KATHMANDU VALLEY
The Kathmandu Valley has an exotic setting. It is surrounded
by tier upon tier of green mountain walls above which tower
mighty snowcapped peaks. It consists of three main cities
of great historic and cultural interest Kathmandu, Lalitpur
(Patan) and Bhaktapur (Bhadgaon). The Kathmandu Valley covers
an area of 218 sq. miles. It is situated at 1336 m above
sea-level. From the air, the oval shaped Kathmandu Valley,
the hub of the Country looks like a large chess board with
the sacred river Bagmati and its tributary Bishnumati wending
their way to the south. Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal,
is named after Kasthamandap, an imposing pagoda near Hanuman
Dhoka Palace. The city was built in its present form by
Gunakama Dev in 723 A.D.
KATHMANDU:
Hanuman Dhoka (Durbar Square):
It is the historic seat of royalty. The Durbar square, with
its old temples and palaces, epitomizes the religious and
cultural life of the people. It is here that kings of Nepal
are crowned and their coronations solemnized. 
Interesting
things to see here are Taleju Temple built by King Mahendra
Malla in 1549 AD), Gigantic figure of Kal Bhairav, the God
of Destruction.) Basantapur Durbar or Nautalle Durbar, built
by King Prithvi Narayan Shah .Coronation Platform (Nasal
Chok) the Hall of Public Audience (Gaddi) Baithak) ,the
statue of King Pratap Malla ,the Big Bell .Big Drums, and
,the Jagannath Temple. There is also a temple of Pancha
Mukhi Hanuman inside the old palace. This is one of the
only two such structures in Nepal, the other is in Pashupatinath.
Opposite the entrance to the Hanuman Dhoka Palace stands
the Krishna Mandir. It is one of the few octagonal temples
in Nepal.
On the right hand corner, larger wooden lattice screen
hides an enormous glided face of Sweta Bhairav, a fascinating
masterpiece of popular art. The screen is removed only during
the Indra Jatra festival.
Just before entering the courtyard of Hanuman Dhoka Palace,
there is a temple of Shiva-Parvati, on the left. The deified
couple, carved in wood and beautifully painted, look graciously
down from the centre window of the upper balcony.
There are also Numismatic Museum and Tribhuvan Museum inside
the Hanuman Dhoka Palace building. Photography is prohibited
inside the museums. Both the museums remain closed on Tuesdays
and government holidays. A nominal fee is charged to enter
the courtyard of Hanuman Dhoka Palace where one can get
exposed to a visual feast of carvings and mouldings on the
nine storey pagoda of the palace. The main ceremonial umbrella
suspended above his head and wrapped in a scarlet cloak,
he squats on a stone plinth. The image of hanuman was kept
by King Pratap Malla.
Swayambhunath: 
This is one of the world's glorious Buddhist Chaityas. It
is said to be 2000 years old. The Chaitya which forms the
main structure is made of a solid hemisphere of brich and
clay supporting a lofty conical spire capped by a pinnacle
of copper gift. Painted on the four-sides of the spire bases
are the all- seeing eyes of Lord Buddha. It is three kilometers
west of Kathmandu city, and is situated on a hillock about
77m above the level of the Valley. The hills ls is a mosaic
of small Chaityas and pagoda temple.
Pashupatinath Temple:
Situated five kilometers east of Kathmandu on the bank of
sacred Bagmati river, the temple of Lord Shiva-Pashupatinath
with two-tiered golden roof and silver doors is famous for
its superb architecture. It is a centre of annual pilgrimage
on the day of Maha-Sivarati. Entrance to the temple precinct
is permitted to the Hindus only however, visitors can clearly
see the temple and the activities performed in the temple
premises from the eastern bank of the Bagmati river. Bus,
minibus, tempos and taxi for Pashupatinath temple are available
at Ratna Park.
Bouddhanath:
The Stupa of Bouddhanath lies eight kilometers east of Kathmandu.
This colossal and ancient Stupa, one of the biggest in the
world, has the all-seeing eyes of Lord Buddha. It was built
by Lichchhavi King Ma na Dev in the fifth century AD. It
is built on an octagonal base inset with prayer wheels.
Ratna Park and Shahid gate are the main bus stops for Bouddhanath.
LALITPUR (Patan):
This 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 tourist attractions of Patan are:
Durbar Square:
Patan Durbar Square,
situated in the heart of the city constitutes the focus
of visitor's attraction. The square is full of ancient palaces,
temples and shrines noted for their exquisite carvings.
One can rummage for treasures 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, Sundari Chowk and Min
Keshab Narayan Chowk. In the north eastern corner of the
courtyard is the triple rotted octagonal tower of Taleju
Bhawani Temple built by King Shree Niwas Malla in 1667.
The Sundari Chowk holds in its centre a masterpiece of stone
architecture, the Royal bath called Tushahity. Between the
central Mul Chowk and Main Keshab Narayan Chowk there is
a temple of Degu Taleju.
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 supposed to be the
first specimen of Shikhara style architecture in Nepal.
It is the only temple in Nepal having 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.
BHAKTAPUR (Bhadgaon):
Bhaktapur, situated at an altitude of 1401m,
is a home of medieval art and architecture. The urban city
covers an area of 4 square miles. Shaped like a conch-shell,
Bhaktapur means the city of devotees. Pottery and weaving
are its traditional industries. The city lies about 14 kilometers
east of Kathmandu and can be reached by public transport
and by trolley buses. The major sightseeing places in Bhaktapur
include:
Durbar Square:
The main square of the city contains innumerable temples
and other 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
and the Bell of Barking Dogs, the replica of Pashupatinath
Temple, etc.
The Lion Gate which was built 
during
the reign of King Bhupatindra Malla is adorned with the
lovely stone figures of Hanuman, Bhairav and Narasingh Narayan.
The statue of Malla King in the act of worship is placed
on a column facing the palace. Of the many statues available
in Nepal this is considered to be the most magnificent.
The Picture-Gallery contains ancient paintings belonging
to Hindu and Buddhist schools of Tantrism of various periods
and descriptions.
The Golden Gate has Kali and Garuda, the winged carrier
of Lord Vishnu and is attended by two sky nymphs. This gate
is embellished with monsters of marvellous intricacy.
The Palace of 55 Windows was built in the seventeenth century
by King Bhupatindra Malla. Among the brick walls, with their
gracious setting and sculptural design, is a balcony of
55 windows. This balcony is a masterpiece of wood carving.
The stone temple of Batsala Devi which is also located
in the Durbar Square is full of intricate carvings. This
temple also sets a beautiful example of Shikhara style of
architecture in Nepal. There is a bronze bell on the terrace
of the temple which is also known as the "bell of barking
dogs". When it peals, the local dogs start barking.
This colossal bell, placed in 1737 A.D. by King Rankit Malla,
was used to sound curfew during his reign. The bell is rung
every morning while worshipping Goddess Taleju.
