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Published: December 10th 2007
Temple Square
These ancient temples are a fine showcase for the traditional Newar architecture that is unique to Nepal. Each temple is adorned with intricate wood carving, both decorative and spiritual. The temples themselves are constructed of an special kind of oil brick, giving them shine and strength. The struts of the temples are able to hold up the roofs without any nails. These structures are so strong that they have withstood several major earthquakes without any real damage. The trip from the airport to our house was quite a shock for Lilia. Law abiding as she is, she was at once dismayed by the lack of car seat in the jeep which drove us home. Of course, there was no seatbelt either, so she spent the ride home clutching on to me in the back of the jeep. Worse than that, was the shock of the traffic situation. With no semblance of order as she knows it, she was gasping and crying out every time a swerving vehicle moved in our direction. At last, with a look of utter disbelief on her face she turned to me and said "Mama, what happened? In the pictures Nepal looked nice. This isn't nice. " The driver didn't know his way through old kathmandu and so chose the worst possible route, landing us in a one hour traffic jam in the middle of the old city. I offered Lilia the chance to walk home leaving Birendra to stay in the car with the bags, but she refused.
Of course when we arrived home she was very excited to see her aunties, and to see her Nepal house, which she didn't remember.
Ferocious Deities
Ferocious deities like this seem unlikely sources of loving benevolence. In the tantric tradition of Kathmandu, however, these fierce deities are protectors and work very hard to protect people from various types of demons. In the morning this temple to the deity Bhairab is filled with worshippers in special need of that extra level of protection that only a fierce and ferocious deity can offer. We took a short walk in the evening to try to keep her awake but the shock of the late afternoon chaos was too much for her so we went back home. She spent some time goofing around with the family, but by 6 oclock jet lag had caught up to her and she was fast asleep.
That Lilia would wake up at 2 in the morning was no surprise. By 5 oclock we were dressed and taking advantage of the morning peace and quiet that is still characteristic of the early hours in Kathmandu. Women are already milling around the streets with flowers and plates of rice in their hands, on their way to one of the many temples in the city for puja (Buddhist and Hindu rituals). We wanted Lilia to get a feeling for the beauty of Kathmandu, so we walked around the old temple square, which is just a short hop from our house.
Ben's house is on a very old street right off of the main Royal square of the Kathmandu City. There the most impressive and also some of the oldest temples in the city are congregated together. In the early morning
Medieval Palace
This is one of the very tallest buildings in the Durbar Square. Behind Lilia's head you can see the intricate window carvings. This was probably a Royal Palace, the window area being a place where the women of the house could sit and watch the world go by in privacy. the Durbar Square is filled with pigeons, cows, and worshippers. The temples, which can almost be obscured during the day by the ongoing chaos, take center stage in the morning, fulfilling their ancient duty for a few sacred hours each day.
Lilia was very excited by the cows and the pigeons, coexisting in the center of the city with the temples. The idea that cows would not be walking the streets in San Diego was quite thrilling to her.
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Tari
non-member comment
Holly, Thank you for sharing your journey with us---it makes me nostalgic for travel to KTM. I hope you have a wonderful trip and really appreciate getting to hear about it, as it unfolds. Tari, Priya, and Maia Gilbert