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| About Nepal : Introduction |
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Nepal is a Himalayan country, wedged between the giants of India and Tibet, an autonomous region of China. Its geography dominated by the Himalayas - eight of the fourteen highest mountains in the world, including Everest, can be found within its borders. On every side, a skyline of fluted snow and ice peaks soar beyond the imagination rise above the trails, the campsites and valleys. It is a land of great diversity- a home of incredible variety of ecosystems, the greatest mountain ranges, dense tropical jungles teeming with a wealth of wildlife, thundering rivers, forested hills and frozen valleys. The country is a potpourri of ethnic groups, customs and traditions. From the humid and tropical southern Terai lowlands to the frozen alpine regions of the Himalayas in the north, we find different colorful cultures & people co-existing in harmony for centuries.
The country also offers an astonishing diversity of sightseeing attractions and adventure opportunities found nowhere else on earth! A visitor can join in the numerous annual festivals that are celebrated throughout the year in traditional style highlighting enduring customs and beliefs.
Nepal is a land where the arts, culture are as well-preserved as the valleys and forests, temples enriched with wood carving and bronzes, millennium- old statues standing a long the way side, songs and dances unchanged for centuries and entire cities preserved in their medieval splendor.
In addition to enjoying numerous activities of choice in Nepal, it is also a significant transit point for traveling to Tibet (China) Bhutan, Darjeeling and Sikkim (India).
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| Nepal at a Glance |
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Area: 147,181 sq.km
Geography: Situated between China in the North and India in East, West and South
Capital: Kathmandu
Population: 25 million
Currency: Nepalese Rupee (NRS)
People: Nepal has more than 100 ethnic groups and 70 spoken languages
Languages: Nepali & English
Seasons: Spring (March-May), Summer (June-Aug), Autumn (Sep-Nov), Winter (Dec-Feb)
Religion: Hinduism, Buddhism and others
Topography: From the world's deepest gorge 'Kali-Gandaki' to highest point on earth 'The Everest'
Vegetation: Nepal possesses wide range of vegetation due to its unique |
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World Heritage Sites (Cultural) |
Few places on earth a visitor can experience combination of natural and cultural beauty in the Kathmandu Valley. The valley consists of many temples and monasteries that house as many idols of Hindu gods and goddesses and Lord Buddha as there are people. The Kathmandu Valley will be the first destination in Nepal to visit for the travelers as they arrive in Nepal. The valley with an area of 218 sq. miles is situated at an altitude of 1336 m above the sea level. It consists of four major cities carrying great historic, artistic and cultural interest. Kathmandu, Patan, Bhaktapur and Kirtipur are the cities of the Kathmandu valley, clustered within a range of green terraced hills. |
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Pashupatinath
Pashupatinath is one of the most sacred temples in the entire Hindu world. Pilgrimage to Pashupatinath for the Hindus holds a special significance in Nepal. Lying on the banks of the Bagmati river, a visit to the temple is a daily ritual for devout Hindus.
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.
Bouddhanath
The largest stupa in Nepal revered by both Tibetans and Newar Buddhists believe that the stupa contains the bone relics of the past Buddha Kashyapa. The colossal and ancient stupa of Bouddhanath is 36 meter high. Early morning and evening amidst prayer chants and the spinning of the prayer wheels, Buddhist monks & believers circumambulate the Stupa in veneration.
Swoyambhunath
Swoyambhunath is one of the most glorious Buddhist stupa. It is said to be 2000 years old. Painted on the four sides of the spire’s base are all seeing eyes of Lord Buddha, keeping an eternal watch on the valley distinguishing between vice and virtue.
Swoyambhunath is, perhaps, the best place to observe the religious harmony in Nepal. The stupa is among the most ancient in this part of the world and its worshippers are diverse ethnic groups from Newar nuns, Tibetan monks and Brahamin Priests
Swoyambhu is a major landmark of the valley and looks like a beacon below the Nagarjun hill. It provides an excellent view of the Kathmandu valley.
Kathmandu Durbar Square
Kathmandu Durbar square is one of the popular placesd which is liked by many visitors due to its exquisite architecture and artistic embellishment. It consists of huge Royal Palace with different temples, inside as well as outside the temple dating from the 15th to the 18th century. The house of the living goddess, the ferocious Kal Bhairav, the red monkey god and hundreds of erotic carvings are a few examples of the sights at the square. All woodcarvings, statues and architecture in this area are exceptionally fine.
Patan Durbar Square
Patan Durbar square boasts of many famous sites and unique architectures. The ancient palaces, temples and shrines with exquisite carving are scattered around Patan Durbar Square. The major attractions of the Durbar Square are the stone temple of Lord Krishna, the Royal Bath with many carvings on stone, Viswanath temple and temple of Bhimsen with a magnificent golden balcony overlooking the square. Many more temples are dedicated to Ganesh, the elephant-headed god, Shiva, Narsingh, Taleju and many others.
Bhaktapur Durbar Square
Bhaktapur Durbar Square is one of the most charming Architectural showpieces in the valley as it highlights the ancient arts of Nepal. The Square contains innumerable temples and other architectural showpieces like the Lion Gate, the statue of King Bhupatindra Malla, the Picture Gallery, the Golden Gate, the palaces of 55 windows, the Batsala temple and the bell of barking dog etc.
Lumbini (birthplace of Lord Gautam) |
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World Heritage Sites (Natural) |
- Sagarmatha National Park (1,148 sq.km)
- Chitwan National Park (932 sq.km)
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| Places to visit around the Kathmandu Valley |
Nagarkot
It is one of the most popular mountain village resorts lies on the edge of the Kathmandu Valley rim. Located 30 km east of Kathmandu, Nagarkot is a magnificent place to spend the night and awaken to view the sun rising across the wide Himalayan range. Looking north, we see the Himalayan peaks of Dorje Lakpa and Phurbi Chyachu and further east is the spire of Chobha Bamare, the twin-peaked summits of Gaurishankar and Numbur. It is also the starting point of the valley rim trek for those who are in Nepal for a short stay.
Kakani
This village is a viewpoint to the northwest of Kathmandu, on the rim of the valley along the Trisuli road. This place is less crowded and provides excellent mountain views of Ganesh Himal, Himalchuli and the Gosainkunda ridge. It is the best hill resort for nature-lovers and can see blossoming of beautiful oaks and rhododendrons on the south slope leading down to Balaju. For anyone wishing to truly get away from the distractions of urban life, it is a perfect retreat.
Kirtipur
Kirtipur is a small town located eight kilometers south west of Kathmandu on the top of a ridge. Tribhuvan University sits at the foot of the hill. This historic town has many things to offer including ancient shrines, temple, old-style houses, and villagers dressed costumes and weaving on hand looms.
Godavari
It is an open place with a small village at the foot of Phulchowki hill. Here we find a botanical garden with orchids in particular and many other Himalayan plants. Rhododendrons adorn the Phulchowki hill in spring. Hindu pilgrims gather at the sacred festival held every twelve years. Phulchowki Mai is the mother goddess of the forest and a shrine is being erected here in her honour.
Dakshinkali
This is one of the most important shrines to the goddess Kali and lies south of Kathmandu. Bloody sacrificial offerings are made in the shrine mostly on Saturdays and Tuesdays. The temple is located in a dense and shady forest. On every Saturday many local people come to offer chicken and goats for blood sacrifice to the goddess Kali. The image of goddess Kali is macabre, black holding a skull, a head and a sword.
Namo Buddha
This sacred spot is located about a 3-hr walk from Dhulikhel. The white painted stupa we find here commemorates the actions of the Buddha Shakyamuni’s selfless sacrifice to feed a starving tiger by offering his own flesh. In fact, this place is one of the most important pilgrimage sites for Buddhists. The stupa is more than 20 ft high and its upper gilded tower is covered with prayer flags.
Changunarayan
Changunarayan village and temple complex lies about 7 km south of Bhaktapur. It locates on the end of a ridge north of Bhaktapur on a motorable road. The temple complex is one of the oldest structures in the valley and is designated as a world heritage site. Within the complex we find many shrines and images of different forms of Bishnu. |
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| Places to visit outside the Kathmandu valley |
Daman
Daman at an altitude of 2,400m is located 80 km southwest of Kathmandu valley. Daman is famous for the magnificent view of the world’s highest mountain range. There is a view tower fitted with long-range telescopes.
Manakamana
The temple of Manakamana is situated 125 km to the west of Kathmandu. The deity of the Hindu goddess Bhagawati is housed in the temple at the top of the hill (1,302 m). It is a 3- hr drive from Kathmandu on the highway to Pokhara. At Kurintar one can take the cable car up to the temple.
Gorkha
Gorkha is the birthplace of King Prithvi Narayan Shah, the Great, the founder of modern Nepal. Situated on the hill overlooking the snowy peaks of the Himalayas is a beautiful old palace known as Gorkha Durbar. There are two attractive temples Gorakhnath and Kali inside the palace precinct.
Muktinath
Muktinath is situated in north- central Nepal on the northern arc of the Annapurna circuit trekking trail. It takes 6 hrs walk from Jomsom (2,713m) to reach the main shrine of Muktinath which is built in Pagoda-shaped and dedicated to Lord Vishnu. Set into the wall around the temple are 108 water spouts from which pour holy water. The Jwala Mai temple nearby contains a spring and an eternal flame fed by natural gas spewing out of the ground.
Pokhara
Pokhara is an enchanting town nestled in a tranquil valley known as a hub of adventure. Its natural ambience which allows enjoying lakeside tranquility and breathtaking views of magnificent Machhapurchre (Fish Tail) Peak (6993m) has transformed Pokhara into a paradise of the planet. This valley which is 200 km away from Kathmandu has been the base camp for many of Nepal’s most popular trekking and rafting destinations.
Lumbini
Lumbini, the birthplace of Lord Gautam Buddha lies in the South-Western Terai region of Nepal. Lumbini and its surrounding areas are endowed with a rich natural setting of fauna and favorable agricultural environs. Historically, the place is an exquisite treasure-trove of ancient ruins and antiquities, dating back to pre-Christian era. The site, described as a beautiful garden in the Buddha's time still retains its legendary charm and beauty.
Sarangkot
Sarangkot is located to the north of the Pokhara Valley. The area carries historical significance, and its name is derived from the Magar language. Most people prefer to walk up the gentle slopes, enjoying the mountain views and, as one reaches higher, the views of the lake and township are especially spectacular from here. The hilltop is also accessible by road, a barely 25-minute drive. Sarangkot is a popular take-off point for paragliders.
Dhulikhel
Situated at about 30 miles covered in a 45-min drive to the east of Kathmandu on the Arniko highway. Nestled in the laps of Himalayas, the place offers a breathtaking view of the northeastern part of the mountains. The local people residing in the town are Newars. Built in Victorian style, the four to five storied brick mansions in the town are an architectural delight and accommodate close traditional Newar settlement. |
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| Culture |
At once a time machine and a magic carpet, Nepal sweeps you along crooked, timeworn streets flanked by irregular, multi-roofed pagodas, stupas and stone sculptures, and into rooms cluttered with horror-eyed masks, spinning prayer wheels, trippy thangka scrolls and Tibetan carpets. Muttered chants, esoteric tantric hymns and Nepalese music hang in the air, whether it be the twang of a four-stringed saringhi or the plaintive notes of a flute. Traditional folk musicians, or gaines, gather for an evening of singing and socializing; classical dancing and trance-like masked dances enliven the Kathmandu Valley and Bhaktapur regions; while no wedding would be complete without the raucous damais - Nepal's modern ensembles.
Religion is the lifeblood of the Nepalese. Officially it is a Hindu country, but in practice the religion is a syncretism of Hindu and Buddhist beliefs with a pantheon of Tantric deities tagged on. The remainder of the population that isn't Buddhist or Hindu are either Muslim, Christian or shamans.
Nepal's food is surprisingly dull given that it lies at the intersection of the two great gastronomic giants India and China. Most of the time meals consist of a dish called dal bhat tarkari which is a combination of lentil soup, rice and curried vegetables - hardly the makings of a dynamic national cuisine. On the other hand, Nepal has adapted famously to Western tastes, markedly evident in Kathmandu's smorgasbord of menus: Mexican tacos; Japanese sukiyaki; Thai chocolate; Chinese marshmallows; onion and minestrone soup; borscht, quiche and soyburgers; and some of the best desserts - apple and lemon pies, almond layer cakes, fruit cakes - found anywhere in the world. To wash any (or all) of these offerings down, try a lassi (a refreshing mixture of curd and water), the locally produced beer or chang, a Himalayan home brew made from barley. |
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| Histroy |
Nepal's recorded history began with the Kiratis, who arrived in the 7th or 8th century BC from the east. Little is known about them, other than their deftness as sheep farmers and fondness for carrying long knives. It was during this period that Buddhism first came to the country; indeed it is claimed that Buddha and his disciple Ananda visited the Kathmandu Valley and stayed for a time in Patan. By 200 AD, Buddhism had waned, and was replaced by Hinduism, brought by the Licchavis, who invaded from northern India and overthrew the last Kirati king. The Hindus also introduced the caste system (which still continues today) and ushered in a classical age of Nepalese art and architecture.
By 879, the Licchavi era had petered out and was succeeded by the Thakuri dynasty. A grim period of instability and invasion often referred to as the 'Dark Ages' followed, but Kathmandu Valley's strategic location ensured the kingdom's survival and growth. Several centuries later, the Thakuri king, Arideva, founded the Malla dynasty, kick-starting another renaissance of Nepali culture. Despite earthquakes, the odd invasion and feuding between the independent city-states of Kathmandu, Patan and Bhaktapur, the dynasty flourished, reaching its zenith in the 15th century under Yaksha Malla.
The rulers of Gorkha, the most easterly region, had always coveted the Mallas' wealth. Under the inspired leadership of Prithvi Narayan Shah, the Gorkha launched a campaign to conquer the valley. In 1768 - after 27 years of fighting - they triumphed and moved their capital to Kathmandu. >From this new base the kingdom's power expanded, borne by a seemingly unstoppable army, until progress was halted in 1792 by a brief and chastening war with Tibet.
Further hostilities followed in 1814, this time with the British over a territorial dispute. The Nepalese were eventually put to heel and compelled to sign the 1816 Sugauli Treaty, which surrendered Sikkim and most of Terai (some of the land was eventually restored in return for Nepalese help in quelling the Indian Mutiny of 1857), established Nepal's present eastern and western boundaries and, worst of all, installed a British 'resident' in the country.
The Shah dynasty continued in power during the first half of the 19th century until the ghastly Kot Massacre of 1846. Taking advantage of the intrigue and assassinations that had plagued the ruling family, Jung Bahadur seized control by butchering several hundred of the most important men while they assembled in the Kot courtyard. He took the more prestigious title Rana, proclaimed himself prime minister for life, and later made the office hereditary. For the next century, the Ranas and their offspring luxuriated in huge Kathmandu palaces, while the remainder of the population eked out a living in medieval conditions.
The Rana's antiquated regime came to an end soon after WWII. In 1948, the British withdrew from India and with them went the Ranas' chief support. Around the same time, a host of insurrectional movements, bent on reshaping the country's polity, emerged. Sporadic fighting spilled onto the streets and the Ranas, at the behest of India, reluctantly agreed to negotiations. King Tribhuvan was anointed ruler in 1951 and struck up a government comprised of Ranas and members of the newly formed Nepali Congress Party.
But the compromise was shortlived. After toying with democratic elections - and feeling none too pleased by the result - King Mahendra (Tribhuvan's son and successor) decided that a 'partyless' panchayat system would be more appropriate for Nepal. The king selected the prime minister and cabinet and appointed a large proportion of the national assembly, which duly rubber-stamped his policies. Power, of course, remained with only one party - the king's.
Cronyism, corruption and the creaming-off of lucrative foreign aid into royal coffers continued until 1989. The Nepalese, fed up with years of hardship and suffering under a crippling trade embargo imposed by the Indians, rose up in popular protest called the Jana Andolan or 'People's Movement'. In the ensuing months, detention, torture and violent clashes left hundreds of people dead. It all proved too much for King Birendra, in power since 1972. He dissolved his cabinet, legalised political parties and invited the opposition to form an interim government. The panchayat system was finally laid to rest.
The changeover to democracy proceeded in an orderly, if leisurely, fashion, and in May 1991 the Nepali Congress Party and the Communist Party of Nepal shared most of the votes.
Since then, Nepal has discovered that establishing a workable democratic system is an enormously difficult task - especially when it is the country's first such system. The situation has been further exacerbated by a wafer-thin economy, massive unemployment, illiteracy and an ethnically and religiously fragmented population that continues to grow at an alarming rate.
The fractured political landscape in Nepal was torn apart in June 2001 with the massacre of most of the royal family - including King Birendra - by Crown Prince Dipendra. Civil strife erupted again in Kathmandu, with a curfew imposed to quell street violence.
Prince Gyanendra, the brother of King Birendra, ascended to the throne. He has had to face many challenges, in particular the Maoist rebellion against the government, which has claimed over 5000 lives since it began in 1996. Numerous peace talks and ceasefires failed to hold.
Nepal's bumpy trek into democracy continued when in 2002 (and again in 2003) Gyanendra dissolved the government and appointed his own cabinet. The country has seen more than a dozen governments since 1991, and in 2003 prime minister Lokendra Bahadur Chand resigned, continuing the political uncertainty facing Nepal.
The most recent ceasefire negotiated between Maoist rebels and the government ended on August 27, 2003, sparking renewed fighting and bomb blasts in Kathmandu. The lasting peace and greater prosperity that the Nepalese people look forward to, remains someway off while the fighting continues. |
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