My Visual Travel Experience: Kathmandu

I have visited Kathmandu on two occasions. In 1998, I got a chance to go there for a three day sales and marketing conference with my company, Britannia Industries Ltd. We stayed in luxury, at one of the city's best properties, Soaltee Crowne Plaza. We were busy with our conference agenda, but we were also taken around the city and shown its main sights like Pashupatinath Temple.

It was a large group of us colleagues and there was loads of fun to be had in the evenings at the world class resort, with a beautiful environment, great food, and alcohol flowing like water! I have vivid memories of two of my colleagues dancing away wildly to a Hindi "item number" one evening, with everyone egging them on enthusiastically! We were quite scared of some of our seniors because a few of them were pretty strict as bosses and our company was a hierarchical one, but despite that, we still had a jolly good time in Kathmandu. It was the first of many outbound conferences for me in my 15 year corporate career and what a memorable one it was!

I revisited Kathmandu on a solo trip in 2009. It was again a three day trip. I went through a travel agent who made all the arrangements for me, and I had a car and a knowledgeable driver at my disposal. This time, I spent time in Kathmandu but also visited the nearby towns of Patan, Bhaktapur and Nagarkot. I also went on an Everest flight, which was a breathtaking experience and one of the trip's major highlights.

Nepal is a land-locked, mountainous country lying between China and India. It covers an area of about 147,000 sq km, and has a population of over 26 million (as per the 2011 census). Nepal has eight of the world’s top 10 tallest mountain peaks, including the world’s highest peak, Mount Everest. The country was never colonized but it played the role of a buffer state between Imperial China and Colonial India.

Kathmandu is the capital and largest city of Nepal and has a population of about 2.5 million (as per the 2011 census). It stands at a height of around 1,400 meters above sea level in central Nepal. Kathmandu is well known for attractions like Durbar Square, Pashupatinath Temple, Swayambhunath Temple and Boudhanath Temple. In 2015, there was a major earthquake and Kathmandu and other areas suffered extensive damage, but they were subsequently largely restored.

The Licchavi Dynasty was established around 400 AD, when the Licchavis defeated the Kiratas. The Malla era came next. This was followed by the Gorkha Kingdom from 1559 to 1768, which resulted in the unification of Nepal. The Shah Dynasty was derived from the Gorkha Kingdom and ruled from 1768 to 2008. In between, the Rana rule started in 1846 with the Kot massacre, where most of Nepal’s high ranking officials were killed by Jang Bahadur Rana. The Shah monarch was reduced to a figure head. The Rana rule lasted till 1951, when power shifted back to the monarchy of King Tribhuvan. 

In 2001, there was a royal family massacre that ended the family of King Birendra. The murders were committed by the crown prince, Dipendra, who also died a few days later. The next king was Dipendra’s uncle, Gyanendra. The massacre eventually led to the end of the monarchy in Nepal in 2008, and the establishment of a secular republic.

Pashupatinath Temple is a Hindu temple on the banks of the Bagmati River. It was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979. The temple’s origins go back to the 5th century AD, when it was built by the Licchavi king Prachanda Dev. The temple complex has as many as 518 temples and monuments. The main temple has a Nepalese pagoda. The copper roofs have a gold covering.  The main idol is a stone linga.   

Pashupatinath Temple

Boudhanath Stupa is one of the largest stupas in the world. It was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979. The stupa is said to have the remains of the Kassapa Buddha.

Boudhanath Stupa

Swayambhunath Temple is an ancient temple that lies on a hill rising above Kathmandu. The complex has a stupa, multiple temples, a museum, a library, shops, restaurants and hostels. The stupa has Buddha’s eyes painted on it.

Swayambhunath Temple

Kathmandu Durbar Square lies in front of the old royal palace and is one of three Durbar Squares in Kathmandu Valley. Kathmandu Durbar Square was home to the royal palaces of the Malla and Shah dynasties. Until 1896, the monarchs ruled from the square, but important occasions like royal coronations still took place here. The square has various temples, the oldest of which date back to the 16th century. 

Shiva Temple,
Kathmandu Durbar Square

Garuda Statue at Narayan Temple,
Kathmandu Durbar Square

Taleju Temple,
Kathmandu Durbar Square

Narayanhiti Palace was built by King Mahendra in 1963. It served as the residence of the monarch . The 2001 massacre took place here. After the monarchy fell, King Birendra had to vacate the palace and it is now a museum.

Narayanhiti Palace

The Clock Tower lies near the queen’s pond, Rani Pokhari. It was rebuilt in 1990 after an earthquake. Locally, it is called the Ghanta Ghar.

Clock Tower

The town of Patan, which is also known as Lalitpur, has a population of about 285,000 and lies 10 km south of Kathmandu. It lies in Kathmandu Valley.

Patan Durbar Square has 136 courtyards and 55 temples. The structures were built by the Malla kings. The main sites include Krishna Temple, Bhimsen Temple, Vishwanath Temple, Taleju Bhawani Temple, Golden Temple, Degutalle, Mul Chowk, Sundari Chowk and Keshav Narayan Chowk. Patan Museum is also a well known attraction.

Krishna Temple, Patan Durbar Square

Narasimha Statue, Patan Durbar Square

Golden Temple, Patan Durbar Square

Degutalle, Patan Durbar Square

Tantric Buddha at Patan Museum,
Patan Durbar Square

The town of Bhaktapur lies in Kathmandu Valley, has a population of about 80,000 and is barely 15 km east of Kathmandu. 

Bhaktapur Durbar Square has sites like Mini Pashupatinath Temple, the Statue of Bhupitandra Malla, the 55 Window Palace, Vatsala Temple, Nyatapola Temple, Bhairav Nath Temple Golden Gate and Lion Gate. Most structures date back to the 18th century.

Statue of Bhupitandra Malla,
Bhaktapur Durbar Square

Mini Pashupatinath Temple,
Bhaktapur Durbar Square

A visit to Kathmandu is incomplete without going on the famous Everest Mountain Flight. There are various small planes from Kathmandu, including Buddha Air, that fly over the Himalayas and give customers a beautiful view of the range. Every customer gets a window seat. One can get to see the world’s tallest peak, Mount Everest (8,848 m high), as well as other tall peaks like Lhotse (the world’s 4th highest peak at 8,516 meters) and Makalu (the world’s 5th highest peak at 8,485 meters).

Buddha Air Everest Mountain Flight

Everest, Lhotse and Makalu

Gauri Shankar and Melungtse

Langtang Lirung

Nagarkot is situated about 30 km east of Kathmandu. It has a population of barely 5,000. It is a very scenic site and offers very good views of the Himalayas and of Kathmandu Valley. 

Gang Chhempu and Dorje Lhapka, Nagarkot

If you enjoy the mountains, scenic beauty, temples, stupas and a relaxed pace of life, Kathmandu is a great place to visit. The Everest Mountain Flight was a special treat. I'm certainly not fit enough to even think about an activity like climbing Mount Everest, so for me this was as close to the world's tallest peak that I am ever going to go!