Dhanya Damodaran

Jan 18, 20202 min read

Namaste Nepal

Updated: Feb 29, 2020

Visited In December 2017

Nepal ma swagata cha!!

Nepal was our gateway to Tibet. We chose to enter Tibet through Nepal, as there is a provision to get Group Visa for family from the Chinese Embassy in Kathmandu.

Our itinerary for 2 days in Nepal in a private taxi was

1) Kathmandu

2) Bhaktpur

3) Nagarkot Hill Station

Kathmandu is an old city with several historical monuments, crowded streets with narrow paths, lots and lots of souvenir shops. Several famous Hindu and Buddhist temples are here and are definitely a must visit. The typical architecture of the buildings with its unique styled roofs and colour makes this city very charming and different. Its very interesting to learn about the traditions in Nepal; they do have a living little Goddess!

There are 3 Durbar Squares in Kathmandu - Durbar Square means Royal Square which are areas near the royal palaces.

Patan Durbar Square, Kathmandu Durbar Square and Bhaktpur Durbar Square. All these sites are UNESCO World Heritage sites, heavily damaged by the earthquake that shook Nepal in 2015. Several restoration works are going on in these area to bring the site back to its charm and glory.

We first visited the Patan Durbar Square

We then visited the Shakya Muni temple which is also Golden Temple

The Thangka Painting shop and Singing Bowl shops to buy our souvenirs.

Later, we climbed up the hill to visit Swayambhunath Temple and the amazing views of Kathmandu valley from there

Exhausted, we visited a local restaurant for a fulfilling Nepalese Thali. Yummy indeed!!

Next day, we started with a visit to the famous Kathmandu Durbar Square. We felt disheartened to see the amount of damage caused by the havoc of the 2015 earthquake in Nepal. A lot of the historical monuments were severely affected and thankfully efforts are in progress to restore them. We can only hope that the place regains its charm and grandeur. We visited the Basantpur Tower, Kumari Bahal (where the living young Goddess live), Indrapur Temple, Hanuman Dhoka etc.

Next, we visited the Boudhnath Temple. There is a Tibetan community around this temple and the place gives you a Tibetan feel.

Pashupatinath Temple - One of the holiest temples of Lord Shiva built in the 5th century on the banks of River Bagmati. After visiting the temple, we also visited the open crematorium where the bodies of the passed away are cremated according to Hindu traditions. We can also meet Sadhus in this area.

After having Nepalese lunch, we left to Bhaktapur. This place is famous of artisans and their craft works. Lots to walk around and see here - 55 window palace, Nyatapola temple, Bhairavnath temple, the Golden gate, peacock carved windows etc