Changu Narayan and Bhaktapur

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This morning we set off at 9am to Changu Narayan, we’d been advised the previous evening it would take a while to get there due to the traffic at the time we were leaving. As I imagined, it was absolute bedlam on the roads, I really don’t have a clue how people continue to live! I also learnt today that the law here states the driver of a motorbike/ moped (of which there are thousands) has to wear a helmet, whereas a pillion doesn’t - absolutely mental and it’s not unusual to see whole families on a moped.

I was feeling a bit rough this morning as I started taking altitude sickness medication in readiness for arriving in Tibet on Wednesday, so I took a little nap on the way :-)

We followed the main road out of the city in to the countryside and up a winding steep hill to reach the site at the top. We had around 10 minute walk to the temple entrance up a number of steps and slopes.

Changu Narayan is another UNESCO site and dates back to 3rd century AD, I went through the main entrance which opened out into a courtyard with a large Temple - Changu Narayan temple - in the centre with smaller ones surrounding it on the edge of the courtyard.

We were guided round the square with the main feature being the largest in the centre. In addition to this there was an historical stone pillar with an inscription engraved in Sanskrit which is the oldest in Kathmandu and dates to 464 AD. The Chanda Narayan is also located here and dates to the 7th century and is depicted on the Nepalese 10 rupee note.

One of the oldest temples at the site is dedicated to Chhinnamasta of Shakti cult. The goddess Chhinnamasta beheaded herself and offered her own blood to feed the hungry - the name translated in to English means ‘the beheaded one’.

The main temples located here were impressive in terms of the detail, size and history, but, I have to say I was incredibly disappointed with the site as a whole. it’s clearly in need of some funding, it could be spectacular with some restoration work and repair but, as it stands it is definitely somewhere I would not rush back to. It was disappointing to see buckets of rubbish hanging around the temples and other artefacts in a state of disrepair with no signs of any restoration and it just needed some general maintenance.

We left Changu Narayan to head to Bhaktapur and I was really hoping this was going to be better... I was not disappointed!

Bhaktapur dates back to the early 8th century and was the capital of Nepal until the early 18th century, the city was protected as a sovereign country surrounded by boundary walls and city gates and is shaped like a flying pigeon and covers an area of 6.88 sq km.

We entered the site at Bhaktapur Durbar Square which is the main square of the city, it has a mix of stone art, metal art, wood carving and some incredible architecture. We spent some time here looking at the temples contained within the square and walked through gates which were 24ct gold into a Hindu temple - the gates are guarded by an armed to guard to ensure the gold is never stolen. Inside we saw further examples of intricate wood carvings throughout, which were hundreds of years old, following the path way around we came to the royal bath house which was decorated with cobras around the top and a vertical cobra in the middle of the water which would’ve had water pouring through - very grand and ornate and had survived remarkably well.

We exited back into the square to see a temple under restoration, this had been damaged in the 2015 earthquake and was being painstakingly restored to its former glory. It was clear to see this is a massive undertaking and the restoration was being carefully done. Some of the stone carvings had been moved inside the Hindu temple in readiness for them being returned to the temple.

We next wandered down the narrow pathways and came to Taumadhi Square, this completely amazed me. There is an enormous multi-roofed temple in the square which amazingly encountered no damage in the 2015 earthquake. It is breathtaking, the steps leading to the temple entrance are lined with stone carvings of animals and as you walk from the bottom to the top the animals go from the weakest to the strongest.

There is also a huge wooden chariot which is used in ceremonies situated just next to the temple, this is used in a tug-of-war competition, ropes are attached to either side and the teams have to drag it across the square to win. The winners will have good luck for the rest of the year. This was last used in the Nepalese new year celebrations held in April. The Nepalese calendar runs differently to a standard calendar and it’s based on the moon - they’re currently in the year 2075!

We stopped for lunch in a small restaurant in the city, obviously, it had to be momos with the hottest sauce I’ve ever had in my life! After lunch we wandered through the alleyways to look through a few shops/ stalls selling local crafts etc. I was so happy when I saw a store which contained army supplies and they had photos on the wall outside and one of them was Joanna Lumley... I’m a huge fan of the Lumley!!

Next we entered pottery square where we could see people throwing pots and rows of freshly thrown pots drying in the sun. They did have a kiln, but, the majority were left in the heat outdoors. So fabulous to witness the pots being thrown, there was an older gentleman using the biggest potters wheel I’ve ever seen on the floor in the street making pots, I watched him for ages. When he’d finished he asked if anyone in the group wanted ago... we were all not brave enough to embarrass ourselves in front of an audience, but, I was tempted!

We walked back to the entrance through the tiny streets and alleyways witnessing all of destruction still to be repaired from the last earthquake. The government have assisted the residents financially and also introduced new building regulations to ensure there is steel support in any new structure to prevent the same level of devastation seen in 2015 where so many lots their lives or homes.

Back to the entrance and back on the bonkers roads to the hotel. I nipped into Thamel (shopping area) to buy a hold-all so I could pack all of my clothes for warmer climates and store it at the hotel as I won’t be needing it for the next 2 weeks in Tibet! I bought a lovely North Face bag for 700 Nepalese Rupees (£5) - honestly, it’s legit!!!

So next I go on to Lhasa in Tibet where I experience being at altitude for the first time...

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