| In the early 1850s, the English traveler, Francis | | | | "eyes of the Buddha" looking in all four directions, and |
| Egerton, visited Nepal and described the city of | | | | the whole building is surmounted by a golden spire. |
| Kathmandu as he saw it then: "A picturesque and | | | | Swayambhu is occasionally known as the Monkey |
| quaint looking temple and a cluster of wide-eaved | | | | Temple, due to the hundreds of monkeys that roam |
| houses, profusely adorned with carved woodwork, | | | | the temple confines. Nepal's most important and |
| form a pretty foreground. In the plain below is a | | | | sacred Hindu temple is Pashupatinath. It is dramatically |
| broad river, on the opposite bank of which stands | | | | located on the banks of the Bagmati River on the |
| the town, with its numberless Chinese-looking | | | | eastern side of Kathmandu. The temple is built as a |
| temples, the brass work with which they are | | | | pagoda, with some of the roofs clad with copper |
| ornamented glittering in the sun." | | | | overlaid with gold. |
| Kathmandu has been "off limits" to most foreigners | | | | Pashupatinath is regarded as the important Shiva |
| for many years since then, and it was only in 1951 | | | | (Pashupati) temple in the world and Hindu pilgrims |
| that tourists were permitted to visit Nepal. Set in the | | | | come there from all over the world, including from |
| small Kathmandu Valley and surrounded by high | | | | every corner of Nepal and India. The temple complex |
| mountains, Kathmandu is a medieval metropolis with | | | | is an amazing scene to behold with pilgrims, |
| superb artistic and architectural traditions that have | | | | semi-naked sadhus (holy men), ritual bathing in the |
| miraculously survived the centuries. | | | | river, and cremation ghats. |
| The old town of Kathmandu is a masterpiece of | | | | Not far from Pashupatinath is Bodnath, the most |
| urban planning created by the Newar people. | | | | important Tibetan Buddhist monument outside Tibet. |
| Most traditional buildings are built of red brick and | | | | Bodnath is the largest stupa in Nepal and is the |
| dark wood. Courtyards and plazas abound on all sides, | | | | religious center for Nepal's large community of |
| so that even though the streets are narrow and the | | | | Tibetans. |
| population many, there is a feeling of space and | | | | Kathmandu's heritage is much more than its |
| harmony. The windows and doors of traditional | | | | architecture. The visitor will enjoy the festivals, the |
| houses are decorated with lavish carvings of varied | | | | handicrafts and treks to the nearby Himalayan |
| designs. | | | | foothills. Kathmandu will richly reward the visitor who |
| Kathmandu's royal palace is a massive structure with | | | | is willing to stay for more than a day or two, and |
| thick mud walls, shady porticoes and 55 courtyards. It | | | | who tries to explore the city and the culture a little |
| is decorated with huge quantities of gilded copper. | | | | more and to meet and mix with the local people. |
| The temples of Kathmandu are everywhere. Small | | | | With the massive changes brought to Kathmandu |
| shrines are found in courtyards (chowks), squares | | | | with the arrival of mass tourism, democracy, |
| and back lanes, and are part of the everyday life. | | | | globalization, and new technologies, much traditional |
| Dozens of mandirs (temples) are scattered around | | | | life and many customs are disappearing in |
| Durbar Square, including the pagoda-like Jagannath | | | | Kathmandu, especially among the younger generation. |
| Mandir built in the sixteenth century. | | | | Modern Kathmandu does have its share of problems, |
| West of the city on a hill with commanding views of | | | | including poverty and pollution. |
| the city is the Buddhist stupa (mound-like sacred | | | | But for the visitor who wants to see and experience |
| structure) named Swayambhu (or Swayambhunath). | | | | a city and a culture that is quite different from the |
| This is the most ancient and sacred Buddhist shrine in | | | | typical city in their home country, Kathmandu is still is |
| Kathmandu. | | | | a remarkable and unforgettable place in the heart of |
| On top of the mound is a cube with the celebrated | | | | the Himalayas. |