Nepal - Kathmandu

The two weeks without Internet in Iran were detrimental to the preparation of our trip in Nepal. Anyway we had in mind that the sights in Kathmandu Valley deserved a week of exploration so we booked our seven nights in one of Kathmandu's guesthouses, located in the tourist Thamel quartier. This area is the meeting point of all mountaineers and trekkers on their way to Annapurna and Everest. Thamel is a vibrant and exotic place with its rushed traffic, its narrow streets full of little colorful shops, restaurants and open-air take-away stalls.

View of Kathmandu from Swoyambhunath

On a street in Kathmandu

And we were amazed by the sumptuousness of the Kathmandu Valley sights. Within a radius of a twenty kilometres, there are seven Unesco World Heritage Sites: three ancient squares, two Bouddhist temples and two Hindu temples!!

During the 15th Century, Kathmandu Valley was divided into three rival kingdoms - Kathmandu, Patan and Bhaktapur - ruled by three brothers. Each of them had a royal residence located in a durbar square. The competition between the kingdoms made them spend a lot of money in the embellishment of their main squares. Through the centuries the squares became open-air museums of local art and are nowadays real complex filled with old pagoda-style temples, shrines and palaces. The one in Kathmandu is the most ancient and impressive.

Kathmandu Durbar square

Patan Durbar square

Patan Durbar square

 

 Bhaktapur

 Bhaktapur

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We enjoyed a lot our visits to Buddhist stupas. Swayambhunath is also known as the monkey temple thanks to troop of playful monkeys that accompany your climbing the stairs to the stupa. On the top of the hill, there is a great view of Kathmandu and its valley. We wandered a few hours around this very pleasant Buddhist centre. 

Swoyambhunath

Swoyambhunath

If Swayambhunath is located on a hill west of Kathmandu, Boudhanath stands on the opposite side of the city. It is one of the most important pilgrimage stop for Buddhists and a village of Tibetan refugees grew around the holy site.

Boudhanath stupa

Boudhanath stupa

 In a temple next to Boudhanath stupa

 

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Pashupatinath is devoted to the god Shiva, venerated both by Buddhists and Hindus. This complex is Nepal's most important Hindu temple and stands on the banks of the Bagmati River. The main temple is closed to non-Hindus but we could assist to an Hindu cremation!!

Pashupati

In front of Pashupati complex

The double-roofed temple of Changu Narayan is dedicated to Vishnu. Changu Narayan is located on a hilltop, six kilometres north of Bhaktapur. The only street of this medieval  village leads to a really beautiful temple surrounded by little monuments and statues.

 

 Changu Narayan

 Changu Narayan

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Nepal recent History is also fascinating, for example the episode, an evening of June 2001, when the Crown Prince Dipendra shot down nine members of his royal family including the beloved king and the queen and then turned his weapon on himself. The reasons of this royal massacre remain unknown. Dipendra died a few days after in coma. Gyanendra, late king's brother, was then crowned but was deposed seven years later when the the Constituent Assembly controlled by the Maoists abolished monarchy.

Narayanhiti Palace 

Once declared the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, the royal palace - Narayanhiti Palace – was turned into a museum and opened to the public in February 2009. We felt very lucky to visit such a place that four years ago still hosted official meetings and foreign chief of States and governments. 

The rooms retained their royal design and decoration. One can even see the bed where the king and the queen used to sleep or where important guests slept! In the garden of the palace are marked the spots where the royal massacre took place and where the corpses felt ten years ago.