POPULAR PLACES IN AROUND KATHMANDU
1. Swayambhunath
The self existent one Four kilometers to
the west of the city of Kathmandu, is
one of Buddhism's holiest shrines.
Amidst a sylvan surrounding, atop a hill
is the ancient stupa, which had stood
there 2,000 years. Just after the
Buddha's birth, the first foundations
were laid. It was upon this spot, when
the valley was still a lake that a lotus
bloomed emitting the five-colored rays
of the Swayambhu, the Self Existent One.
Big and dignified this unique example of
superb stupa architecture, a curvilinear
large hemisphere of stucco brick work,
surmounted by a bronze spire of
tapering, receding rings and resting on
an octagonal brick platform, is the
representation of "Garbha" which means
the womb. Capped by a wide umbrella of
burnished gold, which in turn is crowned
by the Chudamani a conical canopy of
gilt rings, the square base of the spire
is painted on all four sides with the
compassionate and mystical eyes of the
all. The stucco hemisphere is ringed by
prayer wheels and images of the Buddha
are placed in niches cut into the dome
with latticed or grilled doorways
projecting slightly outward. Clustered
around the huge platform of the stupa
are a medley of stupas, pagodas, figures
and monastic establishments, including
the pagoda of Harati, the Hindu Goddess
of small pox and other epidemics. Which
the stupas are dedicated exclusively to
the Buddhist pantheon, the pagodas house
both Hindu and Buddhist divinities. This
is the rule rather than the exception
both religion and the deities live side
by side, and both receive universal
homage. The juxtaposition is the central
feature of Nepalese culture ever since
the dawn of recorded history.
Swayambhunath is the oldest Buddhist
shrine in the Kathmandu valley, and a
place of pilgrimage. On top of the hill
is a Lamaist monastery, open to the
public and a small museum containing
stunning examples of Nepalese art. On
the terrace, facing the valley and city
is a colossal "Vajra", or thunderbolt,
covered with gold leaf. The emblem of
sovereign power, thunderbolt is a
Tantric symbol and is as important to
Tantric Buddhist as it was to the Greek
god Jupiter and together with the bell
it is an essential instrument of Lamaist
worship. The modest village, at the foot
of the hill is a favorite with the
younger tourist set who are involved in
the constant search for peace of mind in
this super materialistic age.
2. Bouddhnath
The all knowing Buddha The great white "Garbga"
of Buddhism- Bouddhnath Lord of Wisdom,
is the largest Buddhist "chaitya" in the
world. The hemisphere on a four- stage
plinth is built on an octagonal base.
Its eighty small recesses each bear the
image of the Lord. The base of the
shrine is shaped like a mandala, a
geometrical and astrological
representation of the world the cubic
construction represents the earth. A
triple series of thirteen steps leads up
to the white glistening dome, stark in
the sunshine. While the base symbolises
the earth, the white- washed mound
symbolises another element, water. The
central tower, fire, the crescent, the
air, the flame on top, ether and the
thirteen steps between the mound and the
pinnacle represent the 13 stages one
must go through, to attain perfect
knowledge or Bodhi. The stem of the
Chudamani that crowns it is composed of
a pyramid from the square base on the
hemisphere thirteen golden rings taper
towards and support an umbrella of
polished metal, while on its four sides
are the all knowing, penetrating eyes of
the Buddha, supreme in His Wisdom. The
cold eyes penetrate the visitor holding
him in fascination- Between the eyes is
the third eye and below, the symbol.
Like a question mark, is the number one
in Devanagari script. This symbolises
the oneness of Buddha- there are no lips
or mouth- the Divine. Being speaks to no
one but sees all and knows all. Around
the shrine is a charming village of
Tibetan refugees, just 7km from the
center of the town. Tucked away in
between the neat homes, and almost
hidden away from view is the monastery
of the Gelukpa sect, to which the Dalai
Lama also belongs. Here, time stands
still. The visitor travels back several
centuries- here and there is peace and
meditation is the rule. Even whilst
gathered in prayer, sounding their
songs, oboes or trumpets, the kindly
monks allow visitors to watch and even
tape the proceedings. Fluttering, almost
insignificant against the glaring white
and sparking gold are thousands of
prayer flags hanging from strings
attached from the top of the tower of
the stupa to the outer wall. In the
villages, groups of Tibetans in long
black robes, belted with bright red
wool, come constantly to pay their
respect and worship at this, the center
of Buddhist Lamalsm in Nepal. Some, with
heavy baskets strapped to them, slowly
circle, clockwise, the stupa, following
the wall, flicking each prayer wheel
into motion which repeats endlessly the
mystic formula written on the enclosed
roll of paper over and over, "Om mani
padme hum"- Oh, the jewel in the lotus.
3. Pashupatinath-(The Master- Lord of
the Earth)
Protector of cattle, friend of life and
guide of all species in their
development, besides the rest, Shiva is
also the tutelary god of Nepal who is
referred to at the end of all official
speeches delivered by His Majesty the
King. The holiest of Shiva shrines in
Nepal, this two- iered, pagoda style
temple with a golden roof and silver
doors, is one of Hindudom's holiest
shrines and famous the world over for
its supreme architecture. Standing on
the banks of the Bagmati, 5km north-east
of Kathmandu, it contains the lingam of
pashupatinath installed there centuries
ago by the king of Nepal. In the
Lichhavi period of Nepal's history,
known as its "Golden Age", the magic
name of Pashupati was adopted in her
standard and her coinage. A mosaic of
other temples, and shrines, it is
dominated by the huge gilted figure of
Nandi (bull), Shiva's mount, seated on a
stone pedestal opposite the main gate,
flanked by the golden trident. Only
Hindus are permitted to enter the holy
temple, outside which is a crematorium
by the side of the wide, shallow river.
Monkeys jump around on the terraces and
on the hills above. From the terrace
above is an excellent view of the
courtyard with its enormous golden bull
and which is thronged by visitors on the
annual festival of Shivaratri which
takes place between February and March,
who travel miles to take a dip in the
Bagmati, tributary of the Ganga. Later,
they queue up to pay obeisance to the
Lord. Succeeding generatuons of rulers
have added to the temple housing the
Lingam, which was installed centuries
ago- and is in the fact ageless.
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4. Guheshwari
Temple to the consort of the Lord In the
middle of a paved courtyard, surrounded
by rest houses and just a short distance
from Pashuaptinath, is Guheshwari,
temple to Parvati, consort of Shiva.
Signifying the female principle of
procreation, the whole temple is
designed after the Tantric yantra, the
geometric triangle. With the usual
arched construction of tubular metal
work, which covers the main building,
towards the top, it transforms itself
into four gilded snakes which support
the crowning piece on the roof.
5. The Royal Capital itself
Picaresque streets lead to numerous
squares filled with beautifully carved,
wooden temples and houses, while on the
streets friendly crowds mingle and mill
along trying to avoid the ubiquitous
bicycles and rickshaws. Here and there
are small taverns, close to Basantpur,
filled with the younger, foreign set,
sometimes trying to 'score some hash',
which was banned in 1973.
6. The Royal Temple of Taleju
Capital of the world's only Hindu
kingdom, the royal temple, built by the
kings for their personal worship stands
on a little hillock overlooking the
Hanumam Dhoka Square, housing the
ancient royal palace. Erected by one of
the splendid Malla kings, Mahendra Malla
in 1549, it is dedicated to the Goddess
Taleju Bhavani, another name for Durga,
patron goddess of royal kings. One of
the largest and most beautiful temples,
the triple roofed, pagoda-style temple
stands on top of a multi-tier plinth and
is projected in the form of the mystic
yantra. Overlooking, also the
surrounding market area and dominating
the skyline of the city, its brass
plated roof is crowned with a gold gilt
finial. Adding to the magnificence and
beauty are small bells with leaf
tongues, lining the roof ends which
flutter and tinkle at the gentlest touch
of the breeze, and the gorgeous
decorations of bronze and wood which
glow in the sun, enhancing the mellow
grandeur of the sanctity of Taleju
Bhavani. Only His Majesty the King and
the Royal Family worship in this temple,
whose sheer magnificence in size is
matched only by the Nyatapola of
Bhadgaon. During the Durga festival it
is open to the public.
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7. The Hanuman Dhoka
Residence of Ancient Kings Watching over
Hanuman Dhoka, is the huge statue of the
monkey god Hanuman, under an umbrella,
wrapped in a scarlet cloak squatting on
a stone plinth. It is a complex of royal
buildings and temples dating from
medieval days, dominated by the
beautiful royal places with its nine-
storeyed pagoda. Also called the Darbar
Square, it is a lovely medley of
pagodas, each one of them standing on
its own lofty terrace, high above the
main market. Dedicated to the Lord Shiva
and Narayan, these temples have wide and
overhanging roofs supported by highly
erotic carvings on the struts. The
entablature on the top of the open
collonnade is lined by elaborately
carved latticed windows. Built by the
Newar Tibet and China, thanks to the
influence of architect Balbahu or Arniko
they were commissioned by the splendid
Mallas, who added to the beauty of the
three capitals all based in the valley.
One cannot walk round the center of
these three cities for more than fifty
feet without coming upon a pagoda, a
temple, a shrine or a sacred water tank.
The graceful pagodas are the most
typical of the three types of religious
architecture found here, viz pagodas,
shikaras and stupas which are
specifically Buddhist. The base shelters
the image or deity, above is the body of
the temple topped by several roofs-
three to five- always turned upwards and
ending with a bronze head of an angel or
human face pointed downwards, to
counterbalance the bird in flight at the
upturned corner. The edges of the roofs
are always hung with numerous bells with
thin metal leaves that tinkle in the
breeze. With a dragon guarding every
temple door on either side, there are
also two bells hanging from a metal of
stone U-Shaped structure. Metal ribbons,
made of rectangular plates hang down
from the roofs symbolizing the path
taken by a god if he were to choose to
descend to the faithful. The ewers
fastened to the doors symbolise the
blessings of water to humanity. The
shape of the gables varies according to
gods that are worshipped there; three
spires symbolise the trinity of Brahma,
Vishnu and Shiva for a Hindu temple, or
Buddha, Dharma and Sangha (law and
community respectively) in case of
Buddhist shrine. While the most common
pattern for the pillars and window
frames are geometric, incorporating
flowers leaves, human figures and
animals, the joists and struts of the
pagodas are carved to act as a support
for a good or mythical beast such as a
dragon, griffin or the "makara", an
animal with a short trunk, and which
rest on a base where the artist has
carved highly erotic love scenes-
symbols of the eternal process of
creation and the affirmation of life
triumphant. There is always a space
between the erotic carvings and the
divinities carved above them on the
struts supporting the roof- the space is
brought out by a lotus blossom acting as
the pedestal for the deity. "The lotus
blossom in India, Nepal and Tibet
signifies spiritual renewal. Under the
lotus, life is represented crudely with
all its excesses but with the innate
capacity for redemption. The lotus
appears as a symbol of purity and of
life beyond". Though the Mallas made
their appearance on the Nepalese scene
in the eighth century, it was not until
1206 that they took over from the
Lichhavis. They have gone down in
history as not only territorial
conquerors but as builders; who
embellished the three capitals
consecutively. The town of Kathmandu was
founded, according to historians, by
King Gunakama Deva in the year 723 A.D.
and became the capital of the Valley. It
was then called Kantipur. The
beautifully carved bronze Hanuman Dhoka
gate was built by Pratap Malla somewhere
between 1639. 89 A.D. Next to it, the
king had the huge statue of Hanuman,
covered in red paint, erected on the
left side, while on the walls of the
palace the erudite monarch had inscribed
in 15 languages; a hymn he himself
composed in honour of the Goddess Kalika.
Another inscription put up in 1654 lists
the history of the Mallas and their
conquests. In the palace itself, is the
magnificent Durbar Hall where the
foreign ambassadors, attached to the
Royal Court used to present their
credentials to the king. It was termed
and still is, "Gaddi Baithak". In the
palace compound are a giant bell and an
equally giant pair of drums to symbolise
the Nepalese faith in religious calls.
During the hours of worship, the
reverberation of the bell and the
sonorous beat of the drums resound
through the square as they summon the
faithful to prayer. To install fear in
the hearts of the unbeliever and to act
as a reminder to others, is the gigantic
figure of Kal Bhairab- God of Terror.
Representing Shiva in His most
terrifying form: a malevolent god intent
on universal destruction, including
ignorance, the image of the deity in
this aspect, is depicted as a huge
showing prominent canine teeth, a collar
of skulls round his neck and more of
them on his crown. Made of black stone
symbolising the destructive power, it is
kept hidden from public view by a
railing which is opened once a year
during the Indra Jatra Festival in early
September, when it is profusely
decorated and the doors of the fence
concealing it are opened. The same time
a huge pole, symbolising the god in the
aspect of the lingam, is erected at the
Dhoka and sacrifices of goats and
chickens are made as it is being set up.
King Pratap Malla had four sons of whom
he was inordinately fond of. To prepare
them to take over the throne after his
death, he temporarily abdicated in their
favor- each was to reign one year.
Unfortunately the eldest had died in
boyhood, so the second, Chakraverendra
was awarded the title Maharajadhiraj but
died after ruling only four days, in
1666. In his memory the broken- hearted
king dug the beautiful tank Ranipokhari,
on the southern bank of which is a stone
elephant, on which are seated the Queen
and her deceased son. In the Hanuman
Dhoka is a statue of the king himself,
with his four sons, on the lotus capital
of a tall stone monolith erected in
front of the Deotalle Temple, which is
just behind the Kal Bhairab. To
perpetuate the memory of his wife, the
king built a Krishna Temple in front of
the Dhoka. Among the other temples worth
visiting in the Square are the Deotalle
Temple. Jagannath Temple and the Shiva
temple in front of the Gaddi Baithak
(Hall of Public Audience) erected in
1687 by the wife of Parhtibendra Malla
Pratap Malla's second son, after his
death.
8. Basantpur Darbar
In the Hanuman Dhoka too, is the
beautiful and majestic nine-storeyed
Basantpur Durbar, or the Nautalle Dardar
and a Numismatic Museum displaying
ancient gold coins minted by the
Lichhavis and Mallas, amongst others,
dating back to the 7th century. It was
during the Lichhavi period known as the
"GoldenAge" that the magic name of
Pashupati was adopted in the standard of
the Nepal kings and the flying griffin
as an emblem, was stamped on the new
system of coinage. Pratap Malla was a
wealthy king and performed Tuladan, when
his weight in gold and precious stones
was distributed to the Brahmins and the
poor. Before he died, he got erected a
golden statute of himself. The Basantpur
Darbar, one of the most magnificent
palaces and an architectural rarity was
built by King Prithvi Narayan Shah after
the completion of the conquest of the
Valley in 1769 after a siege of
twenty-five years. In it is an equally
magnificent coronation platform where
the mighty unifier of the kingdom was
crowned.
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9. Kasthamandap
Odyssey in Wood Built out of the timber
of a single tree, in 1596 by Raja
Lakshmi Narsingha Malla, it is a
sprawling double- roofed pagoda temple
housing the image of Gorakhnath in
stone, a top- grade Siddha, or the
perfect one, of the Nath Sect. Designed
as a night shelter for the poor or its
original shape. Close to it and the
Hanuman Dhoka is roving mendicants, it
has been repaired and restored to the
Kumari Ghar.
10. Kumari Ghar- House of the Living
Goddess
Jaya Parkash Malla was the last of the
Malla kings before the Gorkha conquest.
In 1760, nine years before he lost his
throne, he built this imposing
residential building, in the pagoda
style and with the doors and windows
elaborately carved. It was built for the
kumari, a vestal virgin selected from
the Sakya(priestly) community, to reign
as the Living Goddess or Kanya Kumari
whose incarnation she is. Always chosen
from a Buddhist family of
silver-goldsmiths from Patan, she must
be five years old, her body without the
slightest blemish, and with enough
courage to be left alone in a dark room
strewn with the bleeding heads of newly
sacrificed buffaloes. She must not show
any fear. Once she is recognized by the
astrologer as being the Living Goddess
she becomes a veritable prisoner to her
own high position, and is forbidden to
leave her palace alone, or with
attendants. On very rare occasions she
is carried through the town in a
palanquin. Reigning as the Kumari, she
commands homage even from the King on
Indra Jatra Day. Himself the incarnation
of the Hindu god Vishnu, he is
consecrated by her- from a Buddhist
family- when she puts a "tikka" on his
forehead. This portrays the complete
overlapping and unity of the two creeds.
That day, dressed in robes of scarlet,
and crowned and starts the procession
through the old city. She comes out
three times within the eight days. Her
hair dressing underneath the tiara, is a
simple topknot tied with by a piece of
scarlet ribbon. Her entire brow is
overlaid with 5vermilion pasts decorated
with spangles- the eye shadow extends
from the corner of the eye to the
temples- a human being imbued with the
ethereal grace and charm of the deity.
11. Temple in the Indra Chowk
A short distance away from the Durbar
Square is the vast Indra Chowk, where is
the main shopping center of the town.
Here is the temple to Akash Bhairab or
the sky-high Bhairab which is housed in
the first floor of the edifice. The
temple to the White Bhairab or the
Shveta Bhairab was erected by Rana
Bahadur Shah in 1796. In the form of a
large brass head, the White Bhairab
reflects the degree of achievement of
the Nepalese in the field of brasswork.
Along with the other two Bhairabs it is
worshipped specially during the
week-long Indra Jatra festival in
September-October. Bhairab is also the
symbol of the Nepalese Aviation Company
(Royal Nepal Airlines) where he appears
with two wings behind his head. Half-way
down the picturesque chowk, hidden in a
courtyard, is the temple of White
Machhendranath, located at Machhendra
Bahal. Dedicated to the deity which is
the incarnation of the Avalokteshwar
Padmapani Buddha, the gorgeous
pagoda-style temple attracts musicians
and singers who gather every evening to
chant religious songs. One of the most
popular in Kathmandu, the inner
precincts of the temple are full of
images, intricate carvings and paintings
from the life of the Buddha. Among the
artistic features of interest in the
temple's architecture are the carvings
and mouldings in the shape of gods and
goddesses from both the Hindu and
Buddhist pantheon. The Padmapani Buddha
is the Saviour, king of incarnations.
12. Machhendra Nath
The God of Rain and the God of Mercy As
such the deity receives the homage of
all groups. With a two- tier bronze
roof, the beautiful temple, is set in
the midst of a courtyard full of
subordinate stupas and mounds, and
ringed around by residential houses with
busy shop fronts. Every year in the
month of March, the statue is drawn in a
tall chariot through the main streets of
kathmandu by both Hindus and Buddhists-
as a prime symbol of peace and devotion-
between both communities. In between
Durdar Square and the palatial Singha
Durdar lies New Road (Juddha Road) and
Tundikhel one of the most beautiful
parade grounds of Asia. On Juddha Road
are located curio shops and the Cottage
Industries Emporium, which is a reliable
and fair-price shop of Nepalese
handicrafts, a show-room of indigenous
talent.
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13. The Mahankal Bhairab
On the border of the velvety Tundikhel
parade ground the largest in the
country, is the temple dedicated to yet
another Bhairab. This fourth
manifestation is the Mahankal Bhairab,
the God of Death and Destruction, though
considered, also as the protector of the
Valley. This image, considered one of
the most beautiful in the country, is
made of shining black stone and is an
outstanding example of Nepalese
sculptor.
14. The Martyrs Memorial
On the way to the Singha Darbar, above
the road through Tundikhel, a marble
arch is dedicated to four martyrs who
suffered death in their fight against
the tyranny of the Ranas. Under the arch
stands the black marble statues of King
Tribhuvan who shook off the tyrannical
rule in 1950 along with four martyrs,
Shukra Raj Shastri, Dharma Bhakta,
Darsharath Chand and Ganga Lal who were
either shot dead or hanged in 1940 by
the Ranas for demanding, peacefully,
democratic rights for the people. 15.
The Singha Durbar- Monument to Vainglory
With over a thousand rooms the imposing
stucco-palace built in the European
neo-classic style, was once the official
residence of the Rana Prime Ministers,
who for a hundred years, rules Nepal
with an iron hand. Till a few years ago,
when a fire gutted the interior the
palace was filled with priceless
treasures acquired by the Ranas in their
frequent trips abroad. The largest and,
still the most impressive building in
Kathmandu, located in a 75-acre estate
and set in the midst of beautiful
well-planned gardens, it now houses the
Central Secretariat of His Majesty's
Government.
15. Sital Niwas
Nepal's "Buckingham Palace" Bearing
comparison with the Singha Durbar is
Sital Niwas located at Maharajgunj, now
the Royal Guest House. Donated to the
Government by one of the Ranas, Krishna
Shumshere, it was built by him to an
exact replica of her Royal Britanic
Majesty's Palace in London.
16. Dharahara-Bhimsen Tower
There is a white minaret near the
Tundikhel Parade Ground and close to the
General Post Office, which is not part
of any mosque and any similarity with
Muslim architecture is purely for
aesthetic reasons. It was built by the
great soldier statesman Bhim Sen Thapa,
the Prime Minister of King Rana Bahadur
Shah, and who led Nepal to glory in his
34 year rules as Prime Minister, serving
three generations. Erected in 1832, the
tower besides acting as a lookout, was
used to give a bugle call to the
soldiers, when the army barracks did not
exist in the core, he built the tower
also called Bhimsen Stambh, when the
beloved Queen Mother Tirpura Sundari
died in 1832, as a memorial to her,
along with another one called Sunderhara
in another part of the country. Reaching
a height of 50.5 meters (165 feet), from
the top it offers a stupendous panoramic
view of the whole vale of Kathmandu.
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17. Narayanhity Durbar- The New Royal
Palace
In close proximity with the temple of
Narayan, whose incarnation the King of
Nepal is supposed to be is the new Royal
Palace, an enchanting melange of the old
and the new. Mingling ancient beauty and
dignity with the modern, it is a
masterpiece of architecture. Just
outside the western gate of the palace
there is "Narayanhity"- an ancient and
historic water bath. Special permission
is required to enter the Palace grounds.
18. Gokarneshwar- Temple to Lord Shiva
There kilometers north-east of the
Bouddhnath stupa Gokarna is on the way
to Sundarijal. Here commanding a fine
view of the river Bagmati, which at this
place flows through a gorge, is the
temple of Gokarneshwar, dedicated to
Lord Shiva. This fine, ancient temple,
built in the pagoda style and full of
elaborate carvings, was renovated by
King Jayasthiti Malla in 1422 A.D. The
pious king made frequent offerings and
endowments for daily worship and other
special ceremonies.
19. Shekha Narayan- the Dwarf
incarnation of Vishnu
In Dev-patan, near the temple of
Pashupatinath and on a hillock situated
midst lovely surroundings is the ancient
temple of Shekha Narayan, constructed by
King Haridatta Varma, in seventh
century. A place of pilgrimage, the
shrine houses the stone relief of Vamana,
the dwarf incarnation of Vishnu taking
one of the three steps with which he
covered the world. One of the five
immortal renderings of Vishnu sculpture,
whose twin is in Lazimpat, and it was
subjected to the cruel blows of the Turk
invaders from Bengal and was flung out
in the open along with the other to
suffer the vagaries of sun and rain for
hundreds of years. Yet strangely enough,
they both retain to this day the glory
and freshness of the first creation,
eliciting wordless tribute to the
anonymous master of the centuries past.
20. Buddhanilkantha- The Blue- Throated
One
At the foot of the Shivpuri Hill is an
image of Vishnu recumbent, in a square
pool, on a bed of snakes. An excellent
example and stately example of the art
of stone, this fine work of art was
sculpted in the sixth century and
disclosed a strong and effective
blending of the Gandhara and the Gupta
Schools of Art. It is beautifully
proportioned lifelike to the last detail
and supremely realistic in expression
and posture. At the same time, it
discloses a fine understanding of human
anatomy and a rare spirit of dedication.
A place of pilgrimage, the holy place is
surrounded by monasteries. A drive to
Tokha Hill from here goes through
beautiful pine trees. It lies nine
kilometers north of Kathmandu.
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21. Balaju Water Garden- A King's
creation
King Pratap Malla the erudite monarch
who composed a hymn to Kalika was an
intensely religious man and to him Nepal
owes some of the most magnificent
temples. He felt strongly that since the
King of Nepal was himself an incarnation
of Vishnu, the Maharajadhiraja should
not visit Buddhanilakantha, the
incarnation of Vishnu, "Naranamcha
Naradhipam", according to the Bhagavad
Gita, so that the two Vishnus may not
meet. He instructed the finest sculptors
of the realm to make a replica of the
6th century image which would be
installed out in the beautiful Royal
Gardens of Balaju for the "King's"
visit. Beautifully laid out in the days
of the Malla Kings, the garden support
22 crocodile- headed water spouts which
were added in the mid-18th century. The
image was installed in 1650 for the
King's visit. Adding to the grandeur of
the place, 3 km west of the capital, in
recent times, a new park named Balaju
Uddhayan and a Olympic- sized swimming
pool have been laid out. True to
tradition, no Nepalese monarch has,
since the days of Pratap Malla, visited
the shrine of Buddhanilkantha for fear
being struck down by casting a glance at
a god whose incarnation he is.
22. The Nepal National Museumm
Close to the temple of Swayambhunath,
2,5 kilometers (1.5miles) from Kathmandu
City, is the National Museum for those
who are interested in Nepalese culture,
ancient medieval and modern. Among the
historical and archaeological items are
war trophies, including the leather gun
captured in the Tibetan War of 1888 and,
from across the ocean, the sword of
Nepoleon Bonaparte who himself never got
across thus far east. Besides the arms
of a bygone age, the like of which would
not be found elsewhere, the museum
contains an excellent collection of
stone and bronze idols representing
Buddhist and Hindu deities besides a
large amount of costumes in vogue
through the ages.
23. Chovar Gorge and Adinath
When the Kathmandu Valley was one vast
lake and the holy Bagmati was a prisoner
of the mountain chain, the God
Manjushree cut a gorge at chovar, 6.4 km
(4 miles) from Kathmandu, through which
the lake was drained out. All the waters
of the valley got their outlet from this
picturesque narrow gorge through which
the waters roar away. On top of the
hill, presenting a magnificent view of
the snow- clad peaks is the small pagoda
temple built by the Lichhavian king, the
powerful Amshuvarma. Starting as a
soldier in the army of King Shiva Deva
Verma of the Surya Dynasty, he married
the King's daughter and later, in the
year 630 A.D. married his daughter off
to the King of Tibet. It was she, who
took Buddhism to Tibet. The king died in
640 A.D. but before he built the Temple
of Adinath, dedicated to the Lokeshwar
Buddha. It was with the Lichhavis that
the pagoda style of architecture which
centuries later spread to China,
started. Chinese travelers came to Nepal
in 643 A.D. and took back designs of the
pagodas, both religious and secular, but
it was in the 11th century that the
powerful Kublai Khan sent for the famous
Nepalese architect Balbahu, or Arniko as
the Chinese called him. He left a
lasting imprint and a grateful Khan
bestowed on him the title: Min Hui, or
Personification of Wisdom.
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