Kathmandu is the capital city of Nepal. This is the most enchanting valley which is the first destination of every traveler who comes to Nepal.
This place is enriching culturally, beautiful physically, and wonderful scenically. So, Kathmandu offers lots of places to enroll in sightseeing activities.
Best four places for Kathmandu day tour
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Kathmandu Sightseeing
Duration:1 DayStart fromUS$40US$55Nepal Tour
Duration:8 DaysStart fromUS$500US$600
Top Four Kathmandu Sightseeing Places
Kathmandu Durbar Square
One of the best sightseeing places in Kathmandu is Kathmandu Durbar Square. This heritage site is also known as Hanuman Dhoka. It is located at the place called, Basantapur of Kathmandu Valley.
Kathmandu Durbar Square is the old Royal palace of Nepal. It was built in the 4th century during the Lichchhavi period. And in the 17th century, King Pratap Malla expanded the area of the site. The Kathmandu Durbar Square is full of ancient temples, courtyards, and a museum. The temples are carved with ancient wood. The art is beautiful.
There are two courtyards in Durbar Square. They are outer and indoor. Around the courtyards, there are lots of handicraft shops. All of the visitors used to purchase them as souvenirs.
The indoor Courtyard comprises of the main palace, Hanuman Dhoka, museums, and some chowks. On the other hand, there are many ancient monuments like Kumari Ghar, Taleju Temple, Swet Bhairav, and so on in the outdoor courtyard. They are given below;
Nasal Chowk:
This chowk is located inside the main entrance. It was started to construct during the Rana regime and completed in the Malla period. The Nasal Chowk had been used for the coronation during the king's regime in Nepal.
Taleju Temple:
The temple, Taleju is the tallest monument of Kathmandu Durbar Square. This temple was built in 1549 A.D. by the king, Mahendra Malla. During the festival times, especially during the Dashain festival, there is a large celebration in the Taleju Temple. On that day, the Taleju temple is open to the public.
Kumari Ghar:
"Kumari" refers to the unmarried girl who does not have menstruation as well. "Ghar" means a house. Kumari Ghar is the heart of Hanuman Dhoka. It was built during the 17th century.
The living goddess Kumari lives there in this house. The visitors can visit her and get blessings during the special period.
Jagannath Temple:
This is one of the wonderful temples of Kathmandu Durbar Square. This temple is carved with full of wooden erotic figures. It was built during the 16th century in Nepal.
Narsingha Statue:
There is a large statue of Narsingha at the Hanuman Dhoka in Kathmandu. It is the incarnation of Lord Vishnu. This design of the statue was erected first time on stone in 1673 by the king, Pratap Malla. Later on, it was made as a statue.
Swet Bhairav:
This is the statue of Bhairav, an incarnation of Lord Shiva. Once a year during the Indra Jatra festival (August to September), the temple of Bhairav is open to all.
Shisha Baithak:
This is an open space for displaying the throne of the Malla regime and the Shah empire.
Kaal Bhairav:
This is one of the largest stone statues of Kaal Bhairav in Kathmandu. It was built during the 17th century in Nepal. Kaal Bhairav is the incarnation of the terrible attribute of Lord Shiva.
Tribhuwan Museum:
The Tribhuwan Museum was built in the name of King Tribhuwan for exhibiting his succession. The museum displays the personal belongings of the King like bedroom, boxing gloves, sword, aquarium, etc. This museum has been protecting some other things like lots of thrones, hunting photos, and typical coins.
Pashupatinath Temple
This is the most popular Hindu temple not in Kathmandu, Nepal only, but in another Hindu country, India as well. The Pashupatinath Temple is situated on the bank of the sacred Bagmati River. This is the largest and one of the oldest temples in the world. It was enlisted in the World Heritage Site in 1979.
The Pashupatinath Temple is built in a pagoda style. It has four main doors. These doors are made up of pure silver and open for the public only on special occasions (MahaShivaratri and Teej). It has a gold pinnacle and copper and gold-plated two-level roofs.
Lord Shiva is the main shrine of this temple. In Hinduism, it is believed that he is the world's creator. The main idol is the stone Mukhalinga and its base is made up of silver. The Mukhalinga is one meter high and has four faces in four different directions. Every face represents the different aspects of Lord Shiva. They are Sadyojat, Vamadeva, Aghora, and Ishana. Each face has a Rudraksha mala and the Kamandalu on the right and left-hand side simultaneously.
Only four priests are allowed to enter the Pashupatinath Temple. They are divided into two groups. One group belongs to the Bhatta tribe who are highly educated in Vedic education. On the other hand, the next group belongs to the Rajbhandari caste. The former group performs the daily puja and touches the main deity whereas the latter group works as a helper, but can not touch the idol.
Swayambhunath Stupa
Swayambhunath Stupa is one of the popular glories that represents Buddhism in Kathmandu, Nepal. The entire architecture of the stupa is designed in a symbolic way of Buddhism. One needs to walk on the 365 stage for reaching the main stupa. However, there is a roadway as well nowadays.
The large white dome is the symbol of the earth. It is the base of the whole structure, full of prayer wheels. Around the base, there are statues of five Dhyani Buddhas. They are Vairocana, Amitabha, Aksobhya, Ratnasambhava, and Aksobhya. Its tower has 13 stages that represent nirvana. The squiggle nose signifies unity and the third eye represents the insights of Buddha.
In the Swayambhunath periphery, there are four statues of Buddha with different iconic faces in four different cardinal directions. There are thousands of prayer flags, wheels, mantras, and so on related to the Buddhist culture. But there is one temple related to Hinduism as well.
A Stupa is scattered over a long distance. It is also called a Monkey temple because this stupa is home to many monkeys. A small pond with some imported fish is also there. The water sprinkles from its middle and scatters all over.
Bouddhanath Stupa
Boudhanath Stupa is the most beautiful Tibetan stupa in Nepal. It is located in Boudhanath, almost 2.7 kilometers far away from the Tribhuwan International Airport, Kathmandu, Nepal. The Boudhnath stupa is a holy relic and represents Buddhism in Nepal. It was built in 600 AD. Every day, more than a hundred domestic and international tourists visit this stupa.
This stupa is the largest Tibetan Buddhist stupa in Nepal. It was enlisted in UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979. Each and every architecture of this stupa symbolizes a different meaning of life in Buddhism.
Bouddhanath Stupa is established in a Mandala style on three steps plinths with twenty corners. The lowest first plinth has six different Newari-style chaityas (stupa). Atop it, there are 108 deities of stone on a four-footed high drum. Then, there is a big whitewashed drum. It is colored every year.
There is a square fence Harmika above a drum. On the Harmika, there are two eyes Lord Buddha and a nose, architected in a Nepalese number one. Then, the 13 steps structure, represents the 13 meanings of enlightenment. Afterward, there is an umbrella (canopy) just below the pinnacle.