Why the World Heritage Sites in Kathmandu should not be Missing?

Heritages are the custom, beliefs and icon, inherited from the forefather and what we pass to our future generation. Mostly the heritages resemble our history, tradition and culture along with some natural components. The heritage is classified as natural, cultural or human creation which has a good value than any other means and posses the history of the place. By identifying these places UNESCO have listed 1000 of places in world sites throughout the world, among them 10 are lies in Nepal and 7 of the sites in Kathmandu within a distance of 70 km.

Read our Kathmandu Valley Tour Itinerary to visit UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

As we know Nepal is rich in Natural and cultural beauty so we have so many places in Nepal which can easily attract the traveler to spent some days in these sites. Kathmandu is the entrance gate for the traveler in Nepal, so the day after the arrival or the day before the departure is chosen for the sightseeing around the world heritage sites in the valley. These sites are directly link with the culture, belief, lifestyle and tradition of the Nepalese people, so this would be unique experience for the traveler. The 7 world heritage sites around Kathmandu valley are:

Pashupatinath:

This is one of the holy pilgrimage sites of the Hindu, situated in the bank of Bagmati River and the temple of lord Shiva, guardian deity of Nepal and also known as the preserver of universe.Pasupatinath is the well-known destination for the pilgrimage traveler and mostly Indian traveler visit this place. The multi roof temple is builded with different art like stone, bronze wooden and much more attractive stuff are used around the temple. The cremation of Hindu people with their own culture in the bank of Bagmati River is also the attraction of Temple.

Boudhanath:

Boudhanath is one of the biggest stupa in the world and is an important centre of devotion for devotees of Buddhism in Nepal. The stupa was constructed by the lichhavi king Mandev 1^st for the salvation fro moral sin of his father. It is typical example of stupa architecture in Nepal which is built on octagonal base with eight small recesses each containing images of Buddha and is also ringed with player wheel. There are several Buddhist monasteries around this stupa and many thanka shops where the traveler can buy gift to their relatives.

Swayambhunath:

This is the one of the popular pilgrimage sites in Nepal, and is a holy destination for Hindu and Buddhist people. It is one of the oldest monuments and considered as a typical example of stupa architecture in Nepal. It is located on the top of the hill at a  height of 77 meters above the valley. The Swayambunath is believed as a self born lord from the flower of the lotus and the stupa itself called as a chaitya. The chaitya is known as womb representing the creation of the world of nature. The temple is also known as monkey temple and is near from the Thamel.

Kathmandu Durbar Square:

The Palace of Ancient king of Kathmandu Valley is the main attraction of Kathmandu Durbar Square, which consists of many temple, houses and idol of God as well as man. The Durbar square was built in Malla periods, i.e. from 12^th to 18^th The Kathmandu Durbar is also known as Hanuman Dhoka and Basantapur Durbar square. The Durbar square is unique and does not have any similar structure in Asia, this site contains 60 important monuments from 17 and 18 century, these are the major attraction of sites along with temple and building built in different style.

Patan Durbar Square:

Patan durbar square is another cultural center in the valley and was listed in world heritage sites in 1979. The whole durbar square consists of pagoda style temples and stone statues. The durbar square is full of temples with five bronze gateways, guardians’ deities and palace complex with wonderful carvings. The Patan city is known as the city of fine arts where we can see the best model of Nepalese architecture. Patan Krishna mandir, Taleju temple and different chowks around the durbar square are the major attraction for the tourist.

Bhaktapur Durbar Square:

Bhaktapur is one of the oldest cities of the country also known as Bhadagaon. The durbar square of Bhaktapur is understood as the oldest palaces of Kathmandu valley, this was only the capital city and central of administration before the division of Malla kingdom. Fifty five window palaces, Batsala devi, Pashupatinath, Nyatapola, Bhairad are the major show piece in the Durbar square. The Bhaktapur is the nearest cultural tourism destination from the Kathmandu Valley. Monuments and carving on wood, metal and stone are shown all over the historical core of the city which are unique and really a difficult task of the ancient period.

Changunarayan:

The Changunarayan is believe as the oldest pagoda style temple of valley and situated at an altitude of 153meteres above the valley. The history of this place is of around 3^rd and 4^th century, the oldest inscription of Nepal was found in the temple in 464 A.D. The temple of lord Krishna, laxminarayan temple, Kanti bhairab Temple and Kileswora temple are some of the famous temple of the sites. The sculpture of garuda is itself unique and much important deities of hindu too, which is beautifully made on stone. The decoration of the stone, wood and bronze are older than any temple of the valley, this also shows that the temple is the oldest temple in the valley which directly reflects our history.

You can make inquiry for Nepal Culture Tour Package with detail Itinerary.

So these are the places one should not miss while travelling in Nepal, because these places are directly linked with our history, culture, tradition, norms and beliefs.