Place To Visit in Nepal

 

Kathmandu
Kathmandu is the capital of Nepal, the largest city in the country. The valley has an exotic setting. It is surrounded by a green mountain wall above, which tower snow-capped peaks. The Kathmandu valley covers an area of 565 square kilometers. It is situated 1359m above sea level. This amazing city can seem, in places, to be a huge intricate sculpture unchanged since the Middle Ages. At another times it can be just another third world capital rushing carelessly into the 20th century. And though the country is much different today than it was in ancient times, it has not diminished in charm. Like Patan and bhaktapur, the other major towns of the valley, Kathmandu’s historic centre is concentrated around the durbar square.

 

Patan
Patan is separated from Kathmandu only by the Baghmati River and is the second largest town in the valley.malla kings ruled, lived and worshipped in Lalitpur and that is why its durbar square.patan’s great building boom took place under these rulers in 16th and 18th centuries. Patan is surrounded on all four sides by inspiring temples and shrines built specifically in relation to the palace. It is sometimes referred to as Lalitpur which means ‘city of beauty ‘there is little demarcation, with the traffic flowing from the streets of Kathmandu across the Bagmati Bridge into the industrial areas of patan.but once you step into durbar square, you move into another world. The square itself is a study of the various styles of architecture that have made their homes in this courtyard.

 

Bhaktapur
Bhaktapur,also known as Bhadgaon or the city of devotees, is the third major town of the valley at a distance of 16 kilometers from Kathmandu. It is probably the most visited historic cities, since the major west German-founded Bhaktapur development project in the 1970s,it has been a much tidier town,Bhaktapur reached the pinnacle of its glory during the Malla era and Bhaktapur has maintained its individuality mainly by virtue of its self-sufficiency and isolation from Kathmandu.Bhaktapur was the capital of the whole valley during the 14th to 16th centuries and during that time the focus of the town shifted west to the durbar square area. Much of the town’s great architecture dates from the end of the 17th century during the rule of Malla king.

 

Pashupati
Most important Hindu temple stands on the banks of the holy Bagmati River, on the eastern fringes of Kathmandu, not far from the Tribhuvan Airport. Pashupatinath is also one of the most important Shiva temples on the subcontinent and draws devotees and sadhus (wandering Hindu holy men) from all over India.Shiva is the destroyer and creator of the Hindu pantheon and is best known in his 'terrible' forms,  but he also has peaceful incarnations including those of Mahadev and Pashupati, the lord of the beasts. As the shepherd of both animals and humans, Pashupati shows Shiva's most pleasant and creative side.Pashupatinath offers the least value, as many of the temple buildings are closed to non-Hindus.

 

Bodhnath
On the eastern side of Kathmandu, just north of the airport and around, is Bodhnath, home to one of the world's largest stupas. The village, also known as Buddha, is the religious centre for Nepal’s considerable population of Tibetan exiles, and the side streets are full of maroon-robed Tibetan monks, gleaming monastery roofs and shopfronts full of Tibetan texts and yak butter. This is one of the few places in the world where Tibetan culture is accessible, vibrant and unfettered.Bodhnath has always been linked to Tibetan Buddhism and Lasha. A major trade route coming from Lhasha ent through Sankhu, and Bodhnath therefore lies at the Tibetan traders' entry to.Kathmandu. Mountaineers and Sherpas still come here to pray before undertaking a journey in the Himalaya. Many of today's Tibetans are refugees who fled Tibet following the unsuccessful uprising against the Chinese Communists in 1959. The atmosphere of cultural exchange and spiritual curiosity is unrivalled.

 

Nagarkot
There are various places around the edge of the Kathmandu valley which offer great mountain views, but the resort village of Nagarkot is generally held to be the best every day mountain watchers make their way up to the village, stay overnight in one of nagarkot’s lodges, then rise at dawn to see the sun appear over the Himalaya.Nagarkot is situated 32 kilometers east of Kathmandu at an altitude of 2175m above the sea-level,nagarkot has become famous as one of the best spots to view mount Everest as well as other snow-topped peaks of the Himalaya ranges of eastern Nepal.Nagarkot also offers a panoramic view of the valley and is described by visitors as a place whose beauty endures year round. There are a number of walks down to Sundarijal,Sankhu,Shangu Narayan or (beyond the valley).

 

Dakshinkali
At the southern edge of the valley, stands the blood-soaked temple of Dakshinkali. The temple is dedicated to the goddess Kali, Shiva's consort in her most bloodthirsty incarnation,Sacrifices are always made to goddesses, and the creatures to be sacrificed must be uncast rated male animals. Saturday is the major sacrificial day of the week, when a steady parade of chickens, ducks, goats, sheep, pigs and even the occasional buffalo come here to have their throats cut or their heads lopped off by professional local butchers. Tuesday is also a sacrificial day, but the blood does not flow quite as freely. During the annual celebrations of Dasain in October the temple is literally awash with blood and the image of Kali is bathed in it.Non-Hindus are not allowed into the actual compound where Kali's image resides (there is often an incredibly long queue for Hindus to get in),. Many tourists behave poorly here, perching vulture like from every available vantage point in order to get the goriest possible photos. The path down to the temple is lined with tea stalls, sadhus, souvenir sellers and hawkers selling offerings of marigolds, fruit and coconuts, Despite the carnival spirit, witnessing the sacrifices is a strange and, for some, confronting experience.

 

Daman
At 2322m above sea level, with clear views to the north, east and west, Daman boasts what is arguably the most spectacular outlook on the Himalaya in the whole of Nepal. There are unimpeded views of the entire range from Dhaulagiri to Mt Everest from the concrete viewing tower, inside the Daman Mountain Resort. Alternatively, head to the helipad at the Everest Panorama Resort. There are several interesting detours from Daman. About 1km south of the village, towards Hetauda, a trail leads west through the forest to the tiny Shree RikheshwarMahadev Mandir, sacred to Shiva. On the way, you can drop into a gorgeous little Gompa(Buddhist monastery) in a glade of trees draped with thousands of prayer flags. From the highway, it's 1km to the Gompa and 1.5km

 

Dhulikhel
Southeast of Banepa(32km from Kathmandu) is the interesting small town of Dhulikhel. It's popular as a Himalayan viewpoint, in part because the road to Dhulikhel is an easier route than the steep and winding road to Nagarkot, but also because Dhulikhel is a real Newari town, not just a tourist resort. It's also a good centre for short day treks - many visitors come here to stretch their legs before setting off on longer treks.The peaks on view stretch from Langtang Lirung (7246m) in the east, through Dorje Lakpa (6966m) to the huge bulk of Gauri Shankar (7145m) and nearby Melungtse (7181m) and as far as Numbur (5945m) in the east.

 

Pokhara
Pokhara is the most popular destination in Nepal after Kathmandu at a distance of 200 kilometers from Kathmandu.pokhera is a remarkable place of natural beauty. Situated at an altitude of 827 meters from the sea level. Its fame rests on the natural beauty of its lakeside location and its proximity to the mountains however, not on a great historical or cultural endowment. The city is known as a center of adventure. The serenity of lakes and the magnificence of the Himalayas rising behind them create an ambience of peace and magic. So today the city has not only become the starting point for most popular trekking and rafting destinations but also a place to relax and enjoy the beauty of nature.pokhera has an enormous number of good-value hotels and restaurants, and although it is undoubtedly tourist town.

 

Chitwan
At distance of 150 kilometers from Kathmandu Chitwan valley.Chitwan was a center for the hunting trips that British and Nepalese aristocrats found so entertaining. Chitwan is one of the few remaining undisturbed vestiges of the ‘Tarai region, which formerly extended over the foothills of Nepal. The Chitwan national park has been enlisted in natural world heritage site. It is rich in flora and fauna. One of the last populations of single-horned Asiatic rhinoceros inhabit in the park, which is also one of the last refuges for the Bengal tigers. Covering 932 square kilometers, was the first of Nepal’s extensive network of wildlife sanctuaries An elephant safari is an unforgettable experience, until the late 1950s,the only settlements in the Chitwan valley were scattered Tharu villages inhabited by people whose apparent immunity to malaria was rumored to be the result of their heavy drinking! After malaria was controlled by liberal applications of DDT,land hunger people from the hills were quick to see the potential wealth of the region and the jungle was rapidly transformed into farmland as their habitat disappeared so did the tigers and rhinos. By 1973 the rhino population of the Chitwan was estimated to have fallen to 100 and their were only 20 tigers lefty fortunately this disastrous slide was halted when a sanctuary was established in 1964,although this was at the expense of 22.000 people who were forcibly removed from within its boundaries. The national park was proclaimed in 1973 and since than animal population has rebounded. The par now contains an estimated 400 rhino and 100 tigers. Quite apart from 50 other species of mammals and over 450 different types of birds Today the park offers one of the finest wildlife experiences in Asia, although it cannot be compared to the great game reserved of Africa.

 

Lumbini
The birth place of Siddhartha Gautam-the founder of Buddhism, known as Buddha, or the enlightened one.buddha was born in Lumbini, in southern Nepal twenty-five hundred years ago. Since his time, Nepal has been sacred ground for Buddhists as the birth place of the Buddha.Lumbini is a small town, where the ruins of the old city can be seen.Lumbini has been a holy ground for Buddhists all over the world. The restored garden and surroundings of Lumbini have the remains of many of the ancient stupas and Monasteries. An important part of Lumbini is the temple of Maya Devi. it has a stone image of Maya Devi giving birth to lord Buddha as she holds onto a branch.fittingly, Lumbini is an example of how ephemeral the result of human efforts are.lumbini is not a Bethlehem or Mecca-there is no city, no impressive architecture, no pilgrim-jammed car park, no heavily armed soldiers, no hustlers. In the end, it is the absence of all these things, and the peacefulness of Lumbini that make visit worthwhile. Lumbini is now being developed under the master plan of the lumbini development trust, a non governmental organization dedicated to the restoration of Lumbini and is development as a pilgrimage site. a plane by the Japanese architect Kenzo Tange was adopted in 1978-it involves canals,Garden,a library and Meseum,Monastic zone, a pilgrim lodge and a hotel. Beside its religious and historical significance, Lumbini offers cultural insights into the village life of southern Nepal.