Kathmandu Valley is one of the most cultural and historically relevant regions in the world. The city of Kathmandu itself is home to five of UNESCO's World Heritage groups of monuments. The city pulses with art, markets, tourism, and religion. Norsang took me on a good tour of three of the major sites within the city.
I was already in love with Thamel, the Garden of Dreams, and the robust multi-cultural tourist attractions evident on that end of Amrit Marg. I found a bookstore that specialized in Buddhist material, but had a fantastic collection of travel and cultural books, as well. Just a couple of more pounds for my checked baggage. This was just across the street from the jeweler with whom I drank tea and discussed Barack Obama.
We took a taxi to Swayanbhunath, (sometimes called the Monkey Temple) which is perched on a hill at the edge of town and commands a terrific view of the city and valley below. My knees were complaining, so I took it easy on the long stair step climb up to the stupa and surrounding buildings from the road. In Nepal, Buddhism and Hinduism meld a little more than in India, so there are monuments and buildings and statues which pay tribute to both faiths.
It is very difficult to guarantee that these photos are from Swayanbhunath and not Boudhanath, but I am using the monkeys and the hillside view of the city as evidence.
Then we went to Durbar Square, which began in the 10th century as the home to royalty, and was used as late as 2001, as the place where the king was crowned. Nepal has a rich, if complicated and disturbing history, so (even if I were able) I won't attempt a history lesson here. In the royal palace are the remnants of the polo pony aristocracy, but also the story of the king's very brave act of denouncing his prime minister in the early fifties, to democratize the country. I took few photos, as this kind of aristocracy and it's adoration appeals little to this product of 1776.
The grounds outside are quite lively and photogenic.
Then we made our way to what some say is the largest stupa on the planet...Boudhanath Stupa, which is primarily for Tibetan pilgrims. It dates from about 500 CE, and marks one of the major trade routes from that time. It is a huge monument, well maintained, and surrounded by monasteries, shops, restaurants, and benches for travelers and older pilgrims to sit and bathe in the beauty and the size of the stupa. We visited a prayer session in one of the monasteries, then climbed the stairs to the base of the stupa. There were volunteers from Australia cleaning long aged wax and city exhaust sludge from one of the many statues, and inviting us to do the same on this trip or the next.
I was already in love with Thamel, the Garden of Dreams, and the robust multi-cultural tourist attractions evident on that end of Amrit Marg. I found a bookstore that specialized in Buddhist material, but had a fantastic collection of travel and cultural books, as well. Just a couple of more pounds for my checked baggage. This was just across the street from the jeweler with whom I drank tea and discussed Barack Obama.
We took a taxi to Swayanbhunath, (sometimes called the Monkey Temple) which is perched on a hill at the edge of town and commands a terrific view of the city and valley below. My knees were complaining, so I took it easy on the long stair step climb up to the stupa and surrounding buildings from the road. In Nepal, Buddhism and Hinduism meld a little more than in India, so there are monuments and buildings and statues which pay tribute to both faiths.
It is very difficult to guarantee that these photos are from Swayanbhunath and not Boudhanath, but I am using the monkeys and the hillside view of the city as evidence.
Then we went to Durbar Square, which began in the 10th century as the home to royalty, and was used as late as 2001, as the place where the king was crowned. Nepal has a rich, if complicated and disturbing history, so (even if I were able) I won't attempt a history lesson here. In the royal palace are the remnants of the polo pony aristocracy, but also the story of the king's very brave act of denouncing his prime minister in the early fifties, to democratize the country. I took few photos, as this kind of aristocracy and it's adoration appeals little to this product of 1776.
The grounds outside are quite lively and photogenic.
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| This looks like Bill Clinton... |
Then we made our way to what some say is the largest stupa on the planet...Boudhanath Stupa, which is primarily for Tibetan pilgrims. It dates from about 500 CE, and marks one of the major trade routes from that time. It is a huge monument, well maintained, and surrounded by monasteries, shops, restaurants, and benches for travelers and older pilgrims to sit and bathe in the beauty and the size of the stupa. We visited a prayer session in one of the monasteries, then climbed the stairs to the base of the stupa. There were volunteers from Australia cleaning long aged wax and city exhaust sludge from one of the many statues, and inviting us to do the same on this trip or the next.
I have some excellent video from here which I will include in a post of all video. This concluded my trip in Nepal. The mountains, the sites within Kathmandu, the pilgrims from all over the world, who, like me, felt beckoned to this place of caravans, chanting, architecture, statuary, beautiful people, and a history of immigration/escape from oppression or poverty, make it one of the places to visit if you want a full buffet of experience packed into a very few square (lateral) kilometers. The vertical distances will vary with the destination. If you decide to go and need a companion, let me know.
The next post will include Humayun's tomb in Delhi, which I was able to visit just before leaving.
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