnificent among the many statues available in Nepal. The picture - gallery contains ancient paintings belonging to Hindu and Buddhist schools of tantrism.

The Golden Gate is the entrance to main courtyard of the Palace of 55 Windows and was built by King Ranjit Malla. It is one of the most beautiful and richly carved specimens of its kind in the world. The door is surmounted by figures of goddess Kali (goddess of power) and Garuda is attended by two sky nymphs.

The Palace of 55 Windows was built in 17th century by King Bhupatindra Malla. Among the brick walls with their gracious setting and sculptural design is the balcony of 55 Windows, one of the masterpiece of wood carving.

The stone temple of Batsala Devi located in front of the Durbar palace is full of intricate carvings, setting a beautiful example of Shikhara style architecture in Nepal. A sensitive bronze bell on the terrace of the temple is know as the "Bell Of Barking Dogs ". It is

said that when it is rung the local dogs start barking in agony. The colossal bell was placed in 1737 AD by King Ranjit Malla to sound curfew and emergency during his reign. The bell is rung every morning while worshiping Goddess Taleju.

NYATAPOLA TEMPLE:

A five storey pagoda style temple was built by King Bhupatindra Malla in 1702 AD. It stands on five terraces. On each of terraces stands a pair of figures, two famous wrestlers, two elephants, two lions, two griffins, ‘Baghini’ and ‘Singhini’, the Tiger and Lion Goddesses. Each of the figures is considered to be ten times stronger than the ones immediately below. Jaya Malla & Pattha Mafla (the wrestlers) at the lowest, were reputedly 10 times stronger than any men. The temple dedicated to Goddess Siddhi Laxmi is one of the tallest Pagoda and famous for its massive structure and subtle workmanship.

BAHIRAVNATH TEMPLE:

This temple was first built as a one storey Pagoda during the reign of King Jagat Jyoti Malla and latter changed to 3 storey by King Bhupatindra Malla in 1718 AD. The temple is noted for its artistic grandeur and dedicated to Lord Bhairav - the God of Terror.

DATTATRAYA TEMPLE:

It is said to be built from the trunk of single tree in 1427 AD during the reign of King Yakchhya Malla and was repaired by King Bishwa Malla in 1458 AD. It is dedicated to the trinity; Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva.

PUJARI MATH:

Near Dattatraya Temple is a monastery with exquisitely carved peacock Windows. This monastery was built by King Yakchhya Malla and was renovated by the priest, Ram Dutt.

SURYA VINAYAK:

Surya Vinayak is a shrine of Ganesh - the elephant headed God situated in a beautiful surrounding of forest north of Bhadgaon city. It is placed in a sylvan setting to catch the first rays of the rising sun. A beautiful view of Bhaktapur (Bhadgaon) is seen from here with snow peaks in the background. Nestling in the thick forest, it is a good picnic spot flanked by many attractive landscapes.

CHANGU NARAYAN:

The temple is located at the end of the long ridge which runs well into the valley and said to be built by King Han Dutta Verma in 323 AD. It is richly decorated with sculptures and carvings and said to be the oldest temple in the valley. It is situated at about 153 m above the level of Kathmandu Valley and commands a panoramic view of surrounding countryside, especially in late afternoon, when the meandering Manohara River turns into a golden ribbon.

NAGARKOT:

Nagarkot is situated 34 km east of Kathmandu at an altitude of 2175 m above the sea level and a popular hill resort for the tourists. The panorama of major peaks of eastern Himalayas including Mount Everest can be seen from this area. Other Himalayan peaks like Manaslu (8463 in), Ganesh Himal (7111 in), Langtang (7246 in), Choba Bhamre (6016 in), Gaurishanker (7134 m) and Numbur (6957 m) are also clearly seen from Nagarkot. One can watch a beautiful sunrise and a sunset over the Himalayas.