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Shanti Ban Buddha
On the hillside above Godavari is an enormous golden Buddha image, created by local Buddhists who were inspired by the Japanese Peace Pagoda movement. Youll probably need to ask directions to get here, but its just west of the village proper and quite high above the main road. From
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Nara Devi Temple
Halfway between Chhetrapati and Durbar Sq, the Nara Devi Temple is dedicated to Kali, Shiva’s destructive consort. It’s also known as the Seto (White) Kali Temple. It is said that Kali’s powers protected the temple from the 1934 earthquake, which destroyed so many other temples in
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Singh Sattal
Built with wood left over from the now destroyed Kasthamandap Temple, this squat building was originally called the Silengu Sattal (silengu means ‘left over wood’ and a sattal is a pilgrim hostel) until the addition of the golden-winged singh (lions) that guard each corner of the u
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Godavari Kunda
If you turn to the right at the junction before the Royal Botanical Gardens, you’ll reach a cluster of local restaurants, the Godavari Kunda – a sacred spring on the right-hand side of the road – and, on the left, a tank bordered by a neat line of Shaivite shrines. Every 12 years (
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International Mountain Museum
This expansive museum is devoted to the mountains of Nepal, the mountaineers who climbed them and the people who call them home. Inside, you can see original gear from many of the first Himalayan ascents, as well as displays on the history, culture, geology, and flora and fauna of
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Great Bell
On your left as you leave the main square along Makhan Tole is the Great Bell. The bell’s ring drives off evil spirits, but it is only rung during puja (worship) at the nearby Degutaleju Temple. Across from the Great Bell is a very ornate corner balcony, decorated in gorgeous coppe
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Mohankali Chowk
Mohankali (Mohan) Chowk,inside the Hanuman Dhoka complex, was once used as a resience by the Malla kings. It dates from 1649 and, at one time, a Malla king had to be born here to be eligible to wear the crown. (The last Malla king, Jaya Prakash Malla, had great difficulties during
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City Museum
The central focus of this cultural space is the collection of photos from the archives of the Das Shrestha family, selected to illustrate Kathmandus dramatic urbanisation over the last 50 years. The attached gallery has exhibits of contemporary Nepali art, as well as occasional tal
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Indrapur Temple
Little is known about this mysterious temple. Even the god to which it is dedicated is controversial – the lingam inside indicates that it is a Shiva temple but the Garuda image half-buried on the southern side indicates that it is dedicated to Vishnu. To compound the puzzle, howev
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Gorakhnath Temple
Turning left at the top of the hill will take you to the towering red-and-white shikhara (temple with tall corn cob–like spire) of the Gorakhnath Temple, which survived the quake with minor damage, dedicated to the 11th-century yogi who founded the Shaivite monastic tradition and i
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Gaddhi Baithak
Dominating the eastern side of Durbar Sq, this white neoclassical building lost parts of its facade during the earthquake and its future is uncertain. For now, it stands as a memorial to the imported European style that became fashionable in Nepal during the Rana period. Built as p
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Shiva Temple
If you take the road leading southeast from the bottom of the town square for 2km, you’ll pass a playing field and the turn-off of the road to the Kali Temple. Just beyond this junction, a Ganesh shrine marks the path down to a picturesque little temple at the bottom of a gorge. Th
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Jal Binayak Temple
Built in 1602, Jal Binayak Temple is one of the valley’s most important Ganesh shrines. The temple’s three-tiered roof struts depict eight Bhairabs and the eight Ashta Matrikas (Mother Goddesses) with whom Ganesh often appears. There is some damage from the 2015 earthquake but the
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Hanuman Ghat
This impressive collection of chaitya, Shiva statues, Shaivite shrines and lingam in the southeast of town includes what could well be the two largest Shiva lingam in Nepal. The site was damaged in the 2015 quake, but most structures are still standing. Through the archway is anoth
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Devi’s Falls
Also known as Patale Chhango, this waterfall marks the point where the Pardi Khola stream vanishes underground. When the stream is at full bore after monsoon rains, the sound of the water plunging over the falls is deafening.According to one of the many local legends, the name is a
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Vishwanath Temple
South of the Bhimsen Temple stands the Vishwanath Temple, dedicated to Shiva. Damaged but not destroyed in the earthquake, this elaborately decorated two-tiered pagoda was built in 1627 and it features some particularly ornate woodcarving, especially on the torana (pediment) above
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Kali Temple
If you don’t mind a steep 30-minute uphill climb, you can head up a series of shortcuts on concrete steps to reach this modern hilltop temple for excellent mountain views. The site is occupied by the army, but there’s a viewing tower that attracts hordes of local sightseers at week
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Taragaon Museum
This small museum houses a collection of maps, photos and archaeological plans drawn by the first foreign architectural advisers to arrive in Kathmandu in the 1970s. Highlights include the museum building itself, originally built in 1974 as a hostel for foreign experts, and the wal
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Other Gompas
Since the Chinese sent thousands of troops to enforce their claim on Tibet in the 1950s, dozens of new monasteries have been constructed at Bodhnath by refugees. All welcome visitors but many close their doors in the middle of the day.The main monasteries worth visiting are the Gur
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Trailokya Mohan Narayan Temple
This small five-roofed temple is at the southern end of the open Durbar Sq area. Dating from 1680, it is easily identified as a temple to Narayan/Vishnu by the fine Garuda kneeling before it. This powerful stone figure was a later addition, erected by King Prithvibendra Malla’s wid
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