Everything about Kathmandu totally explained
Kathmandu () 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 and is inhabited by about 700,000 people. Kathmandu is the most developed city in Nepal.
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 = "wood" and
Mandap = "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 17
th 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 is located about 6 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 1336m 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
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. Kathmandu metropolitan authorities estimate the number of people living in the city to be around 1,081,845 people 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".
Gallery
Image:Basantapurpalace.JPG|The palace in the Kathmandu Durbar Square.
Image:Bhairava_Kathmandu_1972.jpg|Bhairava sculpture, Durbar Square market place 1972.
Image:KatmanduMarket1920.jpg|A view of Kathmandu Durbar Square from 1920. Bhairava in the background.
Image:KatmanduDurbarMarket2007.jpg| Same as the picture to the left but from 2007, shot for comparison.
Image:Small stupa in Kathmandu.jpg|Small stupa in Kathmandu
Image:Stone carving in Kathmandu.jpg|Stone carving in Kathmandu street
Image:DSCI0441.JPG|View over Kathmandu
Image:Durbar-seller.jpg|A seller warming himself up in Durbar Square, Kathmandu, Nepal (pre-prohibition)
Image:IMG 0361 Kathmandu Bodnath.jpg|Boudnanath Stupa in Kathmandu, Nepal
Image:IMG 0469 Kathmandu Pashupatinath.jpg|Pashupatinath Temple in Kathmandu, Nepal
Image:IMG 0483 Kathmandu Pashupatinath.jpg|Pashupatinath temple in Kathmandu, Nepal
Image:Kathmandu Pedicab 2001.jpg|Pedicab driver in Kathmandu near Durbar Square
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.
- 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..."
Sister cities
Eugene, Oregon, USA
Matsumoto, Nagano, Japan
Xi'an, People's Republic of China
Yangon, Myanmar
Minsk, Belarus
P'yŏngyang, North KoreaFurther Information
Get more info on 'Kathmandu'.
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