Kathmandu - Capital City of Nepal

Kathmandu - Capital City of Nepal
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Kathmandu Metropolitan City
येँ महानगरपालिका
ñē̆ dēy (ञेँ देय्)
Kantipur

Coordinates : 27°42′N 85°20′E / 27.7, 85.333
Country : Nepal
Development Region : Central
Zone : Bagmati
District : Kathmandu
Area
- Total 50.67 km² (19.6 sq mi)
Population (2001)
- Total 701,962
Time zone GMT +5:45 (UTC)

Website: http://www.kathmandu.gov.np/

Kathmandu (Nepali: काठमांडौ, Nepal Bhasa: येँ) is the capital and the largest city of Nepal. The city is situated in Kathmandu Valley that also contains two other cities - Patan and Bhaktapur. Nepali is the lingua franca of the valley and is the most widely spoken language. The city stands at an elevation of approximately 4,500 ft (1,400 m) and is inhabited by about 700,000 people. Kathmandu is the most developed city in Nepal.

Contents
* 1 History
* 2 Present
* 3 Geography
* 4 Administrative divisions
o 4.1 Central sector
o 4.2 East sector
o 4.3 North sector
o 4.4 City core
o 4.5 West sector
* 5 Demographics
* 6 Government
* 7 Economy
* 8 Cultural impact
* 9 Kathmandu in Popular Music

History

The earliest known inscription in the Kathmandu Valley is dated 185 AD. The oldest firmly dated building in the earthquake-prone valley is almost 1,992 years old. Four stupas around the city of Patan said to have been erected by Charumati, attest to the ancient history present within the valley. The Kirats are the first documented rulers of Kathmandu Valley, the remains of their palace are in Patan near kendra Hiranyavarna Mahavihara (called "Patukodon"). The Licchavi Dynasty whose earliest inscriptions date back to 464 AD were the next rulers of the valley. The Malla Dynasty consisted of Newar rulers, who ruled Kathmandu Valley and the surrounding area from the 12th century till the 17th century when the Shah Dynasty founder Prithvi Narayan Shah conquered the valley as he created present-day Nepal. Most of ancient Nepali architecture present in Nepal today is from the Malla/Newar era.

The city of Kathmandu is named after a structure in Durbar Square called Kaasthamandap. In Sanskrit, Kaasth (काष्ठ) = "wood" and Mandap (मंडप/मण्डप) = "covered shelter." This unique temple, also known as Maru Sattal, was built in 1596 A.D. by King Laxmi Narsingh Malla. The entire structure contains no iron nails or supports and is made entirely from wood. Legend has it that the timber used for this two story pagoda was obtained from a single tree.

Kathmandu is also sometimes called "Kantipur". Newars, the native people of the Kathmandu valley use the original term from Nepal Bhasa, Yne.

Present

Kathmandu is home to most of the government offices, embassies, corporate houses, and the palace. The King's Palace stands right next to Thamel - the tourist hub of the country. Thamel consists of two parallel streets just to the west of the palace. It is home to different hotels, ranging from different stars. The palace is at the head of Durbar Marg, a street lined with various shops. Most of the streets in Kathmandu are named from Nepal Bhasa, owing its origin to the rich Newari Culture and heritage.

The "old" city is noted for its many Buddhist and Hindu temples and palaces, most dating to the 17th century. Many of these landmarks have been damaged by earthquakes and pollution. This valley hosts an UNESCO World Heritage Sites composed by seven different Monument Zones: The centers of the three primary cities, Kathmandu Hanuman Dhoka, Patan and Bhaktapur, the two most important Buddhist stupas, Swayambhunath and Boudhanath and two famous Hindu shrines, Pashupatinath temple and Changu Narayan. Since 2003 the site has been inscribed in the World Heritage List as being "in danger" out of concern for the ongoing loss of authenticity and the outstanding universal value of the cultural property.

Kathmandu has been popular with western tourists since the 1960s when it became a key stop on the hippie trail, when Jho: Chhee (Nepal Bhasa, continuous house)(Freak Street) was the one of the main location. It is also the subject of a popular Bob Seger song for the same reason.

Tribhuvan International Airport also known as Grace is located about 25 km from the city center, offering domestic and international flights.

Geography

The city is located in the northwestern part of Kathmandu valley. The Kathmandu Valley covers an area of 218 sq. miles. It is situated at 1336 m above the sea level. Bagmati, Bishnumati, Dhobikhola, and Tukucha rivers wind through the city.

Administrative divisions

The metropolitan has been divided into around 5 sectors by metropolitan authorities as follows[2]

Central sector

The central sector consists of wards 1, 5, 11, 31, 32 and 33.

East sector

The east sector consists of wards 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 34 and 35.

North sector

The north sector consists of wards 2, 3, 4, 16, 29.

City core

The city core consists of wards 17, 18, 19, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 30, 12, 20, 21, 22 and 23. This is the most densely populated part of the city. This part consists of most of the historical and cultural monuments of the city.

West sector

The west sector consists of wards 13, 14 and 15.

Demographics

According to 2001 census, there are 235,387 households in the metropolitan city[3]. Kathmandu metropolitan authorities estimate the number of people living in the city to be around 1,081,845 people [4] The largest ethnic groups are Newars, Brahmins and Kshetris. The major languages are Nepali and Nepal Bhasa. The major religions are Hinduism and Buddhism.

Government

The city is looked after by Kathmandu metropolitan office located at Bagdarbar. The city hosts Singhadarbar, the government seat of Nepal (with office of Prime Minister, Supreme Court and Senate). Most of the ministries are present in the Singha Darbar premises. The Royal Palace is located in central part of city in ward number 1.

Economy

Kathmandu houses most of the banks, business houses, offices, organizations and share market of Nepal. The busiest economic centers are New Road of Kathmandu, Ason, Putalisadak and Darbar Marg.

Freak Street and Thamel are main tourist areas important for tourism.

Cultural impact

The city has been referenced in numerous songs, including works by Cat Stevens ("Katmandu", Mona Bone Jakon (1970)), Bob Seger ("Katmandu", Beautiful Loser (1975)), Krematorij ("Kathmandu", Three Springs (2000)), Fito Páez ("Tráfico por Katmandú" -- "Traffic through Kathmandu"); Will Ackerman ("A Happy Home in Kathmandu", The Opening of Doors (1993)); Tantra ("The Hills of Katmandu", early 1980s); and Godiego ("Coming Together in Kathmandu" (1980).

Numerous works of literature have been set in Kathmandu, including Kim Stanley Robinson's 1989 work, Escape from Kathmandu.

In some travelogues, the Kathmandu valley has been referred to as the "Emerald Valley".

Kathmandu in Popular Music

Kathmandu, mostly due to its popularity among Hippies, has been represented in various albums and songs including:

* Katmandu, a song by Bob Seger.
* "Dum Maro Dum", a song in the movie, Hare Rama Hare Krishna by Asha Bhosle.
* "Our Shangrila", a song by Mark Knopfler.
* "Shangrila", a song by The Kinks.
* Kathmandu, a song by Cat Stevens.
* Tráfico por Katmandú by Fito Páez.
* Katmandu, an American heavy metal band featuring Dave King and Mandy Meyer.
* Nobody Told Me, a 1964 song by John Lennon with the line "There's a little yellow idol to the north of Khatmandu". This is a quotation from the 1911 poem "The Green Eye of the Yellow God" by John Milton Hayes.
* "A Passage to Bangkok", a song by Rush from the album 2112. "...Pulling into Katmandu, smoke rings fill the air. Perfumed by a Nepal night, the Express gets you there..."
* "Charlie såg djävulen i Katmandu" by Swedish artist Jari Levedahl ( the title translates Charlie saw the devil in Kathmandu)

Pokhara - Heaven on Nepal

Pokhara
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
पोखरा
Location in Nepal
Coordinates : 28°24′N 83°99′E / 28.4, 84.65
Country : Nepal
Admin. division : Gandaki Zone
District : Kaski District

Pokhara (पोखरा) is a city of close to 200,000 inhabitants in central Nepal located at 28.25 N, 83.99 E,, 198 km west of Kathmandu. It is the Headquarter of Kaski District, Gandaki Zone and the Western Development Region. It is also one of the most popular tourist destinations in Nepal.
Contents
[hide]

* 1 Geography
* 2 History
* 3 Structure
* 4 Tourism and Economy

Geography

Pokhara is situated in the northwestern corner of the Pokhara Valley, which is a widening of the Seti Gandaki valley The Seti River and its tributaries have dug impressive canyons into the valley floor, which are only visible from higher viewpoints or from the air. To the east of Pokhara is the municipality of Lekhnath, another town in the valley.

In no other place do mountains rise so quickly. In this area, within 30 km, the elevation rises from 1000 m to over 7500 m. The Dhaulagiri, Annapurna and Manaslu ranges, each with peaks over 8000 m, can be seen from Pokhara and there is a lake named Phewa Lake, three caves (Mahendra, Bat and Gupteswor) and an impressive falls(Patale Chhango or Devi's Falls) where the water from the Phewa Lake thunders into a hole and disappears. Due to this sharp rise in altitude the area of Pokhara has one of the highest precipitation rates of the country (over 4000 mm/year). Even within the city there is a noticeable difference in the amount of rain between the south of the city by the lake and the north at the foot of the mountains.

The climate is sub-tropical but due to the elevation the temperatures are moderate: the summer temperatures average between 25 - 35°C, in winter around 5 - 15°C.

In the south the city borders on Phewa Tal (a lake of 4.4 km² at an elevation of about 800 m above sea level), in the north at an elevation of around 1000 m the outskirts of the city touch the base of the Annapurna mountain range. From the southern fringes of the city 3 eight-thousanders (Dhaulagiri, Annapurna, Manaslu) and, in the middle of the Annapurna range, the Machapuchare (Nepali: Machhapucchare: 'Fishtail') with close to 7000 m can be seen. This mountain dominates the northern horizon of the city and its name derives from its twin peaks, not visible from the south.

History

Pokhara lies on an important old trading route between Tibet and India. In the 17th. century it was part of the influential Kingdom of Kaski which again was one of the Chaubise Rajaya (24 Kingdoms of Nepal) ruled by a branch of the Shah Dynasty. Many of the mountains around Pokhara still have medieval ruins from this time. In 1752 the King of Kaski invited Newars from Bhaktapur to Pokhara to promote trade. Their heritage can still be seen in the architecture along the streets in Bagar (Old Pokhara). Hindus, again, brought their culture and customs from Kathmandu and settled in the whole Pokhara valley. In 1786 Prithvi Narayan Shah added Pokhara into his kingdom. It had by then become an important trading place on the routes from Kathmandu to Jumla and from India to Tibet.

From 1959 to 1962 some 300,000 refugees came to Nepal from neighbouring Tibet, which had been annexed by China. Four refugee camps were established in the Pokhara valley: Tashipalkhel, Tashiling, Paljorling and Jambling. These camps have evolved into settlements. Because of their different architecture, prayer flags, gompas and chorten, these can easily be distinguished from the other settlements.

Until the end of the 1960s the town could only be reached by foot and it was considered even more a mystical place than Kathmandu. The first road was finished in 1968 after which tourism set in and the city grew rapidly. The area along the Phewa Lake developed into one of the major tourism hubs of Nepal.

Structure

Pokhara spans 8 km from north to south and 6 km from east to west but, unlike Kathmandu, it is quite loosely built up and still has much green space. The Seti Gandaki flowing through the city from north to south divides the city roughly in two halves with the down-town area of Chipledunga in the middle, the old town centre of Bagar in the north and the tourist district of Lakeside (Baidam) in the south all lying on the western side of the river. The gorge through which the river flows is crossed at five points, the major ones are (from north to south): K.I. Singh Pul, Mahendra Pul and Prithvi Highway Pul. The eastern side of town is mainly residential.

About half of all tourists visiting Pokhara are there for the start or end of a trek to the Annapurna Base Camp and Mustang. For Nepalese, Pokhara has become the most favorite place to live in the country.

Phewa Lake was slightly enlarged by damming. It is in danger of silting up because of the inflow during the monsoon. The outflowing water is partially used for hydro power. The dam collapsed in the late 1970s and it was rebuilt by the Chinese. The power plant is located about 100 m below at the bottom of the Phusre Khola gorge. Water is also diverted for irrigation into the southern Pokhara valley.

The eastern Pokhara Valley receives irrigation water through a canal running from a reservoir by the Seti in the north of the city. Phewa Lake is also used for commercial fishing. The tourist area is along the north shore of the lake (Lake Side and Dam Side). It is mainly made up of little shops, little hotels, restaurants and bars. The larger hotels can be found on the southern and south-eastern fringes of the city, from where the view of the mountains, mainly Mt. Fishtail is seen best. To the east of the valley are few smaller and few bigger lakes, the largest being Begnas Tal and Rupakot Tal. Begnas Tal is also known for its fishery projects. There are no beaches in the valley, but one can rent boats Phewa and Begnas Tal.

Tourism and Economy

After the annexation of Tibet by China the trading route to India became defunct. Today only few caravans from Mustang still arrive in Bagar.

Pokhara has become a major tourist hub of Nepal, more than making up for the loss of its trading importance. The city offers a combination of nature and culture with a distinct tourist district in the southern subdivisions of Baidam, Lakeside and Damside. It is mostly known as starting and ending point for Annapurna treks.
Bindhyabasini Temple in the evening
Bindhyabasini Temple in the evening

Pokhara is quite a modern city with only few touristic attractions in the town itself. Most interesting is the old centre in the north of the city (purano bazar) where still many old shops and warehouses in the Newari style can be found. Mule caravans still arrive there from Mustang.

Temples worth visiting in the older part of town are Bindhyabasini temple and Bhimsen temple. Another temple, Barahi temple, is located on an island in the Phewa Lake. It is accessible only through boats available at the shores of the lake.

The modern commercial city centre at Chiple Dhunga and Mahendrapul (now called Bhimsen Chowk, named after a Shahid(Martyr) in Jana-aandolan II, April, 2006) is halfway between the lake and Purano Bazar, the old centre. Apart from this there are several subcentres in other parts of town: in the north in Bagar, in the south between Prithvi Chok and Srijana Chok (mainly hardware stores), and in the east, on the other side of the Seti, in Ram Bazar.

On a hill overlooking Phewa Tal from the south is the World Peace Stupa (at 1,113 m) QTVR built in 1996 with a view of the lake, across the city and of the snow peaked mountain range consisting of namely, Fishtail, Annapurna and Dhaulagiri Himals (mountains).
The Anapurna range from the World Peace Pagoda above Phewa lake
The Anapurna range from the World Peace Pagoda above Phewa lake

The best viewpoint of Pokhara is Sarangkot (1600 m )and Thulakot (in Lekhnath a part of famous Royal Trek from where four lakes Phewa, Begnas, Khaste and Dipang and whole annapurna range is seen) to the west of the city. Paths and a road lead to the top from where one can enjoy spectacular views of the Annapurna range, Manaslu, Dhaulagiri and the city itself.

The shortage of touristic sites in Pokhara is made up by its scenic views in and around town. Most of them are not mentioned in any guide or map. The Seti Gandaki (White Gandaki) and its tributaries have created spectacular gorges in and around the whole city. The Seti gorge runs through the whole city from north to south. At places it is only a few metres wide, but 100 m deep with a water depth of 20 m.

In the middle of the city, the gorge widens to a canyon looking like a crater. In the north and south, just outside town, there are awesome canyons, in some places 100 m deep. These canyons extend through the whole Pokhara Valley. Impressive views are possible from the Prithvi Narayan Campus and from the other side at the foot of Kahu Danda (conjunction of several rivers and canyons). Behind the INF-Compound one can see the Seti River disappear into a slit in an almost 100 m wall, especially impressive in monsoon.

Another place worth visiting is the Patale Chhango (Hell's Falls), more commonly called "Devi's or David's Falls" for the tourists with some melodramatic story behind it. The water of these falls comes from the Fewa Lake flowing to the Seti. The falls plunge into a hole and disappear. In monsoon this sight is most spectacular. Nearby, across the street is a little cave (Gupteshwor Cave). A more exciting cave is at the opposite end of the city in Batulechaur (Mahendra Cave). Betulechaur is known for the musicians caste of the Jains.

Pokhara Airport is situated in the middle of town serving flights to Kathmandu, Jomsom, Manang, Bhairahawa and Bharatpur. Helicopters to Manang and Jomsom are also available for charter.

An interesting institution of Pokhara is the British Gurkha Camp in the north of the city. It has been established as a recruitment camp for Nepalis as Gurkha soldiers. About 370 are selected annually in December out of a pool of over 20,000 applicants. About 140 eventually join the Gurkha Contingent in Singapore while the rest join the British Army.