Kathmandu capital city of Nepal
Kathmandu is capital city of Nepal. This valley is the cultural and political heart of Nepal and the center of the tourist industry. The first surfaced roads linking the city to India were only completed in 1956 .
Kathmandu ws founded in 723 AD at the confluence of the Bagmati and Bishnumati rivers. Present day Durbar Square and Kathmandu’s oldest building ‘Kastha Mandap’ more or less stand at the crossroads of 2 important ancient trade routes between India and China.
Durbar Square – the old Royal palace and the collection of temples that s urround it form the cultural heart of Kathmandu. Many of the oold buildings that were destroyed in a 1934 earthquake have been rebuilt after that, not all to their original designs. ‘Kastha Mandap’ or wood temple from which Kathmandu gets its name dates from 9th century – successive kings of the Lacchavi and Malla dynasties have added features and buildings to make this collection of medieval buildings warrant a separate guide book for itself.
The other major places of interest in and around Kathmandu are the medieval towns of Bhaktapur and Patan, both with number of temples and old buildings. Bhatktapur, particular, is the site of a large United Nations funded restoration project.
The enormous Buddhist stupas of Swayambhunath and Bodhnath together with the important Hindu temple of Pashupatinath rounds of the sightseeing tour that most travellers can achieve in a day or two.
Dhulikhel and Nagarkot are villages to the east of Kathmandu situated on a 7000 feet high ridge where a number of hotels have sprung up over the last few years. Both places offer good views of the Himalayan Range to the north with Everest, Makalu, Lhotse and Langtang seen on clear days.
