Major
settlements
After the death of King Yaksha Mallha in 1482 the
valley was divided between his three sons.
The following years saw intense rivalry between the
principalities, each vying with the other to create
the finest architecture. It was during this period
(1482 to 1768) that most of the architecture and art
seen today originated. These former principalities
make up the valleys three major settlements.
Kathmandu
 Kathmandu,
home to the only international airport, is a buzzing
and vibrant place although like so many cities in
the developing world, it has begun to show real signs
of congestion over the past few years.
This however hardly detracts from its mystery and
celebration of life.There is so much history interwoven
with modern day Kathmandu that somehow manages to
lye strangely in harmony.
Ancient temples in a medieval atmosphere sit alongside
Internet cafes nowadays. Take a short walk off a busy
street to find one of the many small alleyways that
in turn will often lead you to old market places and
bazaars and yet more temples.
One of the best ways to discover Kathmandu is to
wake up with it. A journey at 5.30 a.m. to the Swayambunath
temple along with the many Buddhist pilgrims on their
daily ritual, is something quite special.
Patan (City of beauty)
 Nestles
lies five kms south east of Kathmandu in a crook on
the south bank of the holy Bagmati River (a tributary
to the Ganges.)
Patan has virtually become a part of sub metropolitan
Kathmandu nowadays although there is a noticeable
difference in the pace of life.
The town contains a wealth of Buddhist and Hindu
temples along with an abundance of fine bronze gateways
and wonderful carvings. Patan is recognised for its
expert metal craftsman.
Bhaktapur (city of
devotees)
 Lies
fourteen kms East of Kathmandu, it is the least developed
of the three towns and a favourite with many travelers.
Set almost in a time warped medieval setting, Bhaktapur
with its narrow brick paved streets is locked in centuries
old beliefs and traditions that provide hidden treasures
of some sort around every corner.
It is very easy to spend the whole day here relaxing
and taking in the atmosphere. The town is famous for
its woodcarvings, pottery and cloth weaving.
Bhaktapur also contains a rich farming community
making it far less dependent on tourism. The majority
of tourists visit for a few hours before returning
to Kathmandu.
Many people who travel with us (especially those
more interested in the culture and the true flavour
of Nepal) stay on for a day or two to take advantage
of this fascinating place in a more natural setting.
We have found comfortable accommodation here with
attached bathrooms in a large converted old Newari
house.
World Heritage sites
within the Kathmandu valley:
The valley with its exotic setting and vast wealth
of artistic and cultural content contains the highest
density of W.H.O. sites anywhere in the world, seven
in total. These sites are only the tip of one gigantic
iceberg of artistic culture that can be found throughout
the valley.
The Durbar Squares:
Kathmandu / Patan / Bhaktapur:
The buildings in these squares represent the greatest
achievements of the Malla dynasty. They resulted with
the great rivalry between the three sons of Yaksha
Malla upon his death in 1462.Each son inherited one
of the three major palaces of valley. Artistic warfare
broke out between them and later their offspring;
the result being one spectacular feast of architecture
and design.
Kathmandu.
 It
is easy to be overwhelmed by the seemingly uncountable
monuments in the square. Kathmandu Durbar is home
to the Living Goddess(a girl that is chosen around
the age of five who remains a goddess until she reaches
puberty) along with the famous three-tiered Taleju
temple with its gilded roofs and wind-bells there
is a host of other temples and shrines. The square
is full of colour, fruit sellers and vendors sell
their goods around the famous Kastamandap rest house.Kastamandap
is said to be carved from the wood of a single tree.
In the past this large structure served as a resting
place for traders from the broader region. It is generally
recognised as being the original point from where
Kathmandu began its ever-expanding journey.
Patan.
Patan Durbar is located in the very heart
of this beautiful town and is no less spectacular
than the Kathmandu Durbar. It is in fact regarded
by many to be the best example of the three squares.
The square was built to honour an incarnation of Lord
Vishnu in the form of Krishna who fought in the Mahabharat
war to ensure truth would prevail.
Krishna was ‘a bit of a lad’ and a great
favourite amongst the cowgirls. His temple in Patan
is the best example of stone architecture in Nepal.
The Kings Palace features strongly. A large and somewhat
imposing building, it has many fine examples of woodcarving.
As the palace is no longer used as a residence it
is possible to gain access into the ornate courtyards.
Bhaktapur.
 The
present Durbar square is a shadow of its former self,
much of it was razed to the ground in the earthquake
of 1933.There are however some interesting buildings
and temples still standing. One of the best examples
is the Kings Palace complex of 55 windows, a fine
example of architecture portraying the wealth of prosperity
and attention to detail demanded by the rulers of
the Malla dynasty. Bhaktapur is the most popular of
the three Newar towns in the valley; it is famous
for it finely detailed woodcarvings that are found
in abundance here.
Pashupatinath Temple.
 Is
dedicated to Lord Shiva who was said to have made
a home here thousands of years ago.
The Temple (a famous cremation site) lies on the banks
of the Bagmati River. The Bagmati is the most sacred
river in Nepal being a tributary to the great Ganges
River in India.
For over fifteen hundred years Hindu pilgrims from
both Nepal and India have flocked in their thousands
to worship here every day.
A temple has existed on site from 879 A.D. The present
temple was built by King Bhupindra Malla in 1697.
It has a magnificent gold plated roof, silver doors
and woodcarvings of the finest quality. The complex
spreads over a wide area with many smaller Shiva temples
and worshiping places dotted within the grounds.
Bhouddhanath.
Is amongst the largest stupas in South Asia, it has
been the focal point for Tibetan Buddhism in Nepal
for many years.This giant stupa is located on the
ancient trade route between Tibet and India where
in the past Tibetan merchants would rest and offer
prayers. Bhouddhanath also became a focal point for
many Tibetan refugees who fled to Nepal during the
Chinese invasion of 1959.The area around the stupa
is known nowadays as ‘little Tibet’ and
it remains the best place to observe Tibetan lifestyle.Monks
in maroon robes flanked by Tibetans with prayer wheels
are highly visable. It is not entirely clear when
Bhouddhanath was constructed, the general theory is
around the fifth century.
Swayambunath.
 The
history of the valley according to legends begins
with Swayambunath,or the ‘self existent’.
In times uncharted by history the valley was once
a beautiful lake which the Chinese disciple Bodhisattva
Manjusri ‘happened upon’ during his travels.
In the lake was a lotus flower that emitted a brilliant
flame. Manjusri wanted to study the flower more closely
so he cut the surrounding hills with his sword to
drain the waters. Not long after people settled on
the bed of the lake and named it The Kathmandu Valley.
From then on, the hilltop of the self existent lord
has been a holy place.
Swayambhu today is the best place to observe the religious
harmony of Nepal where worshippers as diverse as Newar
nuns, Tibetan monks, Brahmin priests to lay Bhuddhists
gather daily. The stupa is among the most ancient
in this part of the world. The largest image of the
Sakyamuni Buddha in Nepal is found in a monastery
next to the stupa.
Changu Narayan Temple.
The temple of Changu Narayan is dedicated to Lord
Vishnu, the preserver of creation to Hindus. It is
believed to be the oldest temple in the valley and
it covers over 1700 hundred years of Nepalese history.
Changu Narayan is famous for its erotic art, it also
known for some of the best examples of stone, wood
and metal craft to be found in the valley. It is said
you can observe the complete cultural development
of the valley with a single visit to Changu. The temple
is situated approximately an hour from central Kathmandu.
History in brief.
Over the past two thousand years the Kathmandu Valley
has sheltered the dominating power of the central
part of the Himalayas. It has always been an important
pilgrimage point and in general has enjoyed continuous
development.
 There
are no reliable records that date before the 5th century
A.D. only around this time the first facts appear
in inscriptions and writings of Chinese explorers.
The Licchavi’s, originally a tribal republic
on the Northern Gangetic plain in India, migrated
north around the second and third centuries A.D. were
ruling the valley at the time.
The next great contributors to the valleys cultural
heritage were the third Malla Dynasty founded in 1350
A.D. This period was one of intense artistic and architectural
activity.
With the death of Yaksha Malla in 1482 the valley
was divided into separate principalities between his
three sons, these principalities now form the major
settlements; Kathmandu, Patan, and Bhaktapur.
Almost immediately petty squabbling began between
the small Kingdoms which in effect meant no ruler
was able to prevent the disintegration of his own
territory. Eventually all three shrank to city-states.
Continuous infighting enabled Ghorka, a small Kingdom
in central Nepal, to become the strongest power in
the region. Through clever political maneuvering the
King of Ghorka Prithvi Narayan Shah brought about
the downfall of the Mallas in 1768. This happened
only after a protracted ten-year campaign where numerous
smaller settlements were conquered along the way.
It was at this time Nepal, as it is broadly today,
came into being.
The Gorka Dynasty survived for almost 80 years until
1846 when a massacre of the majority of the members
of parliament by the powerful Rana family projected
them to power. Over the following 100 years Nepal
was virtually cut off from the outside world with
records suggesting it was subjected to a very corrupt
and decadent rule.
1951 saw King Tribhuvan of the Shah Dynasty who had
been reigning in exile in India since 1911 make a
triumphant return to Nepal. He managed with the help
of India and others to oust the Rana Dynasty and restore
sovereignty to the people, Nepal slowly began to open
its doors to the outside world.
After a brief period of democracy (until 1960) King
Mahendra who had succeeded the throne by then scrapped
parliament and introduced the Panchayat system; an
autocratic system very much designed to keep power
within the hands of a few elite people. The following
thirty years saw little dissent, although political
parties at times did campaign against the palace for
the restoration of parliament.
By 1990 the fractionalised parties had organised
between themselves to form a programme of civil disobedience.
Human rights organistions throughout the world were
in support, in particular India.
The situation between palace and parties escalated,
urban fighting broke out between the army and the
people,around 150 people were killed. After a few
days of tension, King Birendra heeded the demands
of the people and appointed an interim government;
free and fair elections were held in 1991.
In 1996 the Maoist party, unhappy with any meaningful
change in the circumstances of ordinary Nepali people,
broke away from parliament to begin ‘A Peoples
Struggle’.
2001 King Birendra was killed along with many other
members of the family, allegedly by his son who also
died. Birendra’s younger brother King Gyanendra
succeeds the throne.
2202. The King dismisses parliament and chooses his
own political leaders from the previous democratic
regime.
2005. The King assumes total autocratic control,
sacks his ministers and selects a new set of ministers.
Most of these had their origins within the old Panchayat
system.
2006. Following a few weeks of what was first public
desent that grew into major demonstrations and outbreaks
of violence between the Kings army and the people,
the King finally had no choice but to hand power back
to the parliament. The period since has seen the Maoists
agree to join an interim Government that has seriously
limited the Kings powers. Constituent Assembly elections
are scheduled for the end of 2007.
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The central valley is taken up by an ever busy Kathmandu,
however by taking a short drive in any direction,
there are many small villages alive with culture to
be discovered. Agrarian life has changed little here,
people attending their washing at local wells whilst
goats and buffalo amble along the small trails through
the wheat fields and rice paddies that grow in alternating
abundance.