Links To Photo Galleries

Charlotte Ryan And Peter Ryan With two Hindu Sadhus in Kathmandu Durbar Square in 2005, with the Trailokya Mohan Narayan and Maju Deval Temples behind.

Charlotte Ryan And Peter Ryan With two Hindu Sadhus in Kathmandu Durbar Square in 2005 (click to enlarge)

Swayambhunath Just Before Sunset With Anantapura Shikhara To Right From Dongak Choling Gompa (click to enlarge)

Pashupatinath Hindu Sadhu (click to enlarge)

An extremely ornate statue of Shakyamuni Buddha is the main image inside the main shrine of the Golden Temple in Patan. (click to enlarge)

Kathmandu Gokarna Mahadev Temple On The Banks of the Bagmati River (click to enlarge)

Kathmandu is Nepal's capital and largest city, situated at an altitude of around 1400m. I have visited Kathmandu 11 times over the years. Kathmandu gets more modern each time I visit, a little more polluted, the t-shirts change, but the basic city stays the same. I love it. The immensity of the Kathmandu Valley is evident as you fly into Tribhuvan International Airport, with Kathmandu stretching into the Himalaya mountains on the horizon.

Kathmandu is Nepal's capital and largest city, situated at an altitude of around 1400m, stretching into the Himalaya mountains on the horizon. (click to enlarge)

Kathmandu Swayambhunath Buddha Eyes Close Up (click to enlarge)

Here is a close up of the summit of Mount Everest (8850m) and Lhotse from the Kathmandu mountain flight. From the Everest summit, the southeast ridge descends to the South Col and then rises again to the summit of Lhotse (8516m), the fourth highest mountain in the world. On the right are Lhotse Middle (8414m) and Lhotse Shar (8383m).

Here is a close up of the summit of Mount Everest (8850m) and Lhotse from the Kathmandu mountain flight. (click to enlarge)

Bhaktapur (1401m) is a traffic-free city 13 km east of Kathmandu, with cobblestone streets linking a string of temples, courtyards and squares. Bhaktapur Durbar Square is one of the world heritage sites in Nepal, reflecting the city's rich culture, art and architectural design. The Golden Gate, or Sun Dhoka, in Bhaktapur’s Durbar Square is actually made of brass, and is one of the most important pieces of art in the whole Kathmandu Valley. The gate is the entrance to the main courtyard of the 55 Window Palace. The gate and palace were built by King Bhupatindra Malla but were not completed until 1754.

Bhaktapur Durbar Square With Golden Gate and Palace of 55 Windows on Left, King Bhupatindra Malla Column, Teleju Bell, Vatsala Durga Temple In Middle, Pashupatinath Temple On Right (click to enlarge)

Kathmandu Gokarna Mahadev Temple 8C Statue Of Parvati (click to enlarge)

Links To Photo Galleries

Patan Durbar Square Mul Chowk ***

Budhanilkantha, Kirtupur, Chobar Gorge ***

Kathmandu Durbar Square is a complex of beautiful Hindu temples and shrines built in the 16th and 17th centuries in pagoda style embellished with intricately carved exteriors. Trailokya Mohan Narayan, Maju Deval and Narayan Temples shine in the early morning sun. Trailokya Mohan Narayan Temple (1690) stands on a five-stage plinth with three roofs and is dedicated to Vishnu.

Kathmandu Durbar Square is a complex of beautiful Hindu temples and shrines, including Trailokya Mohan Narayan, Maju Deval and Narayan Temples. (click to enlarge)

Kathmandu’s 36m-high Boudhanath Stupa is the largest stupa in Nepal, and one of the largest in the world. It is a religious centre for Nepal's considerable population of Tibetans. It supposedly dates from the fifth century. With three square tiers surrounding the central circle of the dome, Boudhanath is built in the form of a mandala, a symbol of the universe that is often used in Buddhist meditations.

The Boudhanath Stupa in Kathmandu is built in the form of a mandala, and is a religious centre for Nepal's considerable Tibetan Buddhist population. (click to enlarge)

Cho Oyu Above Numbur and Khatang With Nangpa La and Nangpai Gosum from Kathmandu Mountain Flight (click to enlarge)

The Golden Gate, or Sun Dhoka, in Bhaktapur’s Durbar Square is actually made of brass, and is one of the most important pieces of art in the whole Kathmandu Valley. The gate is the entrance to the main courtyard of the 55 Window Palace. The gate and palace were built by King Bhupatindra Malla but were not completed until 1754. (click to enlarge)

Kathmandu Valley Sankhu Vajrayogini Temple Entrance With Two White Snow Lions, Bells and Torana Door (click to enlarge)

Running northeast is a second part of Kathmandu Durbar Square, which contains the entrance to the Hanuman Dhoka and an assortment of temples. Pigeons fly around the three-tiered, two-storied Jagannath Temple, built in the 16C. Exquisite wood-carvings embellish the doors, windows and roof struts, depicting Hindu gods. Erected in 1670, King Pratapa Malla's column stands to the left of Jagannath temple. The king sits on a lion throne atop the lotus-shaped capital, his two wives one on either side. The King's five sons also appear, one at each corner and the fifth, the youngest son, in front. On the right is the Hanuman statue at the entrance to the Hanuman Dhoka palace. (click to enlarge)

The umbrella at the very top of the Boudhanath Stupa near Kathmandu symbolizes the ladder to nirvana (click to enlarge)

Patan (1350m) is the second largest city in the Kathmandu Valley located on the south side of the Bagmati River, 5km southeast of Kathmandu. It is officially known as Lalitpur, the City Of Beauty. Patan’s Durbar Square is the heart of Patan and is filled with monuments, temples and statues, probably the best Newari architecture in Nepal. The square rose to prominence between 16C to 18C during the Malla period. On the right is the Patan’s Royal Palace.

Durbar Square in Patan is filled with monuments, temples and statues, probably the best Newari architecture in Nepal. (click to enlarge)

Kathmandu Bhaktapur Nyatapola Temple With Chariot (click to enlarge)

Budhanilkantha Narayan (Sleeping Vishnu), 15km north from Thamel in Kathmandu, is a temple complex with a 5m long great stone figure of the Hindu god Vishnu reclining on the coils of the cosmic serpent Ananta, lying in a 13m long tank. It is believed that the deity was carved in the 7th or 8th century during the Licchavi period.

Budhanilkantha Narayan (Sleeping Vishnu) is a 5m stone figure of the Hindu god Vishnu reclining on the coils of the cosmic serpent Ananta. (click to enlarge)

Links To My Youtube Videos

Swayambhunath The Monkey Temple

Kathmandu Swayambhunath Two Buddha Statues At Entrance Gate (click to enlarge)

Boudhanath Stupa From Tamang Gompa (click to enlarge)

Kathmandu Patan Durbar Square Mul Chowk River Goddess Jamuna Standing On A Makura Mythical Crocodile (click to enlarge)

In front of the Lakshmi Narayan Temple at the far left corner is an 8C statue of a six-armed Vishnu Vikrantha athletically jumping with his legs wide apart. The six-armed dwarf was transformed into a giant capable of crossing the universe in three steps. (click to enlarge)

On the saddle between the two Kirtipur hills south of Kathmandu is the three-storied Bagh Bhairav Temple, built between 1099 and 1126. The temple is dedicated to Shiva the Destroyer (Bhairav) in the form of a tiger (bahg). The temple is covered with swords and shields that belong to the troop of Kirtipur, who were defeat by the army of King Prithvi Narayan Shah.

In Kirtipur south of Kathmandu is the three-storied Bagh Bhairav Temple, built between 1099 and 1126. (click to enlarge)

The first sight on reaching the top of the stairs is the Swayambhunath stupa flanked by two snow lions, with a giant gilded vajra above a mandala worked in a drum-shaped base. The earliest record of this stupa's existence dates from a 5C stone inscription; however, scholars and archaeologists believe that there was probably a shrine here as far back as 2,000 years ago.

The Swayambhunath Stupa is flanked by two snow lions, with a giant gilded vajra above a mandala worked in a drum-shaped base. (click to enlarge)

Kathmandu’s Pashupatinath temple complex is the holiest Hindu site outside India. Pashupati is one of the many names of Shiva, the most revered god in the Hindu pantheon, this one meaning the Lord of the Animals. Supposedly Shiva needed a holiday from Mount Kailash and chose the Kathmandu valley. Non-Hindus are not allowed to enter the temple. Below the Pashupatinath temple runs the Bagmati River, a holy river that eventually joins the Ganges. Pilgrims throw the holy water onto themselves, while a few hearty Hindus bathe fully.

The Pashupatinath temple complex in Kathmandu is the holiest Hindu site outside India. (click to enlarge)

Kathmandu Patan Golden Temple - The Entrance Door To The Swayambhu Chaitya Is Guarded By Two Snow Lions And Has A Vajra And Many Statues Including The King And Queen (click to enlarge)

Changu Narayan Temple is a pagoda-style Hindu temple dedicated to Vishnu in his incarnation as Narayan. It was originally built around the 4C, but the present temple was rebuilt in 1702 after it was destroyed by fire. It is situated on a ridge at 1541m overlooking the Kathmandu Valley, about 22 km to the east of Kathmandu and 6 km north of Bhaktapur. The beautifully gilded door on the west side of the Changu Narayan Temple in the Kathmandu Valley is guarded by stone lions and has intricate gilded windows on either side. Two of the traditional symbols of Vishnu are on the pillars to the left and right – the chakra wheel and conch shell.

Changu Narayan Temple has a beautifully gilded door on the west side guarded by stone lions, and intricate gilded windows on either side. (click to enlarge)

The Bagmati River flows through the Chobar Gorge under a bridge and past the Jal Binayak Temple near Kathmandu. (click to enlarge)

Updated: July 2013. Click on an image to see the FULL size with a caption. My Rating Scale: ***** Must See, **** Recommended, *** Good, ** See if you have time, * Skip

Kathmandu, Nepal

Kathmandu is Nepal's capital and biggest city. Each time I visit, Kathmandu gets more modern, a little more polluted, the t-shirts change, but the basic city stays the same. I love it. The Kathmandu Valley contains Kathmandu, Patan (south of the Bagmati River), and Bhaktapur (near Eastern foothills). You can travel to the rim for an early morning view of the Himalayan mountains nearby.

Lionel Terray - At Grips With Jannu book

Lionel Terray's description of Kathmandu in the early 1960s in the book At Grips With Jannu still rings true today more than 45 years later:

"There Buddhism and the Hindu religion met and mingled. The civilization of India rubbed shoulders with that of Tibet without completely snuffing out the traditional customs of the country. All these cultures had thrown up a host of temples, pagodas, palaces and monuments, most of them profusely ornamental in style, a few of beautiful and elegant simplicity.

Noisy cars fill its streets, modern stores display the bad taste of their luxury goods, and amazing networks of every kind of metal wire envelope the delicate traceries of the temples like gigantic spiders' webs. Fortunately the place has not lost all its charm in spite of this swift transformation. The temples and palaces still stand; the inhabitants still wear their gay apparel and their smiles. Strange music is always to be heard at every street cornet. In the old quarters, in the Bazaar, where dwells a pungent odour of spices and urine, and where the sacred cows wander ceaselessly, the dark alleys are still lit up by the same colourful and rumbling swarm of men and women of all races.

I love Kathmandu and its valley, as I love all of Nepal."

Tad Wise - Circling the Sacred Mountain book

I also liked Tad Wise's description of Kathmandu in the book he co-authored with Robert Thurman called Circling the Sacred Mountain : A Spiritual Adventure Through the Himalayas:

"We rev up and sail down this wide, windy arc of a road without distinct lanes, traffic flying around in not just two, but four directions; vehicles jostling for position like horses in a race. Much noise and insane bumps. Drivers bluffing, swerving toward each other, then away, cutting each other off. The air is awful, hopelessly polluted. Breathing through a bandanna, I squint at the sprawling crowds lazily moving out of the way of our horn. Motorcycles with Hindu women riding sidesaddle behind nylon-jacketed swains. The older ones have children hanging off the rig, one kid, two, three. I eventually see a family of five on a motorcycle, the youngest on the proud father's handlebars.

Behind wide concrete sidewalks ancient architecture buttresses up against Coca-Cola-ad-clad-shacks. Tee shirts sport images of Madonna, The Police, Kurt Cobain, and Michael Jackson. Their music is an aural pinup blaring from trashed transistor radios taped to bicycles and rickshaws. Like Playboy centerfolds staring out from a prison wall, they are the teasing promise of an always sexy, never hungry, never dirty, always American life plastered across the chest of Asia: dirty, hungry, ambitious, tired of being ignored, and willing to do anything."

My Top 5 Memories Of Kathmandu