Day of Sight Seeing - Kathmandu Valley

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Day 4 - Bhaktapur, Patan, Pashupati Nath Temple and Boudha Nath Stupa

Starting later than usual today another beautiful day awaits as we visit some of the out laying tourist attractions. We have orgainised a private car to transport us today, as the local buses are very slow and over crowded and you offen find your self sharing your seat with 3 others or end up standing for many kms.

Its quit an experience just travelling on the roads, and even more amazing the little white Suzuki taxii, motorbikes, people, vendors carts and big tourist buses all trying to navigate the narrow streets at the same time, some with sealed tar roads, while others you practically need a 4WD with gravel, rocks and mud hills.

Our first stop for this morning takes us to Bhaktapur.

Located about 20 km east of Kathmandu in the Kathmandu Valley, Bhaktapur is known as the 'City of Devotees', the 'City of Culture', the 'Living Heritage', and 'Nepal's Cultural Gem'. It is one of the 3 royal cities in the Kathmandu Valley.

Bhaktapur is filled with monuments, most terra-cotta with carved wood columns, palaces and temples with elaborate carvings, gilded roofs, open courtyards. The city is dotted with pagodas and religious shrines.

Patan, officially known as "Lalitpur" (City of Beauty).

Located about 5 km south of Kathmandu in the Kathmandu Valley, on the southern side of the Bagmati River, Patan is one of 3 royal cities in the valley. Known for rich tradition of arts and handicrafts and as the birthplace of master craftsmen and artists such as Arniko and Kuber Singh Shakya.

Pashupati Nath Temple

Nepal's most renowned Hindu cremation site which sits beside the sacred Bagmati River, is the holiest place in Nepal and regarded as the most sacred temple of Hindu Lord Shiva in the world, Pashupatinath Temple's existence dates back to 400 A.D.

The richly-ornamented pagoda houses the sacred linga or phallic symbol of Lord Shiva. Thousands of pilgrims from all over the world come to pay homage to this temple, that is also known as 'The Temple of Living Beings'.

The last stop is the well known Boudha Nath Stupa

Boudhanath Stupa is the largest stupa in Nepal and the holiest Tibetan Buddhist temple outside Tibet. It is the center of Tibetan culture in Kathmandu and rich in Buddhist symbolism. The stupa is located in the town of Boudha, is seven km east of the downtown Kathmandu.

It is Nepal's most distinctive monuments. Simple, massive and powerful, it rises above the number of buildings, the painted eyes gazing solemnly over the countryside.

After such a full day of history and sacred sites it was time to head back to freshen up and head out for dinner for our last night in Kathmandu. Tomorrow we have an early start as the next part of our adventure takes us to Trishuli River for a 2 day white water rafting experience.

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Photos

Bhaktapur
Cultural City

Patan
City of Fine Arts

Pashupati Nath Temple
On the banks of Bagmati River

Boudhanath Stupa
Holiest Tibetian Temple in Nepal