The Holy Budhanilkantha Temple

Deep below at the base of the Shivapuri Hill within the Kathmandu Valley on the northern end, lies the mystical Buddhanilkantha Temple, meaning “old blue-throat”, just 9 km away from the main city. It is at this location that you will find one of the three images of the deity Lord Vishnu or in full Vishnu (Narayan) Jalasayana which is regarded by the local people as the principal deity.
It is with the sacredness of this particular god that a deep-seated belief was created by King Pratap Malla through a prophetic dream. It was his strong belief and fear that should the King of Nepal visit the Buddhanilkantha temple, death would be imminent upon his departure. The two other images of the deity which were carved during the same time lie at two particular destinations: the Balaju Gardens where public viewing can take place and the beautiful Royal Palace in Kathmandu. It is here at Budhanilkantha Temple, however, that public viewing is not permitted.
The Deity of Lord Vishnu lies prominently at 5 meters in length inside a tank 13 meters long giving the impression of floating. It is thought that the Deity is approximately 1500 years old and is believed to have been sculpted during the Licchavi period, around about the 7th or 8th century. A fascinating feature of the Lord Vishnu Deity is his large frame carved out of a single block of stone, black in nature and foreign to the valley planes. When described he embodies many fascinating features and all symbolic in their own right. But it is through the four hands that you will find four symbols of Vishnu which are the: chakra or disc, conch-shell, lotus flower and the club. His legs are crossed with his sleeping body resting on the coils of Ananta: the cosmic serpent and his 11 hooded heads.
It is alleged in times past that a farmer and his wife occupied a farm in this area and while cultivating the land they struck the Deity and immediately afterwards blood began to filter from the ground and thus the lost deity of Budhanilkantha was recovered and placed in its rightful position. It is a common practice for the Hindus to walk down to Vishnu’s feet to touch them but it is forbidden for foreign visitors to do the same. Budhanilkantha has become the site on which Haribondhini Ekadashi takes place during late October or the beginning of November. It is the principle festival for the year in celebration of the awakening of Lord Vishnu from his long sleep; a notable time for thousands of people. Today the formidable temple of Budhanilkantha, interestingly enough, even provides a guest house, unthought-of till now.

History of Narayanhity Palace

The Narayanhiti Palace, or Narayanhiti Durbar, is a palace in Kathmandu, Nepal, which long served as a primary residence for the country's monarchs.

Etymology

The name, Narayanhiti, is made up of two words ‘narayan’ and ‘hiti’. Narayan is the name of an incarnation of the Hindu god Vishnu, whose temple is located opposite to the palace. ‘Hiti’ means “water spout” which is also located to the east of main entrance in the precincts of the palace, a landmark that features prominently in local legends.

History

The palace compound is located in the north-central part of Kathmandu, at the head of Durbar marg. It is designed to be a contemporary pagoda with sprawling, park-like grounds covering an area of (30 hectares (74 acres)) all fully enclosed with walls and guarded gates. The current Narayanhiti Palace was built in 1970, replacing the original building designed by a master Nepalese architect Jogbir Sthapit in 1886, which in turn had been built on the site of the palace of Rana prime minister Ranodip Singh Kunwar after it was demolished following his assassination in 1885.
The new palace as it looks today was first used on the occasion of the marriage of King Birenda Bir Bikram Shah Dev, the then heir apparent to the throne. The southern gate of the palace is located at the intersection of Prithvi path and Durbar marg streets. The palace was also the scene of the 2001 Nepalese Royal Massacre. After the 2006 revolution toppled the monarchy, the newly elected assembly declared Nepal a republic and ordered the King to vacate the palace.
The royal palace was turned into a public museum immediately after the country was declared a republic. The crown jewels are considered to be among the most valuable objects in Nepal.

History Of Ghanta Ghar (Nepal)

The GhantaGhar (घन्टाघर), the first public tower clock in Nepal, is situated at the heart of capital city Kathmandu (near to Trichandra College). The original clock tower was designed after the Big Ben of London, as Western influence crept into Nepalese architecture during the Rana era. The GhantaGhar that stands today was rebuilt after the 1990 BS earthquake, standing on the site of the original.
The word GhantaGhar is made up of two words, "Ghanta" and "Ghar". The words "Ghanta" and "Ghar" in Nepali mean "Hour" and "House" in English respectively. And thus the word "GhantaGhar" means the house that is used for looking hours or time.
There is also another GhantaGhar in Birgunj, which was made by the help of Japanese child student's donation.

History Of Dharahara

Dharahara (Nepali: धरहरा), also called Bhimsen Tower, is a nine storey (61.88m) tall tower at the center of Sundhara, Kathmandu. It is situated in the historical city of Kathmandu, and is a part of Architecture of Kathmandu recognized by UNESCO. It was built in 1832 by the Prime Minister of the time, Bhimsen Thapa of Nepal. Bhimsen Thapa built the tower under the orders of Queen Lalit Tripura Sundari.
The tower has a spiral staircase containing 213 steps. The 8th floor holds a circular balcony for observers that provides a panoramic view of the whole Kathmandu valley. The tower has a 5.2m bronze mast on the roof. The tower has been open for the general public since 2005 for a small fee.

History

The present day Dharahara is actually the second such tower made by Bhimsen Thapa. The original Bhimsen Tower was built in 1824 and was 11 stories high, two stories taller than the present day Dharahara. Dharahara was built for Queen Lalit Tripura Sundari, who was the niece of Bhimsen Thapa. She wanted a tower of her own next to Bhimsen's original tower.
During the earthquake of 1834, both the towers survived, but Bhimsen's tower suffered severe damage. A hundred years later, on January 15, 1934, another earthquake caused Bhimsen's tower to be completely destroyed. Only two of the 11 stories on the second tower remained. The prime minister of the time, Juddha Shumsher, renovated Dharahara to its previous form. While the original Bhimsen Tower was obliterated, Queen Lalit Tripura Sundari's tower got its name, 'Bhimsen Stambha'. Sadly, the site where Bhimsen's original tower stood is now a parking lot.

Present day Dharahara

Importance

The purpose for the construction of the Dharahara was military. It was used as a watchtower. In case some incidents of national importance occurred, bugles used to be blown from the top floor of the tower. This served to herald the message to the army men to assemble on urgent reason by blowing trumpet at the top floor of tower. The tradition of bugle trumpeting is still in practice. The statue of Shiva is placed at the top of the Tower,and a golden spire crowns it.

Construction

The architecture of Dharahara is designed in Mughal and European style. Indeed it resembles like the Islamic minaret. The main materials used in the building construction is Vajra-Surki (Brick dust), Chuna (Lime), Mas (Black lentil) and Chaku (Caramel).

Current Situation

The fare for entering the sight and climbing is set at;

• Foreigner - Around $4.00
• SAARC Nationals - Around $1.00
• Locals - NPR 50
• Locals over age 65 & under 5 - Free

The current situation and management of Dharahara has come under severe scrutiny of locals and tourists. The Heritage Department, Kathmandu Metropolitan City has come under severe criticism for its lack of effort to protect the heritage site.

History Of Rani Pokhari

Rani Pokhari (Nepali: रानी पोखरी) meaning queen's pond, also known as Nhu Pukhu (Nepal Bhasa: न्हू पुखू) meaning new pond, is an historic artificial pond located in the heart of Kathmandu.^[1] The square-shaped tank dates from the 17th century, and was built on the eastern side of the then city limits. It lies just outside a former city gate. The pond is one of Kathmandu's most famous landmarks, and is known for its religious and aesthetic significance. Its dimensions are 180m by 140m.

Construction

Rani Pokhari was built in 1670 AD by King Pratap Malla, one of the most illustrious monarchs of the Malla dynasty that ruled Nepal for more than 600 years. Pratap Malla had the tank constructed to console his queen who was distraught with grief after their son was trampled to death by an elephant. He had water collected from various holy places and river confluences in Nepal and India like Gosaikunda, Muktinath, Badrinath, Kedarnath and poured into the pond to sanctify it.^[3][4]
A temple dedicated to Matrikeshwor Mahadev, a form of the Hindu deity Shiva, stands at the center of the pond. It is reached from the street by a causeway. A large stone statue of an elephant bearing the images of Pratap Malla and his two sons Chakravartendra Malla and Mahipatendra Malla is situated on the tank's southern embankment. The pond is recharged by water flowing in through an underground channel.
There are four smaller temples situated at the four corners of the pond: Bhairava temples in the northwest and northeast, Mahalaxmi Temple in the southeast and Ganesh Temple in the southwest. The temples on the eastern side now lie within the compounds of Tri Chandra College and a police station which has undermined their cultural importance.^[5][6]
Rani Pokhari is fenced with iron bars and opened once a year during Bhai Tika, the fifth and final day of the Tihar festival.

Rani Pokhari inscription

The famed Rani Pokhari inscription of King Pratap Malla installed here is a stone slab with writings in three languages: Sanskrit, Nepali and Nepal Bhasa. It is dated Nepal Sambat 790 (1670 AD) and describes the construction of Rani Pokhari and its religious significance. It also mentions five Brahmins, five Pradhans and five Khas Magars as being witnesses.^[7]

Western references

Among the earliest references to Rani Pokhari is an account by Italian Jesuit Ippolito Desideri who visited Kathmandu in 1721 when Nepal was ruled by the Malla kings. He was travelling from Tibet to India, and has mentioned in his travelogue seeing a large pond outside the main city gate with flights of steps and banks sloping down to the water. The father has also written that there was a tall column at the center resting on a magnificent pedestal.^[8]
Englishman William Kirkpatrick, who visited Kathmandu in 1793, has written that there was a quadrangular reservoir of water situated near the northeastern part of the city. He also noted the existence of many temples on the sides of Rani Pokhari, some of which were of considerable height and size.^[9]

Famous structures

Rani Pokhari is surrounded by historical buildings and famous structures. The clock tower Ghantaghar is situated across the road on the eastern side of the pond. The original clock tower, which had a more elaborate architecture, was destroyed during the Great Earthquake of 1934. The present clock tower was built after the earthquake. It stands on the premises of Tri Chandra College, the first college in the country which was established in 1918 AD.
On the western side of Rani Pokhari stands another historical building, Durbar High School, built in 1854 AD. It is the first school in Nepal providing education along modern lines. In the beginning, Durbar High School only admitted the children of the ruling classes. It was opened to the general public in 1902.
Tundikhel, a parade ground and ceremonial grass field and a Kathmandu landmark, formerly extended from the southern side of Rani Pokhari. A section next to the pond was fenced off and converted into a public park and flower garden in the mid-1960s.