As with the tales of the Buddha's visit, there is no evidence supporting Ashok's visit, but the stupas probably date to that century. Hotels like Hyatt Regency, De L'Annapurna, and Yak & Yeti are among the five-star hotels with casinos as well. The museum was established in 1928 as a collection house of war trophies and weapons, and the initial name of this museum was Chhauni Silkhana, meaning "the stone house of arms and ammunition". Also known as the city of temples, the city stands at an elevation of approximately 1,400 metres (4,600 feet) above sea level in the bowl-shaped Kathmandu valley in central Nepal. Most of the cuisines found in Kathmandu are non-vegetarian. Kathmandu valley is described as "an enormous treasure house of art and sculptures", which are made of wood, stone, metal, and terracotta, and found in profusion in temples, shrines, stupas, gompas, chaityasm and palaces. The Licchavis from the Indo-Gangetic plain migrated north and defeated the Kiratas, establishing the Licchavi dynasty, circa 400 AD. During the later part of the Malla era, Kathmandu Valley comprised four fortified cities: Kantipur, Lalitpur, Bhaktapur, and Kirtipur. Amarkosh, a Sanskrit-Nepal Bhasa dictionary from 1381 AD, was also found. NEP: Kathmandu Valley Water Supply Improvement Project Prepared by the Kathmandu Upatyaka Khanepani Limited, Ministry of Physical Planning and Works, Government of Nepal for the Asian Development Bank . A fringe population of devout Hindus and Muslims consider it taboo. The Durbar Square of Kathmandu is in the old city and has heritage buildings representing four kingdoms (Kantipur, Lalitpur, Bhaktapur, Kirtipur); the earliest being the Licchavi dynasty. Due to the intermixing with Kirat cuisine from eastern Nepal, pork has found a place in Kathmandu dishes. Many other famous Lamas known throughout the world have their Buddhist monasteries and centers in the Kathmandu Valley.[12]. Bhrikuti, the princess of Nepal who married Tibetan monarch Songtsän Gampo, was instrumental in introducing Buddhism to Tibet. [99], Kathmandu is the most important industrial and commercial centre in Nepal. As a precautionary measure, firemen were sent to the areas which were designated as accident-prone areas. Its central lower part stands at 1,425 metres (4,675 ft) above sea level. Ancient religious sites believed to be worshipped by ancient Kirats, such as Pashupatinath, Wanga Akash Bhairabh (Yalambar) and Ajima are now worshipped by people of all Dharmic religions in Kathmandu. [65] At the northern entrance where visitors must pass is a shrine dedicated to Ajima, the goddess of smallpox. According to legends, all the timber used to build the pagoda was obtained from a single tree. The museum is noted for its display of species, from prehistoric shells to stuffed animals. At present, a cable car service is operated in Kathmandu in Chandragiri Hills.[114]. The dominant tree species in this zone are oak, elm, beech, maple and others, with coniferous trees at higher altitude. [110] Oman Air also connects Muscat to Kathmandu since 2010. Kathmandu is not the native name used by the indigenous Nepa people of the valley. Kathmandu valley is growing at 4 percentange per year according to the World Bank in 2010, making it one of the fastest-growing metropolitan areas in South Asia, and the first region in Nepal to face the unprecedented challenges of rapid urbanization and modernization at a metropolitan scale.[3]. Historic areas of Kathmandu were severely damaged by a 7.8 magnitude earthquake in April 2015. It is surrounded with a brick wall with 147 niches, each with four or five prayer wheels engraved with the mantra, om mani padme hum. Located on the banks of the Bagmati river, the Pashupatinath Temple is the oldest Hindu temple in Kathmandu. Their language is today known as Nepal Bhasa. [109] Since 2013, Turkish Airlines connects Istanbul to Kathmandu. [29] They have the three highest population densities in the country. This monastery was renovated by Shakyas after they fled genocide from Virudhaka (r. 491–461 BCE). Buildings with characteristic Nepali architecture, such as the nine-story tower of Basantapur, were built during this era. Nepali currency became the standard currency in trans-Himalayan trade. Previously, during the time of the monarchy, the queen and the priests used to appoint the proposed Kumari with delicate process of astrological examination and physical examination of 32 'gunas'. More recently, however, the spelling "Kathmandu" has become more common in English.[8]. The average elevation is 1,400 metres (4,600 ft) above sea level. The southern gate of the palace is at the crossing of Prithvipath and Durbar Marg roads. Radio Nepal is a state-run organization that operates national and regional radio stations. Ason is a bazaar and ceremonial square on the old trade route to Tibet, and provides a fine example of a traditional neighbourhood. The world's largest Chhath takes place every year in Ranipokhari. The earliest known inscription is dated 185 CE. In recent years, these festivals have found wider participation from other Kathmanduites as well. This fairly large network has helped the economic development of the country, particularly in the fields of agriculture, horticulture, vegetable farming, industry and also tourism. In contrast, 2003 was the wettest year ever in Kathmandu, totaling over 2,900 mm (114 in) of precipitation due to an exceptionally strong monsoon season. [55] The monuments of Kathmandu City have been influenced over the centuries by Hindu and Buddhist religious practices. The city is bounded by several other municipalities of the Kathmandu valley: south of the Bagmati by Lalitpur Metropolitan City (Patan), with which it forms one urban area surrounded by a ring road, to the southwest by Kirtipur and to the east by Madyapur Thimi. The BP Highway connects Kathmandu to the eastern part of Nepal through Sindhuli. The current palace building was built in 1970 in front of the old palace, built in 1915, in the form of a contemporary pagoda. Archaeological excavations in parts of Kathmandu have found evidence of ancient civilizations. The kings of this period directly influenced or involved themselves in the construction of public buildings, squares, and temples, as well as the development of waterspouts, the institutionalisation of trusts (called guthis), the codification of laws, the writing of dramas, and the performance of plays in city squares. Maps of the Kathmandu Valley. The BBC also has an FM broadcasting station in Kathmandu. Drinking and driving is illegal, and authorities have a zero-tolerance policy. There is a severe shortage of water for household purposes such as drinking, bathing, cooking and washing and irrigation. Kathmandu Valley The Kathmandu Valley is a region of 600km² in the Bagmati zone in central Nepal. Kathmandu Valley, the capital city area of Nepal accommodates about 3 million people in densely populated urban settlements of many poorly built and over-aged houses and buildings. It has been home to the headquarters of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) since 1985. Mooldevshashidev), law, morals, and history. During the Hindu Lichchavi era (c. 400 to 750), various monasteries and orders were created which successively led to the formation of Newar Buddhism, which is still practiced in the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Sanskrit. The Mahendra Museum is dedicated to the King Mahendra (1920–1972). It is the most important museum in the country, housing an extensive collection of weapons, art and antiquities of historic and cultural importance. During the Rana regime, Kathmandu's alliance shifted from anti-British to pro-British; this led to the construction of the first buildings in the style of Western European architecture. Books have been found from this era that describe their tantric tradition (e.g. Some of the buildings have been restored while some remain in the process of reconstruction. In many ways the Kathmandu Valley is Nepal. Bir Hospital is the oldest, established in July 1889 by Bir Shamsher Jang Bahadur Rana. The Metropolitan Police is the main law enforcement agency in the city. Easy to use. [71][72][73] This palace was the scene of the Nepali royal massacre. Geographically, it is very close to the city but socially and culturally it is a very traditional village which. "Narayanhiti" (Nepali: नारायणहिटी) comes from Narayana (Nepali: नारायण), a form of the Hindu god Lord Vishnu, and Hiti (Nepali: हिटी), meaning "water spout" (the temple of lord Vishnu is opposite to the palace, and the water spout is east of the main entrance to the precinct). Notable hospitals include Bir Hospital, Nepal Medical College and Teaching Hospital (Jorpati), Tribhuvan University Institute of Medicine (Teaching Hospital), Patan Hospital, Kathmandu Model Hospital, Scheer Memorial Hospital, Om Hospital, Norvic Hospital, Grande International Hospital, Nobel Hospital and many more. See Kathmandu photos and images from satellite below, explore the aerial photographs of Kathmandu in Nepal. There are 133 festivals held in the year. Musical performances are organized in cultural venues. Hindu and Buddhist pilgrims from all over the world visit Kathmandu's religious sites such as Pashupatinath, Swayambhunath, Boudhanath, Changunarayan and Budhanilkantha. ... Thamel and West Kathmandu is in Kathmandu and covers the backpacker area of Thamel, Swayambhu, Durbur Square, and Freak Street. Kathmandu valley is surrounded by four mountain ranges: Shivapuri hills (at an elevation of 2,732 metres or 8,963 feet), Phulchowki (2,695 metres or 8,842 feet), Nagarjun (2,095 metres or 6,873 feet) and Chandragiri (2,551 metres or 8,369 feet). "A Kushan-period Sculpture from the reign of Jaya Varman, CE 185, Kathmandu, Nepal. The M. Art Theater is based in the city. According to the records of the Spiritual Assembly of the Baháʼís of Nepal, there are approximately 300 followers of the Baháʼí Faith in Kathmandu valley. The only international football stadium in the city is the Dasharath Rangasala, a multi-purpose stadium used mostly for football matches and cultural events, in the neighbourhood of Tripureshwor. The Mallas ruled the Kathmandu Valley and the surrounding area from the 12th until the 18th century CE, when the Shah dynasty of the Gorkha Kingdom under Prithvi Narayan Shah conquered the valley as he created present-day Nepal. During the early part of this era, Kathmandu maintained its distinctive culture. Other prominent clubs include Manang Marsyangdi Club, Machhindra FC, Tribhuvan Army Club (TAC) and Nepal Police Club. The growth of tourism in Kathmandu has led to culinary creativity and the development of hybrid foods to accommodate for tourists such as American chop suey, which is a sweet-and-sour sauce with crispy noodles with a fried egg commonly added on top and other westernized adaptations of traditional cuisine. [8] He is known for building the white stupa at the Miaoying Temple in Beijing. Tourism is an important part of the economy in the city. They are known for their contributions to art, sculpture, architecture, culture, literature, music, industry, trade, agriculture and cuisine, and left their mark on the art of Central Asia. The chief lunch/snack for locals and visitors is mostly Momo or Chowmein. Then Lord Krishna came to Nepal, killed Banasur, and again drained out the water. Descriptions of buildings such as Managriha, Kailaskut Bhawan, and Bhadradiwas Bhawan have been found in the surviving journals of travellers and monks who lived during this era. The influx of many Tibetan refugees from China has seen the construction of over 50 Tibetan gompas (monasteries) around Boudhanath. Of these, Kathmandu Valley is in the Warm Temperate Zone (elevation ranging from 1,200 to 2,300 metres (3,900 to 7,500 ft)), where the climate is fairly temperate, atypical for the region. Ministry of Physical planning & works, Government of Nepal. [109] It has two terminals, one domestic and one international. [66] A large stone statue of an elephant in the south signifies the image of Pratap Malla and his two sons. [23] The city is bounded by several other municipalities of the Kathmandu valley: south of the Bagmati by Lalitpur Metropolitan City (Patan), with which it forms one urban area surrounded by a ring road, to the southwest by Kirtipur and to the east by Madyapur Thimi. It was built by king Pratap Malla in 1670 AD for his beloved queen after she lost her son and could not recover from her loss. to Bhaktapur, and nearly covers the entire Kathmandu valley. Separate organizations were created in Kathmandu to promote this activity; some of these include the Tourism Development Board, the Department of Tourism and the Civil Aviation Department. The city is in an ancient lake basin, with fertile soil and flat terrain. The Pashupatinath Temple, Changu Narayan Temple, and the Kasthamandap are of particular importance to Hindus. The china (Nepali: चिना), an ancient Hindu astrological report, of the Kumari and the reigning king, was ought to be similar. The Newars are the indigenous inhabitants and the creators of the historic civilization of the valley. The museums display unique artefacts and paintings from the 5th century CE to the present day, including archaeological exportation. ", "WHO Global Urban Ambient Air Pollution Database (update 2016)", "Ambient (outdoor) air quality and health", https://worldpopulationreview.com/world-cities/kathmandu-population, "South Asia :: Nepal – the World Factbook - Central Intelligence Agency", "Kathmandu Valley – Unesco World Heritage site", "Kathmandu Valley World Heritage site: Nepal", "Reconstruction of Degu Taleju Temple stalled", "Science, research and technology in Nepal", "Buddhism, Himalayan Trade, and Newar Merchants", "Turkish Airlines – News – turkishairlines.com", "Connecting Nepal with ropes - Business - Nepali Times", "Goal Programme – All-Nepal Football Association – 2001", "Outline of International Relations of Kathmandu Metropolitan City", "KMC International Relationship With Sister Cities", "Examining Spatiotemporal Urbanization Patterns in Kathmandu Valley, Nepal: Remote Sensing and Spatial Metrics Approaches", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Kathmandu&oldid=1005405286, Articles needing additional references from January 2021, All articles needing additional references, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles containing Nepali (macrolanguage)-language text, Pages using infobox settlement with possible motto list, Articles containing Sanskrit-language text, Articles containing Nepal Bhasa-language text, Articles with unsourced statements from March 2013, Articles with unsourced statements from December 2011, Wikipedia articles needing clarification from March 2013, Articles with unsourced statements from December 2013, Articles needing additional references from September 2020, Wikipedia articles with MusicBrainz area identifiers, Wikipedia articles with WORLDCATID identifiers, Wikipedia articles with multiple identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. International chain restaurants are rare, but some outlets of Pizza Hut and KFC have recently opened there. Four stupas around the city of Patan that are said to have been erected by a Charumati, a purported daughter of the Maurya emperor Ashoka, in the third century BCE, attest to the ancient history present within the valley. Kathmandu Valley has total population of 2,517,023. The urban area of the Kathmandu valley is split among three different districts (second level of administrative divisions within a province), which extend very little beyond the valley fringe, except towards the southern ranges, which have a comparatively small population. Kirats who have migrated from other parts of Nepal to Kathmandu practice Mundhum in the city.[90]. These states competed with each other in the arts, architecture, esthetics, and trade, resulting in tremendous development. The Council administers the Metropolitan area of Kathmandu city through its 177 elected representatives and 20 nominated members. It was built in the 16th century in pagoda style. [80] Continental cuisine can be found in selected places. The palace area covers 30 hectares (74 acres) and is fully secured with gates on all sides. 18–25, 44, Learn how and when to remove this template message, South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation, Nepal Medical College and Teaching Hospital, List of twin towns and sister cities in Nepal, "An Overview of the Central Development Region (CR)", "Behind the Dateline: 'Kathmandu' Becomes Times Style", "सुस्त उत्खनन » पुरातत्व » सम्पदा :: नेपाल", "HISTORY OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH IN NEPAL", "Article:झीसं पत्याः यानाच्वनागु अन्धविश्वास – Author:विपेन्द्र महर्जन Nepalmandal", "A Short History of Sanskrit Buddhist Manuscripts", "राष्ट्रपति अचानक ग्यालरीमा | कला र शैली | :: कान्तिपुर", "Buddhist Monks and Rana Rulers: A History of Persecution", "Kathmandu Metropolitan City Office – Introduction", "Kathmandu Metropolitan City Office - Ward No. Architecturally notable buildings from this era include Kathmandu Durbar Square, Patan Durbar Square, Bhaktapur Durbar Square, the former durbar of Kirtipur, Nyatapola, Kumbheshwar, the Krishna temple, and others. The study area comprises the three districts of the City of Kathmandu, Lalitpur and Bhaktapur, which Tea is widely served but is extremely weak by western standards. The colophons of ancient manuscripts, dated as late as the 20th century, refer to Kathmandu as Kāṣṭhamaṇḍap Mahānagar in Nepal Mandala. This great population density is made possible by the rather small surface area the city has … In economic terms, the foreign exchange registered 3.8% of the GDP in 1995/96 but then started declining. They have a national office in Shantinagar, Baneshwor. From ancient times to today it remains an important trading route from Tibet/China to India. The Kumari is believed to be a bodily incarnation of the goddess Taleju (the Nepali name for Durga) until she menstruates, after which it is believed that the goddess vacates her body. During this era, following the genocide of Shakyas in Lumbini by Virudhaka, the survivors migrated north and entered the forest monastery lora masquerading as Koliyas. Kumari Ghar is a palace in the centre of the Kathmandu city, next to the Durbar square where a royal Kumari selected from several Kumaris resides. The annual amount of precipitation was 1,124 millimetres (44.3 in) for 2005, as per monthly data included in the table above. Kirant Mundhum is one of the indigenous animistic practices of Nepal. The term "Nepa-al" means "land of the Nepa people" and was traditionally used to refer this valley.[5]. [100] Kathmandu exports handicrafts, artworks, garments, carpets, pashmina, paper; trade accounts for 21% of its revenues. [113] A ropeway operated between Kathmandu and Hetauda over a length of 43 km (27 mi) which carried 25 tonnes of goods per hour. This procedure is followed in other temples around India, which were sanctified by Adi Shankaracharya. For civic administration, the city is further divided into 35 administrative wards. Also, with the modernization of Newar Buddhism, various Theravada Bihars have been established. The value of Maphill lies in the possibility to look at the same area from several perspectives. The entire structure contained no iron nails or supports and was made entirely from wood. Different perspectives . Kathmandu Valley. The Kathmandu Valley lies between 27°32′13″ - 27°49′10″N lat and 85°11′31″ - 85°31′38″ E long. This unique temple, also known as the Maru Sattal, was built in 1596 by King Lakshmi Narasimha Malla. [36][37][38] According to the 2016 World Health Organization's Ambient Air Pollution Database,[39] the annual average PM2.5 (particulate matter) concentration in 2013 was 49 μg/m3, which is 4.9 times higher than recommended by the World Health Organization. Another neighbourhood of growing popularity is Jhamel, a name for Jhamsikhel that was coined to rhyme with Thamel. [10] In 2003, UNESCO listed the sites as being "endangered" out of concern for the ongoing loss of authenticity and the outstanding universal value of the cultural property. Sikhism is practiced primarily in Gurudwara at Kupundole. Just like any other image. The Kathmandu valley was accorded the status of a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in the year 1979. [75] The museum is within a short walk from the Boudhanath stupa, which itself can be seen from the museum tower. The city-center is like an open air-museum, in which people still live. Garments and woolen carpets are the most notable manufactured products. has undergone unprecedented and dramatic changes over the last four decades. During a 2013 cold front, the winter temperatures of Kathmandu dropped to −4 °C (25 °F), and the lowest temperature was recorded on 10 January 2013, at −9.2 °C (15.4 °F). The stadium was renovated with Chinese aid before the 8th South Asian Games were held in Kathmandu and floodlights were installed. The valley itself was referred to as "Nepal Proper" by British historians. The reason for such an outflux range from perceived low quality of education, political instability, fewer opportunities in the job market, opportunities for earning while learning abroad and better job prospects with an international degree. Some animistic aspects of Kirant beliefs, such as ancestor worship (worship of Ajima) are also found in Newars of Kirant origin. Source 1: Department of Hydrology and Meteorology. One story says that the God Manjusri cut a gorge at a valley called Kashapaal (later called Chobhar) with a sword called Chandrahrasha and drained away the waters in order to establish a habitable land. Kathmandu is a centre for art in Nepal, displaying the work of contemporary artists in the country and also collections of historical artists.