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Durbar Square: this large square in front of Kathmandu’s old royal palace is home to many pagoda-style temples surrounding the palace square. Sadhus perform rituals and pose for photos, while souvenir sellers and rickshaw drivers compete for attention among the crowds. There are also significant historical landmarks in the neighbourhood. On the other side of the square, the Kasthamandap temple is an open pavilion topped by a pyramid tower, said to be created from the wood of a single tree. It is supposedly the valley’s oldest building, and the city of Kathmandu derives its name from this ancient temple. Close to Durbar square is the house of the living Goddess (Kumari) located in a courtyard guarded by stone lions. Pashupatinath: can be found on Kathmandu’s east side flows the Bagmati River, which is considered sacred by the Nepalese. On the banks of this river stands Nepal’s most important Hindu temple, the Pashupatinath complex. Dedicated to the god Shiva in his aspect of Pashupati, this impressive two-storey pagoda houses a gigantic Shiva lingam (phallus) that is the object of much worship. Kaiser Library: located near the Ministry of Education, Tridevi Marg, the Kaiser Library features a collection of old and rare books, some of which are over 1,100 years old. Just as interesting as its books is the decor of the library, with some fascinating collections of photographs on the walls, some stuffed animals including a tiger, and a mounted head of a wild buffalo. With a population of about 160,000 people, Patan is the second-largest of the valley’s three major cities and it has the largest Buddhist population. | |
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