Can't Miss - Do and See
Photo Credit: travelphotonet
Kathmandu is the capital of Nepal. It is located in the Kathmandu Valley in central Nepal. Although the city is well known for its Buddhist and Hindu palaces and temples, and became a popular destination in the 1960s, it is quickly becoming an overcrowded sprawling city, and the population is quickly increasing and is now estimated at around 1.5 million. Pollution is a major problem, and navigating the narrow unmarked streets can be a challenge.
Many of the sights are located in the old part of the city, near the Vishumati River, which is where most travellers head. Although that's where many landmarks are, many have been damaged by earthquakes, in part because of a lack of building codes, and also by pollution.
Just across the Bagmati river from modern Kathmandu is the old town of Patan with its famous Durbar square.
Also very close is the Buddhist stupa at Bodnath - one of the most photographed Buddhist sites in the world.
Maybe the main attraction in the Kathmandu Valley is the ancient city of Bhaktapur, but there also is the "monkey temple" Svayambhunath, and Pashupatinath the most important Hindu temple in Nepal.
As the Bagmati river will eventually carry the ashes of people cremated here to the holy river Ganges, this is a very popular place for burials and the atmosphere at the ghats is somewhat similar to the one in Varanasi.
This description was last modified Apr 10 2005, 11:32 AM [ View Page History ]
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