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Day 01:
Arrive Kathmandu
Arrive at Tribhuwan International Airport, Kathmandu,
you are welcomed by the hospitable meeting and then
you will be transferred to your hotel. Our guide
will explain briefly the program upon arrival at
hotel.
Day 02: AM: Visit Kathmandu city and
Swayambhunath
Kathmandu’s Durbar Square Kathmandu’s Durbar Square
is one of three durbar (royal palace) squares in the
Kathmandu Valley. It is the site of the Hanuman
Dhoka Palace Complex, which was the royal Nepalese
residence until the 19th century and where important
ceremonies, such as the coronation of the Nepalese
monarch, still take place today. The two-hectare
(five-acre) palace complex is divided into two main
chowks, or courtyards, and was initially constructed
in the 16th century, although subsequent additions
were made in the Shah (Gurkha) dynasty in the 18th
century and by the Rana rulers in the 19th century.
The palace is decorated with elaborately-carved
wooden windows and panels and houses the King
Tribhuwan Memorial Museum, dedicated to the monarch
who opened up Nepal to the outside world, and the
Mahendra Museum, dedicated to his son, King Mahendra.
It is also possible to visit the State Rooms inside
the palace. At the southern end of Durbar Square is
one of the most curious attractions in Nepal, the
Kumari Chowk. This gilded cage contains the Raj
Kumari, a young girl chosen through an ancient and
mystical selection process to become the human
incarnation of the Hindu mother goddess, Durbar. She
is worshipped during religious festivals and makes
public appearances at other times for a fee paid to
her guards.
Swayambhunath the golden spire of the 5th-century
Swayambhu stupa is adorned with a colorful
fluttering of prayer flags; it crowns a hill
overlooking the Kathmandu Valley and offers
fantastic views over the city of Kathmandu.
Swayambhunath is one of the most recognizable
symbols in Nepal and the painted eyes of Buddha
watch all who ascend the worn stone steps. It is a
World Heritage Site and one of the holiest Buddhist
sites in Nepal, and is at the source of the Valley’s
mythical beginning. Legend has it that the history
of the Valley began with the draining of an ancient
lake by an Enlightened Being to reveal the Valley
and a lotus flower was transformed into the hill and
the shining light became the stupa itself. Swarms of
pilgrims and red-clad monks circle the complex,
spinning the prayer wheels, while the scores of
monkeys that give the temple its nickname, Monkey
Temple, prance about in irreverent groups.
Interestingly the temple complex is scattered with
shrines and statues of Buddhist and Hindu deities
and the assortment of pilgrims from both faiths
characterizes the country’s unique religious
harmony.
PM: Visit Patan City: Patan Krishna MandirPatan is
15 minutes drive from Kathmandu. Lalitpur, the city
of beauty is separated from Kathmandu only by the
Bagmati River and is the second largest town in the
valley. Lalitpur is fragmented from other cities due
to its substantive architectural ancient
masterpieces. Patan's central Durbar Square is
absolutely packed with temples: Its an architectural
center point with a far greater concentration of
temples per sq. meter than in Kathmandu or Bhaktapur.
Krishna Mandir which is one of the grandeur of the
square was built in 1637 by the king Siddhinarsingh
Malla. The entire temple is constructed from the
stone. Golden Temple which is the unique Buddhist
Monastery was founded in the 12th century which is a
large rectangular building has three roofs and a
copper gilded facade with the images of Buddha and
Avalokitesvara where there are Buddha images and
illustrations on the walls. The square has been
unrestrainedly adorned by the Bhimsen Temple, Manga
Hiti, Vishwanath Temple, Jagannarayan Temple, Golden
Temple and numerous. Take the pleasure of
discovering this Patan Durbar Square which has been
entitled in the World Heritage Site.
Day 03: AM: Visit Pashupatinath and Bouddhanath
Pashupatinath: Not only is Pashupatinath the most
important Hindu temple in Nepal, its one of the most
important Shiva temples on the subcontinent and
draws numerous devotees from all over India each
year. Pashupati is considered to have a special
concern for the kingdom of Nepal. Pashupatinath, an
ancient plinth, by the banks of the holy Bagmati
River, stands the 16th century of Pashupatinath -
Shiva, as Lord of all Creatures. The old buildings
on the site were destroyed by Moslem invaders in the
14th century, its stone linga smashed to dust, but
it rose again behind their retreating backs.
Succeeding monarchs reinstated the temple and the
images. The flowing Bagmati is a holy river and the
ghats (crematorium) at its bank are the earnest
Hindus truest cremation center.
Bouddhanath: Bouddhanath is among the largest stupas
in South Asia, and it has become the focal point of
Tibetan Buddhism in Nepal. The white mound looms
thirty-six meters overhead. The stupa is located on
the ancient trade route to Tibet, and Tibetan
merchants rested and offered prayers here for many
centuries. When refugees entered Nepal from Tibet in
the 1950s, many of them decided to live around
Bouddhanath. They established many gompas, and the
"Little Tibet" of Nepal was born. This "Little
Tibet" is still the best place in the Valley to
observe Tibetan lifestyle. Monks walk about in
maroon robes. Tibetans walk with prayer wheels in
their hands, and the rituals of prostration are
presented to the Buddha as worshippers
circumambulate the stupa on their hands and knees,
bowing down to their lord.
PM: Visit Bhaktapur City: Bhaktapur Durbar
SquareBhaktapur Durbar Square is a conglomeration of
pagoda and shikhara style temples grouped around a
fifty-five window palace of brick and wood. The
square is one of the most charming architectural
showpieces of the Valley as it highlights the
ancient arts of Nepal. The golden effigies of kings
perched on the top of stone monoliths, the guardian
deities looking out from their sanctuaries, the wood
carvings in every place-struts, lintels, uprights,
tympanums, gateways and windows, all seem to form a
well orchestrated symphony. The main items of
interest in the Durbar Square are:
The Golden Gate: The Golden Gate is said to be the
most beautiful and richly molded specimen of its
kind in the entire world. The door is surmounted by
a figure of the goddess Kali and Garuda (the
mythical man bird) and attended by two heavenly
nymphs. It is also embellished with mythical
creatures of marvelous intricacy, In the words of
Percy Brown, an eminent English art critic and
historian, the Golden Gate is the most lovely piece
of art in the whole Kingdom: It is placed like a
jewel, flashing innumerable facets in the handsome
setting of its surroundings. The gate was erected by
King Ranjit Malla and is the entrance of the main
courtyard of the Palace of Fifty five Windows.
The Palace of Fifty five Windows: This magnificent
palace was built during the reign of King Yakshya
Malla in A.D. 1427 and was subsequently remodelled
by King Bhupatindra Malla in the seventeenth
century. Among the brick walls with their gracious
setting and sculptural design, is a balcony with
Fifty five Windows, considered to be a unique
masterpiece of woodcarving.
Day 04:
Free till departure. Departure Transfer to airport
to connect onward flight.
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