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Swayambhunath Stupa
The Swayambhunath stupa is one of the crowning glories of Kathmandu Valley architecture. This perfectly proportioned monument rises through a whitewashed dome to a gilded spire, from where four faces of the Buddha stare out across the valley in the cardinal directions. The noselike
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Cremation Ghats
Despite being clogged with garbage and black with pollution, the fetid Bagmati River is actually an extremely sacred river; Pashupatinath is the Nepali equivalent of Varanasi on the sacred River Ganges. The cremation ghats along the Bagmati are used for open-air cremations, but onl
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Mahabouddha Temple
As you step through the entryway of this hard-to-find courtyard in the southeast of Patan, the temple suddenly looms above you, crammed into a tiny courtyard like a plant straining to get some sunlight. Built in the Indian shikhara style, the shrine takes its name from the hundreds
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Durbar Square
The ancient Royal Palace of Patan faces on to a magnificent Durbar Square . This concentrated mass of temples is perhaps the most visually stunning display of Newari architecture to be seen in Nepal. Temple construction in the square went into overdrive during the Malla period (14t
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Pachali Bhairab & the Southern Ghats
The northern banks of the Bagmati River south of the old town are home to several little-visited temples and shrines, as well as the worst urban poverty in Kathmandu; rarely do such splendour and squalor sit so close. The banks are worth a stroll, especially as an extension of a wa
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Eastern Ghats
Pashupatinaths ghats are often full of life and its worth taking a few minutes to absorb it all. Devotees ritually bathe in the dubious-looking waters of the Bagmati, holy men perform rituals on the stone steps and children fish for coins from the murky river using a magnet on the
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Maya Devi Temple
This temple sits on the site of the the Buddhas birth, according to Buddhist scholars. You will need to buy your entrance ticket 50m north of the gate to the Sacred Garden. At the gate you must remove your shoes. (A spare pair of socks may be a useful item as there is a fair bit of
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Tribhuvan Museum
The part of the palace west of Nasal Chowk, overlooking the main Durbar Sq area, was constructed by the Ranas in the middle to late part of the 19th century. Ironically, it is now home to a museum that celebrates King Tribhuvan (r 1911–55) and his successful revolt against their re
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Royal Palace
Forming the whole eastern side of Durbar Sq, the Royal Palace of Patan was originally built in the 14th century, but was expanded massively during the 17th and 18th centuries by Siddhinarsingh Malla, Srinivasa Malla and Vishnu Malla. The Patan palace predates the palaces in Kathman
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Kumari Bahal
At the junction of Durbar and Basantapur Sqs, this red-brick, three-storey building is home to the Kumari, the girl who is selected to be the town’s living goddess until she reaches puberty and reverts to being a normal mortal. The goddess is regarded as a living symbol of devi - t
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Bhairabnath Temple
The broad-fronted, triple-roofed Bhairabnath Temple is dedicated to Bhairab, the fearsome incarnation of Shiva, whose consort occupies the Nyatapola Temple across the square. The temple was damaged but not destroyed in the 2015 earthquake but several adjacent buildings collapsed. D
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Reclining Statue
The Kathmandu Valley is awash with ancient temples and sacred sites, but Budhanilkantha is a little bit special. The focal point of the devotions at Budhanilkantha is a large reclining statue of Vishnu as Narayan, the creator of all life, who floats on the cosmic sea. From his nave
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Vajrayogini Temple
The main reason for visiting the Vajrayogini Temple is not the temple itself but rather the hike up through Sankhu and the sense of getting off the beaten track. The stately, three-tiered temple was damaged in the 2015 earthquake, but not destroyed - note the fine gilded doorway fl
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Tibetan Settlements
Many of the Tibetan refugees who hawk souvenirs in Lakeside live in the Tibetan refugee settlements within and around Pokhara.The largest settlement close to Pokhara is Tashi Palkhel , about 5km northwest of Pokhara at Hyangia, on the road to Baglung. With prayer flags flapping in
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Nasal Chowk
From the entrance gate of the Hanuman Dhoka you immediately enter its most famous chowk. Although the courtyard was constructed in the Malla period, many of the buildings around the square are later Rana constructions. During that time Nasal Chowk was used for coronations, a practi
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National Museum
Around 800m south of Swayambhunath at Chhauni, this sprawling museum set in a walled compound looks a little moth-eaten and overgrown, but there are some interesting treasures on display and it never gets crowded. Its worth a visit. As you enter the compound, turn left to reach the
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Gokarna Mahadev Temple
Dedicated to Shiva as Mahadeva (Great God), this handsome three-tiered temple is a fine example of Newari pagoda style. The main reason to come is to see the exquisite stone carvings dotted around the compound, some dating back more than a thousand years. Gokarana Mahadev sustained
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Gorkha Durbar
Regarded by many as the crowning glory of Newari architecture, Gorkha Durbar is a fort, palace and temple all in one. Miraculously, the main structure survived the 2015 earthquake but damage was extensive. Repairs are underway and the site will remain closed until this work is comp
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Stupa Platform
The great stupa is surrounded on all sides by a veritable sculpture garden of religious monuments. At the rear of the stupa is a small, poorly lit museum of Buddhist statuary, but the adjacent Kagyud-school Dongak Chöling gompa was badly damaged by the 2015 earthquake. North of the
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Changu Narayan Temple
This historic temple is said to be the oldest Hindu temple still in use in the Kathmandu Valley, but Changu Narayan was badly hit by the 2015 earthquake and the temple is closed to visitors while restoration is underway. A full description of the site is included here for when the
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