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About Nepal

Brief Information About Nepal 

Nepal is small land-locked country of high Himalayan mountains, artistic monuments, exotic wildlife and with different cultures and languages. Nepal is situated between between China in North and India in South. It is a birth place of Lord Buddha (more than 2500 years ago). Here lies eight of ten highest mountains in world.

Area: It occupies 145,391 square kilometer (i.e. 56,139 square mile). It stretches 885 kilometers (i.e. 553 miles) from east to west and averages 160 kilometers (i.e. 100 miles) from north to south. Nepal is mountainous country. 14% of the land is cultivated, 13% is pasture, 32 % is forested rest are all mountains.

Climate: Even being a small country of the world it has variety of climatic conditions ranging from tropical heat of the Terai plain to the freezing cold of the high mountains. Temperature of Terai plain ranges between 8 degree Celsius to 37 degree Celsius, Kathmandu Valley ranges between 2 degree Celsius to 28 degree Celsius and in the Mountainous region it ranges between -6 degree Celsius to 16 degree Celsius.

Population: Population of Nepal is about 20 million growing at the rate of 2.7% annually. 50% of total population are under age of 21.

Capital: Capital of Nepal is Kathmandu. Here resides the palace of His Majesty King in Narayahiti. Population of Kathmandu Valley (that includes three districts namely Kathmandu, Lalitpur and Bhaktapur) is about one million.

Peoples: There are many groups of people leaving in Nepal. They have their own sociey, culture and language. The group includes Gurung, Limbu, Magar, Newar, Rai, Sherpa, Tamang, Tharu. Major castes groups are the Brahmans and Chhetris. There are also some Indians and Tibetans over here.

Languages: Common language spoken in Nepal is Nepali. It is also considered as national language and used in Government offices with Devanagari script. This is a language spoken by different groups of people for communicating each other. 58% of total population speaks Nepali, 3% speaks Newari, 19% Tibetan mainly in hilly region. 20% speaks Indian mainly in Terai region. Nepal has over 30 languages. English and Hindi are widely understood in the urban centers and areas.

Religion: Main religion are Hinduism and Buddhism. There are few Islamic and Christians. Hinduism and Buddhism are somewhat overlap.

Highest Point: The highest point of Nepal is highest point of the world. Mt. Everest also known as Sagarmatha and Chomolangmu the highest point is 8848 meters (i.e. 29,028 feet).

Currency: The Currency of Nepal is Rupees at this time it is nearly equivalent to 1/68th part of US Dollar.

Kathmandu City

Some sight-seeing places in Valley
Kathmandu is capital of Nepal. The name of Kathmandu is derived from Kasthmandap, an imposing Pagoda near Durbar Square. This city was built by king Gunakama Dev in 723 A.D. Kathmandu abounds in large places, beautiful and delicately produced temples, lofty Buddhist pagoda as well as museums and other lot of beautiful places. Some of them are

Durbar Square: This is the historic places of the ancient kings of Nepal. A complex of many temples and monuments, built between the 12th-18th centuries. An intriguing piece here is the 17th century stone inscription set into the wall of the palace with writings in 15 languages. Other interesting things to see are: statue of the Monkey God Hanuman, Basantpur Durbar, Statue of King Pratap Malla, The Big Bell, Kal Bhairav, Sweta Bhairav, Taleju Temple, etc. There are also two museums inside the palace building.

Swayambhu Nath Stupa: This is said to be 2000 years old and is one of the world's oldest Buddhist chaityas, The stupa which is forms the main structure is composed of a solid hemisphere of brick and earth supporting a cornice of copper and gilt. Painted on the four sided base of the spire are the all seeing eyes of lord Buddha. It is two miles west of Kathmandu city situated on a hillock it is about 250 feet high above the level of the valley.

Bauddha Nath Stupa: This is one of the largest stupas in the world. Four pairs of eyes of Buddha in four cardinal directions, are keeping and internal watch over the people and their doings.

Budhanilkantha: Is situated below Shivapuri hill at the northern end of the Kathmandu Valley. The hub of the temple complex is a pond in which lies a great stone figure of the Hindu God Vishnu. This is the stone image of sleeping Vishnu on a bed of snakes. This is an excellent and stately example of the art of stone sculpture of Nepal.

Pashupatinath Temple: One of the most sacred Hindu shrines in the world, Pashupatinath lies five Km. east of the city. The temple of Pashupatinath with two-tier golden roof and silver doors is famous all over the world for its superb architecture. Entrance into the temple precincts is restricted to Hindus only.

Kasthamandap: The wooden, temple known as Kasthamandap was built in the beginning of the 17th century. It is made of the timber sawed off a single tree.

Residence of the living Goddess: Near the Durbar Square is the residence of Kumari, The Living Goddess it was built in 1760. Its wooden balconies and windows are profusely carved.

Bhaktapur City
Bhaktapur, literally the "City of Devotees", is renowned for its elegant art, fabulous culture and the typical Newar lifestyle. The ancient city, Bhaktapur, spreading over an area of 6.88 square kilometers and situated at 14 Km. east of Kathmandu, was founded in the 12th century by King Anand Dev Malla.

Durbar Square: The main square of the city contains innumerable temples and other architectural showpieces like: the Lion Gate, a Statue of King Bhupatindra Malla, a Picture Gallery, the Golden Gate, the palace of 55 Windows, the Batsala Temple, the Bell of barking Dogs, etc.

Nyatapola Temple: This five storied pagoda was built in 1702 A.D. by King Bhupatindra Malla. It stands on a five story terraced platform. On each of the terraces there is squat pairs of figures; two famous wrestlers, two elephants, two lions, two griffins, and Baghini and Singhini, the tiger and the lion goddesses. Each pair of figures is considered ten times stronger than the ones immediately below, while the lowest pair, the two strong men, Jaya Malla and Fatteh Malla, were reputedly ten times stronger than any other men. This is one of the tallest pagodas and is famous for its massive structure and subtle workmanship. The temple was built for Goddess Laxmi.

Bhairavnath Temple: This temple was first built as a one-story pagoda during the reign of King Jagat Jyoti Malla, and later changed into a three storied temple in 1718 A.D. by King Bhupatindra Malla. The temple is noted for its artistic grandeur, It is dedicated to Lord Bhairav, the god of Terror.

Dattatreya Temple: This temple is said to have been built from the trunk of a single tree. It was built in 1427 A.D. during the reign of King Yakchhya Malla and was repaired in 1458 A.D. by King Bishwa Malla.

Surya Binayak: This is a shrine of Ganesh, the elephant-headed God, situated in the beautiful surroundings of Bhadgaon, placed in a sylvan setting to catch the first rays of the rising sun. The view of the city of Bhaktapur is seen from here with snow-capped peaks in the background. Nestled in a thick forest, it is a good picnic spot flanked by many attractive landscapes.

Changu Narayan: Located at the end of a long ridge, which runs well into the Valley, this temple is said to have been build in 323 A.D. by King Hari Dutta Verma. The temple is richly decorated with sculptures and carvings. It is said to be the oldest temple in the Valley. Situated about 153 meters above the level of Kathmandu Valley, it affords a beautiful view of the surrounding countryside.

Nagarkot: Nagarkot is a popular tourist resort. It is located 32 kilometers east of Kathmandu at an altitude of 2175 meters above sea-level. A panorama of the major peaks of the eastern Nepal Himalayas, including Mt. Everest, can be seen from here. Himalayan peaks like Manaslu(8463), Ganesh Himal (7111), Gaurishanker (7134) etc. are also clearly seen from Nagarkot. A motorable road links Nagarkot with Bhaktapur.

Patan City: The ancient city of Patan is situated on the southern bank of the river Bagmati and is about five kilometers southeast of Kathmandu. The city is full of Hindu temples and Buddhist monuments with bronze gateways, guardian deities and wonderful carvings. Noted for its craftsmen and metal workers, it is known as the city of artists. The major visitor attractions of Patan are described below.

Durbar Square: Patan Durbar Square, situated in the heart of the city, is the main tourist attraction. The square is full of ancient palaces, temples, and shrines noted for their exquisite carvings. One can rummage for treasures and souvenirs in the various shops around the square. The main attraction of Patan Durbar Square is the ancient Royal Palace itself. It consists of three main chowks, or courtyards; the central Mul Chowk, Sudari Chowk and Main Keshab Narayan Chowk. In the northeastern corner of the courtyard is a triple- roofed octagonal tower, Taleju Bhawani Temple, built by King Shree Niwas Malla in 1667.

Krishna Mandir: Built in the seventeenth century by King Siddhi Narsingh Malla, the temple of Lord Krishna holds a commanding position in the palace complex of Patan. It is the only temple in Nepal to have 21 shrines and is completely made of stone. Most of the important scenes from the ancient Hindu epics the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, have been engraved on its friezes.

Mahabouddha: A little further from Patan Durbar Square lies this Buddhist temple made of clay bricks in which thousands of images of the Lord Buddha and engraved. The Terracotta structure is a fourteenth-century Nepalese architectural masterpiece. It was constructed by an architect named Avay Raj.

Hirnya Varna Mahavihar: This three-story golden pagoda of Lokeshwor (Lord Buddha) was built in the twelfth century by King Bhaskar Verma. It is located in the courtyard of Kwabahal. Inside the upper story of the pagoda, placed on a pedestal, are golden images of Lord Buddha and a large prayer wheel. There are a wealth of gem-like carvings on its walls and a complete life history of Buddha in gold relief.

Kumbeshor: Kumbeshwor temple in Patan and Nyatapol temple in Bhaktapur are the only five- storied temples in the Valley, with the exception of the round five-tiered Pancha Mukhi Hanuman of Kathmandu's Hanuman Dhoka Palace. This temple of Lord Shiva was expanded during the reign of King Jayasthiti Malla but originally constructed in 1392. A fair is held here on the Janai Purnima day in August.

The Ashokan Stupas: There are four ancient stupas, popularly believed to have been built in 250 B.C. by Emperor Ashoka, at the four corners of Patan. The four stupas are located in Pulchowk, Lagankhel, Ebahi (way to Shankhamul), and in Teat (way to sano Gaon) respectively. These stupas give evidence to the city's ancient religious importance.

Accheshwor Mahavihar: This temple was established towards the beginning of the seventeenth century by Accheshwor who built a temple to house and idol of Lord Buddha. The Mahavihar has recently been reconstructed. It has 30 rooms including a monastery, "Dhyankuti" research are, training areas, library, review rooms, and guest rooms. Situated behind the Ashokan Stupa at Pulchowk, the Mahavihar commands a beautiful view of the Kathmandu Valley.

Temples of Machhendra nath and Min nath: The pagoda of Red Machchendra Nath, also known as Avalokiteshwor and Adinath Lokeshwor, is housed here for six months each year. For the remaining six months, the idol is taken to its shrine in Bungmati. The temple of Min Nath is situated in Tentgal, on the way to Tabahal. The temple of Min Nath is thought to be older that the temple of Red Machchendra Nath.