Posted by FLORIDNEPAL on Thursday, December 25, 2008
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The political,
commercial and cultural
hub of Nepal, is the
first stop for the
majority of visitors to
the country. Once a
separate kingdom in
itself, it contains
three fabled cities -
Kathmandu (population
550,000); Patan
(160,000); and Bhaktapur
(population 75,000).
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There are seven UNESCO
World Heritage Sites in
the Valley. The history
of the Valley begins
with the Buddhist saint
Manjushree who slashed a
passage through the
surrounding hills to
drain out the primordial
waters and make it
inhabitable
Over the centuries, a
refined urban
civilization emerged,
built on a unique
synthesis of Hinduism
and Buddhism. Dynasties
came and went. Trade and
the arts flourished. Its
deeply religious Newar
inhabitants built
fabulous cities and
artistic temples that
attracted devout
pilgrims as well as
rampaging invaders. In
the late 18th century,
following the founding
of modern Nepal within
more or less the present
boundaries, Kathmandu
was made the capital. |
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Itinerary in Details |
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Day 01 |
Arrival at Kathmandu
International Airport and
transfer to hotel. Stay
overnight at hotel in
Kathmandu.
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Day 02 |
Sightseeing tour of
Pashupatinath, Boudhanath
and Swayambhunath. Stay
overnight at hotel in
Kathmandu.
Pashupatinath Temple
Situated 5 kilometers east
of Kathmandu City,
Pashupatinath temple is one
of the holiest temples
dedicated to Lord Shiva.
Situated amidst a lush green
natural setting on the bank
of the sacred Bagmati river,
the temple built in pagoda
style has jilted roof and
richly carved silver doors.
Visitors will be permitted
to view the temple from the
east bank of Bagmati River,
entrance in the temple being
strictly forbidden to all
non Hindus. Pashupatinath is
the centre of annual
pilgrimage on the day of
shivaratri which falls in
the month of February/March.
Behind the temple are the
cremation grounds.
Boudhanath Stupa
This Stupa, 8 kilometers
east of Kathmandu City, is
one of the biggest in the
world of its kind. It stands
with four pairs of eyes in
the four cardinal direction
keeping watch for righteous
behaviour and human
prosperity. This Buddhis
Stupa was built by King Man
Deva at the advice of the
Goddess Mani Jogini. It is
built on an octagonal base
inset with prayer wheels.
The shrine is ringed by
houses of Lamas or Buddhist
priest.
Swayambhunath Stupa
Swayambhunath is located
approximately 4 kilometers
and this Buddhist Stupa is
said to be 2000 years old.
The Stupa which forms the
main structure is composed
of a solid hemisphere of
brick and earth supporting a
lofty conical spire capped
by a pinnacle of copper
gilt. Painted on the four
sided base of the spire are
the all seeing eyes of Lord
Buddha. This hill is a
mosaic of small Chaityas and
Pagoda temples.
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Day 03 |
Sightseeing tour of Patan and
Bhaktapur and drive back to
Kathmandu. Stay overnight at
hotel in Kathmandu.
Patan Durbar Square
Patan Durbar Square, like
its counterpart in Kathmandu,
is an enchanting mélange of
palace buildings, artistic
courtyards and graceful
pagoda temples. Listed as a
World Heritage Site, the
former royal palace complex
is the center of Patan’s
religious and social life,
and houses a museum
containing an array of
bronze statues and religious
objects. One remarkable
monument here is a
17th-century temple
dedicated to the Hindu god
Krishna, built entirely of
stone
The main attractions in
Patan
Beside above mentioned
places to visit there are
other significant sites to
be visited:
1.
Golden Temple
2.
Kumbheshwar
3.
Krishna Mandir
4.
Jagat Narayan
5.
Mahaboudha
6.
Ashokan Stupa
7.
Machchhendranath Temple
8.
The Tibetan Camp
Bhaktapur (1,401m) covers an
area of four square miles.
Bhaktapur or the city of
devotees still retains a
medieval charm and visitors
to this ancient town are
treated to myriad wonders of
cultural and artistic
achievements. The past glory
of the Malla rules continues
to be reflected at the
Darbar Square. Pottery and
waving are its traditional
industries. Bhaktapur is
famous for woodcarving and
the traditional topi or cap.
The city lies about 14 km
east of Kathmandu. The
places of interest include
Bhaktapur Darbar Square, the
National Art Gallery,
Nyatapola Temple,
Bhairavnath Temple,
Dattatreya Temple and
Dattatreya Square.
Bhaktapur Durbar Square The
main square of the city
contains innumerable temples
and other architectural
showpieces such as lion
gate, the golden gate, the
statue of King Bhupatindra
Malla, Dattatraya Temple
etc.
A magnificent statue of King
Bhupatindra Malla in the act
of worship is placed on a
column facing the palace. It
was listed in the UNESCO
world Heritage Monument List
in 1979.
Palace of 55 Windows Being
built by King Yaksha Mall in
1427 A.D. and remodeled by
King Bhupatindra Malla in
17th Century, the balcony
and the windows are
intricately carved is a
masterpiece of wood carving.
Nyatapola Temple This five
storied Pagoda Style temple
was built by King
Bhupatindra Malla in 1708
A.D. well known for its
massive structure and subtle
workmanship. It is the
tallest pagoda structure in
the Kathmandu valley.
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Day 04 |
Fly from Kathmandu to Lumbini
which takes about forty
minutes. Stay overnight at
hotel in Lumbini. You enjoy
sightseeing tour in and
around Lumbini.
Lumbini is the birth place
of Lord Buddha. The broken
Ashoka Pillar, remnants of
old monastery, images of
Buddha's mother Maya Devi,
are still preserved here.
The Buddha himself
proclaimed Lumbini as one of
the foremost pilgrimage
sites among the famous
Chatumahasthana (the four
great places of Birth,
Enlightenment, Sermon and
Mahaparinirvana).
Lumbini hosts variety of
religious groups of people.
It is home of Hindus,
Buddhists, Muslims and
Christians. The Lumbini area
is located in southwest of
Rupandehi. The population of
Lumbini is segmented in
several cultural
communities. The major
cultures here are Bhojpuri
and Tharu.
The major cultural sub
groups are Biraha, Tharu,
Jhumada and segmented
Bhojpuri culture as well.
The cultural communities
follow their own tradition
of costume, make up,
entertainment performance
and also their own language.
The main attraction is the
Sacred Garden spread over 8
square kilometers and
possessing all the treasure
of the historic area. The
Sacred Garden where Buddha
was born converges on the
Ashoka pillar, which carries
an inscription identifying
the spot as the birthplace
of Buddha. Maya Devi, mother
of Buddha, was on her way to
her parent's home in
Devadaha. While taking rest
in Lumbini under a Sal tree
and admiring the beauty of
the region, she felt labor
pains. She gave birth to the
child while holding a
drooping branch of a Sal
tree.
The Mayadevi temple is the
main attraction for
pilgrims. The temple of Maya
Devi contains a stone relief
depicting the birth scene of
Lord Buddha. The bas-relief
shows Maya Devi supporting
herself by holding on to a
branch of a sal tree, and
the newborn infant Buddha
standing upright on a lotus
pedestal. Two celestial
figures are engaged in the
act of pouring water and
lotuses from the heaven,
indicated in the sculpture
by a delineation of clouds.
The Maya Devi shrine has
been worshipped by both
Hindus and Buddhists since
the beginning of the
Christian era and is
believed to have been built
over the foundation of at
least one earlier temple or
stupa.
Lumbini is so important that
the world community,
particularly the United
Nations and the Government
of Nepal, has launched a
master plan for the
maintenance and preservation
of Lumbini.
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Day 05 |
Drive from Lumbini to
Kathmandu.
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Day 06 |
Fly out from Kathmandu. | | |
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