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Woke early at the Hotel Tibet and after some warm Tibetan bread and eggs settled in the rather grand lobby to meet with my guide. I had just enough time to leaf through my guidebook for the todays sites when my guide met me with a terrific smile. 'Where would you like to go today?', I could get used to this! Next on the itinerary was the famous Durbar Square featuring the stunning Newari temples dating from the 17th and 18th centuries. This area was once where kings were crowned and where they ruled from, 'durbar' meaning palace. We wandered around the various squares, Durbar Square itself, Basantapur Square and up towards the Hanuman Dhoka, marvelling at the magnificent architecture drinking in the atmosphere and historic feel to the place. We couldn't help but climb up steep steps of the Maju Deval shiva temple and just sit and watching all the activity going on around the temples, the street stalls and shrines. It was amusing to watch the tourists too who seemed intent on finding and then photographing the many famously erotic carvings on the temples!
The weather was amazing, warm sunshine, brilliant blue skies and a gentle breeze. In one
corner of the square, stands an ancient-looking building with a fascinating history, the Kumari Bahal. Also known as the 'House of the Living Goddess', there are various stories about the Kumari and how she originally came about. The goddess herself is personified by a girl selected from a particular Newari caste to carry the role between the ages of four and puberty. There is an exhaustive selection process as the girl must meet 32 different precise physical requirements, thought to signify perfection. She lives in the Kumari Bahal with her family, making infrequent public appearances for blessings and certain religious ceremonies until her first menstrual period when she is replaced by another. After her time as goddess, the girl will then go back to a normal life when she can marry, have her own family etc. How strange that must be for her. I wondered how this affects a child and her development. I was glad that, when we waited to see her for a brief appearance of a few seconds, she appeared with a sibling or friend, another girl of about the same age and the two both ran off together. Had a delicious lunch on a rooftop restaurant,
tried my first momo (stuffed dumplings) with chilli sauce, amazing! My guide ate with me and started my Nepalese political education whilst we sipped tea, very civilised! Lunch done, we decided to head over to Pashupatinath which i've added as a separate blog due to the sheer number of photos I took! Loving Kathmandu, there really does seem to be a surprise or something to look at around every corner.
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GJackson
Whereintheworldiswally??
On my way there!
Hi, your photos look amazing! I was really hesitant on booking my trip to Kathmandu but after reading your blog I am really excited. Hope you have fun with the rest of your travels!