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Historical Background of Nepal:
The Kathmandu Valley's civilization is around 3000 years old. It has been claimed that the valley was a large pond in the early geological period and it was only when the pond was drained that the valley was ready for human settlement .There is also legend which reinforces the story that a certain Bodhisattva called Manjushree came to Kathmandu Valley and cut the gorge in Chobar with his flaming sword and drained the water out of the valley making it ready for human settlement. The fertile land supported large settlement and over the centuries different dynasties that ruled the valley patronized an urban civilization with its rich,cultural heritage .Politically,in the past days Nepal had the Gopala ,Mahispala and Kirata dynasties which were followed by Lichhavi (185-750 A.D.).The Licchavi period is known as the classical period of Nepalese history because it was during this period they built magnificent temple, palaces and monuments. But it was only under the later Malla period and the early Shah period from 14th to the 18th centurie the valley's fabulous cities with their exquisite pagoda ,shikhara, stupa architecture , ornate palaces and artistic temple came to take shape in the form that we see it today.
However, the present day neo-classical building was built only during the second half of the 19th century (Rana Regime) with Nepal's first contact with the western countries. Sculptures, wood craft and stone works were the medium and means on which the expert hand and imagination of the artists on with impressive originality and ingenuity.
The historical monument of the world heritage sites of Kathmandu Valley are marked by the presence of three prominent architectural style namely the pagoda , shikhara and the stupa style . The pagodas are multi-tiered monument tapering towards the top with intricate wood historical structure are supplemented by bronze works and stone sculptures together forming the squares and palaces with profuse representation of image of gods, goddesses, demons, beasts, mythical figures , king and the ordinary human beings engaged in their day to day activities.
If you are in group, cost is as foollow, and this cost is per vehicle cost not per person cost.
Car: you can adjust 2 to 3 person: $360
Jeep: You can adjust 5 to 6 Person: $700
Hiace: You can adjust 13 to 14 person: $1400
PROMINENT MONUMENT:
TALEJU TEMPLE: The temple was built by King Mahendra Malla in 1562 A.D which was dedicated to the royal deity of the Malla King. Resting on a 12 stage plinth, the temple is 36.6 meters high.T he temple is opened to the public only once in a year during Dashain festival (Sept-Oct).
KRISHNA TEMPLE: This octagonal temple is dedicated to Lord Krishna which was built in 1649 A.D by Pratap Malla in the memory of his two dead queens. There is also mentioned in the epigraph that the temple contains the statue of the king and his queens representing as Lord Krishna and his consorts.
JAGANNATH TEMPLE: The image of Jagannath was installed in 1563 A.D. during the reign of Mahendra Malla and the temple is famous for erotic carving.
STONE COLUMN: The stone column represents the statue of King Pratap Malla in praying gesture to Goddess Taleju, the Royal family deity.
DEGUTALLE TEMPLE: A tantric goddess representing the family deity of the MALLA king is enshrined in the temple and access to the visitors is restricted. The temple lies opposite the stone column and was built in 1617 A.D. by King Shiva Singh and later renovated by King Pratap Malla.
HANUMAN STATUE: Kneeling Hanuman, the monkey god, seated on a stone pedestal and flanked by a pair of lions symbolizes strength and protection against all possible threats. The Hanuman pedestal was erected by King Pratap Malla in 1672 A.D.
SHIVA- PARVATI TEMPLE: The divine couple Shiva and Parvati look out from the central window of the first floor. The temple was built during the reign of King Rana Bahadur Shah.
BIG BELL: The bell erected in 1797 A.D. by King Rana Bahadur Shah is rung only when worship is being offered in Degutalle temple situated nearby.
KAL BHAIRAV: Shiva in his ferocious form is known as Bhairav. This is one of the largest images of Bhairava and was erected by King Pratap Malla
MAJU DEWAL: This temple dedicated to Shiva was built in the late 17th century by Queen mother Riddhi Laxmi and rests on a nine plinth base dominating the square and commanding a good view of the area.
TRIMOHAN NARAYAN: lOKYA This Vishnu temple of the late 17th century near the Kumari Ghar, was built on a five-stage plinth by King Prathibendra in the memory of his deceased brother. There is a kneeling image of Garuda(the vehicle of Vishnu), near the temple. During Indrajatra (chariot festival), a large crowd gathers here to see the ten incarnations of Vishnu enacted on the pedestal.
KUMARI GHAR: Kumari Ghar built in 1757 A.D. by King Jaya Prakash Malla is the house of the living Goddess "Kumari " who gives the blessing from the window to the visitors.
GADDI BAITHAK: This neoclassical building was built by Chandra Shumsher in 1908 A.D during the reign of King Prithvi Bir Bikram Shah. Such kind of building was constructed because of Nepalese contact with the west in the second half of the 18th century.
KASTHAMANDAP: This 12th-century wooden building is said to be constructed from the wood of a single tree. Hence, Kathmandu obtained its name from this historical building, Kasthamandap. During those days, this building was used for public gathering. The central image in the building consists of Gorakhnath and there are also miniature temples of four Ganeshas.
ASHOK VINAYAK: This temple dedicated to the elephant god Ganesha is revered both by the Hindus and Buddhists alike and is one of the most important shrines in the valley.
DHANSA: This temple was built in 1673 A.D. by Pratap Malla to start a new masked dance of Narasimha, an incarnation of Vishnu.
Patan is known as Lalitpur which mean the city of arts. It is located across the river Bagmati which is 5 km south of central Kathmandu. This city was founded in 3rd century A.D. by King Veera Dev. It has a distinction of being the home of the finest crafts and is considered the oldest of all three cities of Kathmandu valley. Most of the monuments in this square date back to the Medieval Malla period from 16th to the 18th century and the monuments in this area are mostly credited to King Siddhi Nar Singh Malla, Shri Niwas Malla, and Yog Narendra Malla.
MAIN CHOWKS (COURTYARDS): Patan Durbar Square consists of three main courtyards- Mul Chowk, Sundari Chowk and Mani Keshab Narayan Chowk which houses the Patan Museum. The Sundari Chowk built by King Siddhi Narshing Malla in 1647 A.D. contains the masterpiece of stone sculpture known as the Royal Both and was used for permitting ritual bathing.
BHIMSEN TEMPLE: The three-storied temple of Bhimsen, located on the extreme north of the square with the magnificent golden balcony overlooking the square outside is very popular among the merchant and trader communities. There are many curio shops around the temple.
PROMINENT MONUMENT:
VISHWANATH TEMPLE: This three storied temple dedicated to Shiva located near the Bhimsen temple is built in Pagoda style and houses a large phallic of Shiva and two elephants.
KRISHNA MANDIR: The temple of Lord Krishna built in the 17th century by King Siddhi Narshingh Malla is the first specimen of Shikhara style temple entirely made of stone. It is the only temple in Nepal with 21 golden pinnacles and contains engraved scenes from the epics of Ramayana and Mahabharata.
STONE COLUMN: The stone column of King Yog Narendra Malla in a praying posture to the Goddess Taleju is protected by a snake. Legend says that the King would be remembered and remain immortal as long as the bird does not fly from the tree.It is because of this belief, windows of the nearby palaces are kept open for the spirit of the King to come and rest in the palaces. A stones pillar located nearby with the Garuda atop facing the Krishna temple is another typical example of Nepali stone workmanship.
JAGANNATH TEMPLE: Also known as the Char Narayan temple, one of the oldest temples is located south of the Krishna temple. The temple is guarded by two lions and half human sculpted from stone.
HARISHANKAR TEMPLE: This three-tiered temple built in 1704 A.D. is dedicated to Shiva and Vishnu. This temple was built in the memory of KingYoga Narendra Malla by his wives after his death because of which this temple is also known as Sati temple.
TALEJU TEMPLE: There are prominent temples like the three stories octagonal temple of Taleju Bhawani and Digu Taleju, the five-storied temple of the protective deities built by King Siddhi Narsingha Malla in the 17th century. These temples are a unique example of craftsmanship in wood.
GOLDEN TEMPLE: The three-storied golden pagoda was built by King Bhaskar Verma in the 12th century and contains images of Amoghpash Lokeshwor, large prayer wheel, and paintings of Buddha. The temple is located at a walking distance north from the main square.
KUMBHESHWOR: This five-storied temple dedicated to Shiva was built during the reign of King Jayastithi Malla in the late 14th century. It is a few minutes walk north from the main square. A religious fair is held during the Janai Purnima (August). There is a famous Banglamukhi temple nearby.
MAHABODHI: a Thousand images of Buddha made of fine quality bricks are found in the temple. The temple was constructed in the 15th century by an architect named Avaya Rai and is located eastward within walking distance from the main square. There are many other shrines, sculptures, stupas scattered in and around the square and provide a unique experience to visitors and art lovers.
NYATAPOLA: The temple was founded by King Bhupatindra Malla in 1702A.D. Nyatapola in Newari means five-tiered temple symbolizing the five basic elements of Nature. This temple is dedicated to Goddess Siddhi Laxmi, a Tantric deity representing the most powerful forces. The legend goes that the temple was built by King on the advice of the astrologer to pacify God Bhairav and maintain a harmonious balance of male and female principle. Nyatapola and Bhairav temple signifies the co-existence of male and female energy pervading the earth. The temple stands above the five plinths and rises above 30m above the top plinth. Pairs of animals and robust men flank the stairway. It is believed that every pair of a guardian is ten times more powerful than the pair immediately below. This is the most famous pagoda of Nepal.
BHAIRAV NATH TEMPLE: This temple of bhairav, the ferocious form of the Shiva was originally built by Jagat Jyoti Malla as one storied temple and later King Bhupatindra Malla added two more stories to it in 1718 A.D. According to the legend, Vishwanath, a manifestation of Shiva once visited Bhaktapur to observe Biscuit jatra. When the locals recognized him they beheaded him in order to retain him permanently in the temple.It is because of this reason the central image of Bhairav temple has the head of Bhairav without the body and is taken on a chariot once during the Biscuit Jatra which is the biggest festival of the town held in April.
TEEL MAHADEV NARAYAN TEMPLE: This temple lies south from Nyatopola dedicated to Lord Vishnu built in the 12th century A.D. A disc, lotus, conch, shell and a mace (four emblems of Lord Vishnu) are placed on pillars to the sides of the entrance.