Home :: City Stopovers:: Kathmandu

If there ever was a power-packed jumbo feast for the senses, this is it. Stroll the narrow and winding back alleys one early morning, just as the sun begins to beam its way into every nook and dusty cranny. And be dumbfounded as it sets, a glowing ball of vermilion, beyond the ancient dark temples in the Durbar Square. There are an awesome seven World Heritage Sites in Kathmandu, and relics of the past they may be but defunct ruins they aren’t. That’s the thing about Kathmandu actually, the old – temples and folk, the young – swish cars or ball-kicking boys, and everything in between....it’s all ALIVE!

History
From Manju-Patan to Kantipur to Kathmandu, it’s been a long journey for Nepal’s largest and most important city. Founded in 723AD, the earliest settlers were the Newars. The Malla kings ruled from around 1200 AD and it was during their rule that the Valley went from being a single kingdom to three. In 1482, King Yaksha Malla split the valley into Bhaktapur, Lalitpur (Patan) and Kirtipur (Kathmandu). The beautiful Durbar Squares are legacies of the intense rivalry that erupted among the kingdoms, each trying to surpass the other as much in trade as in architecture and art. In the 18th century, after a long war of attrition, the valley finally passed into the hands of the Gurkha chieftain, Prithvi Narayan Shah. With Kathmandu as his base, Prithvi Narayan ranged far and wide and unified Nepal into its present day form. And though Nepal has had its political ups and downs since, Kathmandu has continued to be the most important city in the country.


What to see
Royal ruins: Kathmandu’s Durbar Square is lovely, littered as it is with the varied legacies of the classy Mallas, the martial Prithvi Narayan and the somewhat loud Ranas. The Hanuman Dhoka palace is no longer the residence of the Shah Kings but is still used for ceremonial gatherings and events like the coronation.
The Hanuman Dhoka gate has a fantastic carved representation of Lord Ram’s Man Friday: the revered monkey god here is awash in vermilion ‘sindur’ paste. Only a part of the grounds is open to visitors. The half man-half lion Narsimha figure of one of the incarnations of Vishnu is from 1673 AD when the king Pratap Malla danced dressed like the god and then sought to appease Him by having a statue made in His honour. Must’ve worked, considering the Malla king enjoyed a long and glorious time at the throne!

Temple trail: Small streets and winding alleys never cease to surprise you because invariably waiting at the other end (and along the way) is a temple. The capital of the world’s only Hindu kingdom does itself proud housing an astounding number of shrines dedicated either to Vishnu the Preserver, Shiva the Destroyer or Goddess Durga from whom flows All Energy.
The most important temple in Kathmandu and really all of Nepal is Pashupatinath, dedicated to Shiva in his form as protector of animals.
The Kasthamandap Temple is now dedicated to the patron saint of the ruling Shahs. A lovely wooden pergola reputedly built from a single tree covers the shrine of this temple from which the city is said to have picked up its name. Perhaps the oldest structure in the area, the Kasthamandap Mandir dates back to the 14th century. The 16th century TalejuTemple looms over Durbar Square with the three tiers of its golden dome literally outshining everything around. The Manju Dewal temple is a good vantage point at the Durbar Square. From the pagoda roof, you can watch the activity down below before plunging back into it. In Budhanilkantha, a short way out of the city, a statue of Vishnu on a bed of snakes seems to float on the pond. The Kala Bhairab and Sweta Bhairab and Akash Bhairab are all shrines to Shiva.

Stunning stupa: Swayambhunath is the most famous of the Buddhist stupas in Kathmandu. In a country where Hindus and Buddhists have traditionally commingled, pictures of the ‘face of Swayambhu’ adorn brochures as often as Boudhanath, Pashupatinath or Everest.

Sitting on a hilltop Swayambhu is a little challenging for the infirm amongst us but do go for the view, for offering up a prayer by turning an inscribed wheel and for the calm that comes from just being around the peace loving Buddhists.

Of museums, matrons, markets and much more:
Whatever is the point of museums in this city where ancient temples, sacred detailed carvings, art, craft and more spill out onto the streets and rub shoulders with you? The Natural History Museum has stuffed animals that someone framed when there were more alive ones around (and now there aren’t so you have to come here to see them!) TheNationalMuseum will give you a good idea about Nepal’s rich, sometimes tumultuous and always exciting history. The KumariPalace is where Nepal’s resident goddess lives. Once in a while, there is a hunt for the girl who is The Goddess Kali incarnate. This is where The Chosen One lives thereafter. In Bangemudha, (literally Twisted Wood) resides the god that looks after dental well-being. Going by the number of clinics that line the road leading up to it, looks like He has amply strong backup!

Getaways
Patan
To the south of the main city is Patan - peaceful, tinkling with sounds of metalworkers crafting their ware, and shaded over by temple roofs. This former Malla bastion lies across the Bagmati River and the Ring Road from Kathmandu, and you can get to this haven without any problem by crossing the bridge. There are buses, auto rickshaws, tempos and taxis to Patan. You could also cycle down or rent a car for the trip. Cycles of the pedal-push and motor propelled varieties are both available for hire.
Many visitors choose to stay in this quiet retreat, which is both, close to and far enough from the hustle and hassle of Kathmandu. The presence of the UN offices ensures that moneychangers and banking facilities are aplenty. Accommodation isn’t as varied as in Kathmandu but the entire range from shared-bathroom joints to luxury hotels, exists.

The Durbar Square
in Patan is supposed to outrank all others, which could be why Bertolucci’s Little Buddha had a bath here! Luxuriously opulent palaces, ancient monasteries, lotus-eyed Buddha in prayer wheel ringed temples; they’re all there in style. Some highlights are the Royal Palace, the Mul ‘Chowk’ (or ‘Square’), the Keshav Narayan Chowk, the Buddhist area to the south of Durbar Square and the famous temples and monasteries to the north. Within their lion guarded gates, half crocodile-half elephant spouts at water fountains, erotic carvings on temple awnings, austere 12th century monasteries, and the beautiful Patan Museum, which was restored with the help of the Austrian Government, are what you will see. The zoo is the only one in the country (if you don’t count Thamel that is!).Cafés serve up snacks with piping hot coffee or chilled beer, and after you’ve stocked up, the Patan Industrial Estate is a great browse and buy area. The gems here are the real things as is the silver that has been painstakingly filigreed.One of the very exciting places in the Kathmandu valley, Patan (or Lalitpur) is too conveniently located and too lovely to miss.

Bhaktapur
Nearly flattened when the valley was rocked in a 1934 earthquake, Bhaktapur has been carefully restored to medieval glory. Pagoda roofed temples line its brick pathways that are kept spick and span clean with the help of the fee you pay at the town entrance. Literally translated to mean City of Devotees, Bhaktapur is also known as Bhadgaon. In testimony to its days of political importance, the temples are all guarded by big burly scowling mallas (wrestlers). Under the Malla Dynasty Bhaktapur came to rule the rest of the valley till the Gorkha chief Prithvinarayan Shah captured the entire region and gave us the Nepal of today. You’d hardly know that now when devoid of any industrial sectors, diplomatic and UN enclaves and government paraphernalia, Bhaktapur is a refuge from all that is temporal and trite.

Much of the original Durbar Square was levelled out in the 1934 earthquake but what remains is beautiful and quiet. The Royal Palace dates back to days of grandeur when the Mallas ruled the rest of the valley from here. The 16th century buildings have a collection of murals, paintings, 11th century statues and tapestry that now form part of the National Art Gallery that is housed here. Elsewhere in the Square are ancient temples dedicated to various Hindu gods. Some have been restored with steel reinforcements so that another earthquake in this seismic zone will not wreck these treasures again. The 55-Window Palace is framed with intricately carved windows, and the Golden Gate with its Garuda (divine eagle) carving is famous. There is also a replica Pashupatinath that replicates the lingam rather than the temple structure of its more famous namesake.

Other areas of interest are the Taumadhi Tol and Tachapal Tol. The most famous of Bhaktapur’s temples Nyatapola looms up at this square and the colourful New Year procession of Bisket Jatra takes off from this point. The imposing Nyatapola standing tall above all has a fantastic five story high Pagoda roof. It swoops down in delightful curves and sweeps up, each tier tucked into the one above. The shrine is shut for all but the priests. The Bhairavnath Temple and the Til Mahadev Narayan Temple are also in the same area. Tachapol Tol has the 15th century temple of Dattatraya, the oldest surviving one in Bhaktapur.

The Changu Narayan Temple (7 km) is a must see.
This mosaic of a prayer place is an amazing album that has collected pictures through the centuries of temple building. Quite appropriately dedicated to the Preserver Vishnu, the shrine has been worshipped at since 454 AD and continues to be a favourite with devotees and travellers alike.

The hotels in Bhaktapur are mostly mid-rung, though budget rooms are available too. But what they may lack in luxury, they make up for in style. Stunningly located around the beautiful temples with engaging little roof top restaurants, they make Bhaktapur a good place to stay a night in. It’s easiest and most comfortable to do the 14 km from Kathmandu in a hired car but buses and other public transport is a viable option.

One must incur in Bhaktapur: the price of a glass of sweet curd that Bhaktapur is famous for and earthenware from Potter’s Square.

Dakshinkali
A short ride from Kathmandu is the temple of Dakshinkali. An otherwise sleepy temple town, it becomes the venue for frenetic religious activity on the auspicious days of Tuesdays and Saturdays. A site for large-scale animal sacrifice, one can see local folk flocking with their livestock to appease and be blessed by the Goddess Kali. Through the length and breadth of Hindu Nepal and its neighbour India you would’ve seen paintings or statues of this seemingly demoniac divine being that stands astride the renegade demon Mahashisur with Her tongue bared. Kali, also called Durga and ‘Shakti’, the embodiment of Energy is The Goddess in the Hindu pantheon. The important festival of Dashain, which brings all activity but the religious and social and the socially religious to a standstill in the month of October, is dedicated to her.

Boudhanath
Nepal’s very own little Tibet, Boudha is exactly what the name tells you it might be. All the four sects of Buddhism have a base here, maroon robed monks people the streets, and one of the world’s largest stupas (a sacred mound that may enclose Buddhist relics within it), and the Chorten Chempo (Great Stupa) dominates the townscape. Its curious face also dominates glossy postcards and ‘visit Nepal’ posters. (The eyes are those of the Omniscient Buddha looking out in four directions, and what looks like the nose is actually a symbol for ‘1’.) Since the 5th century, it has been a place of worship for pilgrims pursuing their journeys up the forbidding Himalayas. The town of Boudhanath (Boudha), only 5 km from Kathmandu and now the centre of Tibetan Buddhism in exile is best approached by hired car or bike.

The carpet trade has brought confused development, hectic Gompa / monastery -building activity, and some measure of commercial prosperity to a people who had to leave hearth and home in bitter conditions.

Nagarkot and Dhulikhel
Nagarkot and Dhulikhel offer similar experiences: both are within striking distance of Kathmandu and if the day is clear, you will get stunning views of the big peaks from both places.

Dhulikhel (32 km from Kathmandu, 1550 metres)
is more popular with those who are looking for a trip out into the country, especially bikers headed along the country road to Bhaktapur, and hikers who carry on towards Namobuddha and Panauti. Dhulikhel itself is a pretty town with elegant brick buildings that still house large joint families. The sun as it comes up over the tallest part of the Himalayas is the most special thing about Dhulikhel. If you get a room with a view, you could catch the magnificence from bed. Otherwise, walk to the Kali Shrine.

Nagarkot’s (32km)
selling point is the same as Dhulikhel. It attracts one-shot visitors (rather than those who plan to go on further). At 2175 metres, it is higher than Dhulikhel, and can get quite chilly. Everest is easily visible if the sky is clear

Nightlife
There is plenty of fun to be had in Kathmandu. The nightlife isnot hopping though discos, pubs and jazz at cafés in Thamel liven up the scene somewhat. Most casinos are open through 24 hours. Cinemas at the Kathmandu complex screen movies in English. Restaurants show surprisingly current videos of Hollywood fare. Some hotels and the sports complex let you pay-and-play. Catch a game of tennis, put in some laps at the pool, and many snooker parlours where you may pot a shot.

Cultural shows are held at several venues every night during the high season. These include folk performances of dance and music and could be a rewarding experience. Kathmandu provides an interesting culinary experience, to put it mildly! All major cuisines find representation here with the occasional hitch that ‘what you see ain’t what you get’. For exotic meals, it is probably better to stick with the trained chefs of the 5-star hotels. However, some cafés and restaurants have the Real McCoy: pizzas with melting cheese, Cajun and Creole, fish and chips, cinnamon rolls, and authentic Nepali food grander than ‘dal-bhat-tarkari’ (lentil soup-rice-veggies) are served up with aplomb. Some places even season their stuff with live Nepali folk or classical jazz!

If you will splurge on only one meal then let it be Nepali khana (or ‘food’) at a speciality restaurant. You’ll be delighted to discover there’s more to their food than the everyday menu of ‘dal-tarkari’.

Shopping
If you hunt in the tiny lanes of Thamel and around, you’re bound to find stuff far more interesting than knock-offs inspired by Levi Strauss. Don’t buy any jewellery thinking it’s the real stuff; in most cases silver turns out to be white metal and gems, bits of coloured glass. The entire range of Nepalese handicrafts is available in these lanes: lovely trinkets, woodcarvings, paper mache masks, pottery, Newari paubha and Tibetan thangka paintings and loom woven cloth. Resist buying them here if you plan to travel around the country because all this ware is found in greater variety in the towns where they are made. Naya Bazaar, close to Thamel is a large market that is less touristy. This is where locals shop for their fish, meat, electronics, and clothes and where youngsters hang out at cafes. In Kathmandu, you could pick up the Nepali Khukuri knife, tea and traditional glass beads.

Visiting
The crazy busy time to go to Kathmandu is in September-October. The all important, all consuming Dashain festival is on and Kathmandu dissolves into a whirr of activity as if the bustle of the rest of the year isn’t enough! This period is great weather wise though: it rains a fair bit lesser than in the preceding months, and it still is warm and balmy.

The monsoons, (May-August but especially July), are wet-wet wet and since this is the time that the Municipal Council and the garbage dump people invariably have their quarrels; it is also icky-icky-sticky! The winter months in the valley can get quite cool. Night temperatures hit a rock bottom 2° C in December and day temperature averages at 18° C in January. March and April are great months in which to visit. Spring is in bloom in the valley and the weather’s beautiful too.

Tourist Offices

Nepal Tourism Board: Bhrikuti Mandap, Kathmandu. Tel: 256 909,256 229,226 403 and 226 359. Fax: 256 910.


How to get there

Air
Fly into Kathmandu from virtually anywhere in the world. A host of domestic airlines connects Kathmandu to towns around the country including Pokhara, Bhairawa and Biratnagar. Tribhuvan International is 5 km from the city centre and it’s possible to get into town by bus or in one of the pre-paid taxis that station themselves very profitably outside the terminus. You can pre-arrange for a rented car to meet you, which is really the most convenient thing.

Rail
Kathmandu is not connected by rail. There is only one railway route in Nepal but it doesn’t serve the purpose of getting to or away from Kathmandu.

Road
Kathmandu is accessible by road from almost every place in the country. There are frequent services from Kakkarbhitta, Itahari, Dharan, Biratnagar, and Janakpur, which are some of the important cities in the east. In the west, there are buses from the border towns of Birganj and Nepalganj and from other places of tourist interest like Bhairawa, Pokhara and, Narayanghat and Sauraha near Chitwan National Park.

If you are driving in from India, there are entry points at Kakkarbhitta (West Bengal), Biratnagar (Bihar), Birgunj (Bihar), Sunauli, Nepalgunj, Dhanagadi and Mahendranagar (all across the border from Uttar Pradesh). The towns are listed here as they lie from east to west. Biratnagar is Nepal’s second largest city, after Kathmandu.

Only if you have a visa can you enter at these points. None are equipped to issue you a visa. Indians do not need a visa to enter Nepal