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About Kathmandu
Valley (काठमांडौ)
A 218 square miles of land, situated above 4400
ft above sea level with three historic, artistic and cultural towns
namely Kathmandu, Patan and Bhaktapur together form what is known as the `Kathmandu Valley'. Kathmandu is the hub of Nepal's traditional culture and arts. This is the place for rest,
relaxation and easy-day sightseeing of historic and artistic temples and
monuments, and mountain views. Being the capital city of Nepal, it offers much services including
international airlines, hotels and other facilities. One also enjoys
Kathmandu for night life, shopping and of course for the mountain views.
Pictures of Kathmandu on the net
 NepalVista > Kathmandu Photos - (new window)**
lirung.com: Map of Kathmandu - (new window)**
Mithril.ca:Nepal - (open in a new window)**
www6.wind.ne.jp:nepal:kathmandu - (new window)**
worldcityphotos.org:nepal - (new)**
trekearth.com:gal..nepal..ktm - (new)*
nepalnews.com:pic aerial view of Bauddhanath in Kathmandu - (new)*
gokarna.com:Flying into Kathmandu - (new)**
Getting to Kathmandu - Tribhuwan International Airport is located about
4 mile (7 kilomter) from Kathmandu. It takes about 20 minutes to get to Kathmandu from the airport
by foot or about 10 minutes by cab. Shuttle buses and cabs of many hotels
are available from the Airport or you can choose your own transportation for about Rs 200 (Approx US $3)
Pictures of Kathmandu Airport> Getting to Kathmandu by Air? How much will it cost?
 Mountains to see from Kathmandu: Following mountains can be seen from
Kathmandu: Himal Chuli 7893m, Manaslu 8156m, Pabil GIV 7102m, Ganesh II
7150m, Ganesh V 6950 m, Lang tang 7246m, Gang Chhenpo 6297m, Sisa Pangma
8013m, Gur Karpori 6874m Dorje Lhakpa 6790m, Gyaltzen PK 6705m, Phurbi
Chyachu 6722m, Kharane Tippa 5674m, Choba Bhamare 5970m, Choo-yu 8153m,
Gauri Shankar 7145m, Melungtse 7181m, Lindartsubugo 6690m, Mt. Everest
8848m, Chobutse 6660m, Takargo 6782m. View some pictures of mountains in Nepal
When you visit Nepal, visit the following places in the
Kathmandu Valley.
Places to Visit in Kathmandu
Swayambhu:
 The history of Kathmandu valley
begins from the Swayambhu temple. This valley was
a lake, but later when Bodhisattva Manjusri cut a gorge in a southern hill and drained the waters to worship
a lotus that he admired during his travel to the region, it lead men to settle on the bed of
the lake and named this land Kathmandu Valley. The word Swayambhu
means "the self-existent" in English. Today this complex of stupas offers
an opportunity to
study the religious harmony in Nepal. Tibetan monks, Brahimn priests and Newar nuns
are the major worshipers here. Most of the monasteries have huge
prayer wheels, fine Buddhist paintings and special butter lamps all add an
elegant touch to the Swayambhu. Photos of Swayambhu
Pashupati:
When
Lord Shiva came to Pashupati to escape from his boredom, he became famous
as the lord of Animals (Pashupati) Today, millions of Hindu pilgrimage pour into this temple. Many
Hindus from Indian sub contents, Nepal, Pakistan, Asia come to Pahsupati
to pay their respects to the lord Shiva. From other parts of the world,
many Hindus come to Pashupati to fulfill their dream
of visiting the holiest Hindu
pilgrimage in the world. You can see the pagoda house
which has gold-plated roof, silver doors and find woodcarvings. The linga (phallic symbol) of Lord Shiva, his images,
statues, and Bagmati river that flows beside it add to the holiness
of Pashupati which lies just 1.5km from the international airport. The
region is also surrounded by thick green jungle where monkeys and birds
live and play and are often seen in large groups playing on the
pavements of the temples in Pashupati. Sadhus who follow the life style of
Shiva are found in Pashupati region. They paint their bodies with
ashes, wear loin-cloths, Tika, and Rudraksha Malas.
Changu Narayan:
The
temple, situated at Chingu village 12 km to the eat of the city, is
fully dedicated to the Hindu God Vishnu (the god of creation). The temple is
believed to be the most ancient temple in the Kathmandu valley. The temple
covers over sixteen hundred years of Nepalese art history presenting some
of the best samples of stone, wood and metal craft in Nepal. There is
also everyone's favorite statue of Vishnu sitting astride his steed. For a
view of the ancient arts this is a must see place.
Bouddhanath Stupa:
The
36 meter tall, among the largest stupas in South Asia, is a home to
Tibetan Buddhism in Nepal. It is situated on the ancient trade route to
Tibet (6km to the east of the city). For shopping, the area is a bazaar of Tibetan jewelry, hand made carpets, masks, kukuri knives
(the knives used by Gorkhas) and
Tibetan paintings known as thangkas. There are many stupas in the
nearby surroundings all of which deserve a through observations by
visitors. View Pictures of Bouddhanath
Kathmandu Durbar Square:
This is a durbar of
history and arts. One can see artistic monuments, find the
house of the living goddess, learn about the Kal Bhairam temple, red monkey god, and
hundreds of erotic wood carvings. The kastamandap rest house located
within the durbar square is said to have been built from a single tree, it
is because of this house, Kathmandu valley got its name. There is also a
museum located at the Durbar Square which presents a complete history of
Nepal's King and Rulers.
Half-Day Itineraries for Kathmandu Valley:
These
are some of the half-day itineraries offered by most travel agents in
Nepal. One can hire a car or a take the bus, with or without a guide can
have splendid time in any of the following itineraries.
- Kathmandu Dubar Square, Swayambhu
- Kathmandu and Patan Durbar Square
- Kathmandu Durbar Sqaure, Pashupatinath
- Pashupati, Bouddha, Bhaktapur
- Thimi, Bhaktapur
- Pashupati, Bouddha, Changu Narayan
- Changu Narayan, Sankhu
- Balaju, Budhanilkantha
- Kritipur, Chobhar and Dakshinkali
- Kathmandu Durbar Square, Ason, Pasupatinath, Bouddha
Note: Use the above list as an example, its always best to
create your own list and discover the fruits of traveling spontaneously.
a quick sheet of Kathmandu Valley (Includes Kathmandu, Lalitpur (Patan), and Bhaktapur Cities)
| Kathmandu is known As |
- The Capital of Nepal
- City of Temples
- Woodmandu
- Catmando
|
| Total Popullation of Kathmandu |
Approx 1 Million.
Nearly 4% of Nepal's total population (26 Million) is in Kathmandu. |
| Total Area |
218 square miles (351 square Kilometer) |
| Altitude |
133 meter to 1350 meter |
| Median Age of Marriage |
22 Male, 20 Female |
| Life Expectancy |
Male 58, Female 57
Did you know that Nepal is the only country in the world where Male has higher life expectancy? |
| Drinking Water Problem |
Inspite of Nepal having abundant water resources, Kathmandu has never-ending water shortage problem.
Do not drink water straight from the tap as underground water pipes have high deadly metal and arsnic contents. Boil water,
filter it using standard water-filter before use. |
| Pollution |
Kathmandu is Nepal's most polluted city caused mainly by emissions from the
industries, vehicle fuel combustion, and resuspension of road dust, also due to infficient waste management.
The city's air is vonuerable due to its bowl-like topography preventing air particles being dispurshed. Some wear
masks, and some don't. But if it feels right for you, wear it while walking in Kathmandu! |
| Emergency Telephone Numbers for Kathmandu |
Tourist police: 247041
Police: 100
Teaching Hospital: 412303 and 412404
Nepal International Clinic: 412842
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Pictures of Kathmandu - web links:
- Molon.De:Galleries:Nepal:Kathmandu - photo gallery of Kathmandu area
- Yahoo-Gallery-Kathmandu - with pictures of Kathmandu
- Google-ImageSearch-Kathmandu - browse picture files relevant to Kathmandu
- WorldHeritagesite.org/gal/pics121.html - Heritage Sites in Kathmandu
- EtravelPhotos.Com/Nepal - pictures of Kathmandu and trekking regions
See Also 
Other Places of Interest in or about Kathmandu
Valley
Related Contents
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Destinations
Activities
Travel Tips and Notes
Games and Extras
Planning you Trip
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