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Kathmandu Valley*
UNESCO World Heritage Site
The Kathmandu Darbar Square
Type Cultural
Criteria iii, iv, vi
Reference 121
Region† Asia-Pacific
Inscription history
Inscription 1979  (3rd Session)
Extensions 2006
Endangered 2003-
* Name as inscribed on World Heritage List.
† Region as classified by UNESCO.

The Kathmandu Valley (Nepal Bhasa: नेपाः स्वनिगः Nepāḥ Svānigaḥ), located in the Nepal, lies at the crossroads of ancient civilizations of Asia, and has at least 130 important monuments, including several places of pilgrimage for the Hindus and the Buddhists. A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a site (such as a Forest, Mountain, Lake, Desert, Monument, Building, complex A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a site (such as a Forest, Mountain, Lake, Desert, Monument, Building, complex This is a list of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Asia, Australia and the Pacific ( Australia) A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a site (such as a Forest, Mountain, Lake, Desert, Monument, Building, complex These are thirty sites which the UNESCO World Heritage Committee has decided to include on a list of World Heritage Sites in danger; this list also shows the year Nepal (नेपाल) is a Landlocked country in South Asia. A Hindu ( Devanagari: हिन्दू is an adherent of the philosophies and scriptures of Hinduism, a set of religious, Philosophical Buddhism is a family of beliefs and practices The valley is made up of Kathmandu District, Lalitpur District and Bhaktapur District. Kathmandu District ( Nepal Bhasa: येँ जिल्ला Nepali: काठमाडौं जिल्ला is a district located in Kathmandu Valley Bhaktapur district, a part of Bagmati zone, is one of the seventy-five districts of Nepal, The valley consists of Kathmandu Metropolitan City, Lalitpur Submetropolitan City, Bhaktapur municipality, Kirtipur Municipality, Thimi Municipality and several villages which present a high style of Newar art and architecture. Kathmandu (काठमांडौ येँ is the Capital and the largest city of Nepal. Bhaktapur (भक्तपुर जिल्ला Bhaktapur Jillā) also Bhadgaon or Khwopa (ख्वप Khvapa) is an ancient Kirtipur ( Nepal Bhasa:क्यपू Sanskrit:कीर्तिपुर is a city in Nepal. The Newa ( Nepal Bhasa:नेवाः Newa or Newah, Old Nepal Bhasa नेवार Newar, नेवाल Newal) are the The valley is a cultural and political hub of Nepal. Mixed with all the other cultures, many of whom have recently arrived from different parts of Nepal, Newar culture still exist very vibrantly. The Newa ( Nepal Bhasa:नेवाः Newa or Newah, Old Nepal Bhasa नेवार Newar, नेवाल Newal) are the Kathmandu valley was accorded the status of a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in the year 1979. A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a site (such as a Forest, Mountain, Lake, Desert, Monument, Building, complex United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization ( UNESCO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations established on November 16

Through Kathmandu Valley flows the Bagmati river. Bagmati ( Nepal Bhasa:बागमती खुसी बागमती नदी is a river of Nepal.

Contents

History

The Kathmandu Valley may have been inhabited as early as 300 BCE, since the oldest known objects in the valley date to a few hundred years BCE. The earliest known inscription is dated 185 CE. The oldest firmly dated building in the earthquake-prone valley is almost 1,992 years old. Four stupas around the city of Patan are said to have been erected by a certain Charumati, a purported daughter of Ashoka the Great, a Mauryan king, in the 3rd century BCE attest to the ancient history present within the valley. A stupa (from Sanskrit and Pāli: m स्तूप stūpa, literally meaning "heap" is a mound-like structure containing Buddhist Ashoka ( Devanāgarī: अशोकः IAST: Aśokaḥ, aɕoːkə(hə Prakrit Imperial title Devanampriya Priyadarsi The Maurya Empire ( 322 – 185 BCE) ruled by the Mauryan dynasty was a geographically extensive and powerful political and military The 3rd century BC started the first day of 300 BC and ended the last day of 201 BC As with the tales of the Buddha's visit, there is no evidence supporting Ashoka's visit, but the stupas probably do date to that century. The Kirats are the first documented rulers of the Kathmandu Valley, the remains of their palace are said to be in Patan near Hiranyavarna Mahavihara (called "Patukodon"). The Licchavi Dynasty whose earliest inscriptions date back to 464 CE were the next rulers of the valley and had close ties with the Gupta Dynasty of India. Licchavi (also Lichchhavi, Lichavi) was an ancient Republic which existed in what is now Bihar state of India, since the before the The Gupta Empire ( Hindi: गुप्त राजवंश was ruled by members of the Gupta dynasty from around 320 to 550 C India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country The Malla Dynasty, who ruled Kathmandu Valley and the surrounding area from the 12th century CE till the 17th century CE when the Shah Dynasty under Prithvi Narayan Shah conquered the valley as he created present-day Nepal. The Malla Dynasty was a Newari Dynasty that ruled Nepal from the Twelfth century to the Eighteenth century. As a means of recording the passage of Time, the 17th Century was that Century which lasted from 1601 - 1700 in the Gregorian calendar The King of Nepal was traditionally known as the Mahārājdhirāja (श्री 5 महाराजधिराज his queen was known as the Badāmahārānī Prithvi Narayan Shah King of Nepal (1723 - 1775 AD Nepali पृथ्वी नारायण शाह was a Nepali nobleman Most of ancient Nepali architecture present in Nepal today is from the Malla era. Nepal (नेपाल) is a Landlocked country in South Asia.

The Newars, generally acknowledged to be the original habitants of the valley, are understood to be the descendents of the various ethnic and racial groups that have inhabited and ruled the valley in the 2-millennia history of the place. The Newa ( Nepal Bhasa:नेवाः Newa or Newah, Old Nepal Bhasa नेवार Newar, नेवाल Newal) are the Although in today's state of Nepal, the Newars stand apart ethnically from the other groups on the basis of their composite Hindu-Buddhist religious culture and Nepal Bhasa, today spoken by all Newars as their mother tongue, the multifarious castes in the numerous caste systems within Newar society betray a surprising racial diversity. The similarities between the various cultural traits and complexes within Newar culture and those of many other ethnic groups in the Indian sub-continent lead us to hypothesize the occurrence of both vibrant circulations of peoples and cultures around the sub-continent during the last 2 millennia and a continuous and steady of diffusion of these ideas into the valley. Indologists/anthropologists and Newarologists describe Newar society as a "pre-dominantly Mongoloid people practicing an Indo-Aryan culture. "

The temple of Pashupatinath.
The temple of Pashupatinath. Pashupatinath temple (पशुपितनाथ मन्िदर) is a Hindu temple located on the shore of the Bagmati river on the eastern part of Kathmandu

The city of Kathmandu is named after a structure in Durbar Square called Kaasthamandap. Durbar Square is the plaza opposite the old royal palace in the three main cities in the Kathmandu Valley in Nepal: Kathmandu, Patan and In Sanskrit, kāṣṭh (काष्ठ) = "wood" and maṇḍap (मंडप/मण्डप) = "covered shelter. Sanskrit (sa संस्कृता वाक् saṃskṛtā vāk, for short sa संस्कृतम् saṃskṛtam) is a historical " This unique temple, also known as Maru Satal, was built in 1596 CE 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.

Places

Important monuments of Kathmandu valley include:

Mythology

Syambhunath Stupa
Syambhunath Stupa

According to Swayambhu Puran, Kathmandu Valley was once a lake. Changu Narayan is the name of the deity enshrined in the Changu Narayan Temple located near the Changunarayan village in Kathmandu Valley, Nepal. Swayambhunath ( Devnagari: स्वयम्भूनाथ स्तुप sometimes romanized Swoyambhunath) is an ancient religious complex atop a hill in the A stupa (from Sanskrit and Pāli: m स्तूप stūpa, literally meaning "heap" is a mound-like structure containing Buddhist Boudhanath ( Devnagari: बूदनाथ (also called Bouddhanath, Bodhnath or Baudhanath or the Khāsa Caitya) is one of the holiest Pashupatinath temple (पशुपितनाथ मन्िदर) is a Hindu temple located on the shore of the Bagmati river on the eastern part of Kathmandu Chabahil, one of the most important historical place in Kathmandu Nepal is famous for its Licchavi Stupa, called the Charumati Vihara. The hill where the Swambhu stupa rests, had lotus plants with beautiful lotus flowers abloom. One story says that the god Manjushree cut a gorge at a place called Kashapaal (later called Chobhar) with a sword called Chandrahrasha and drained away the waters to establish a habitable land.

According to Gopal Banshawali, Krishna cut the gorge with his Sudarshana Chakra to let the water out. Krishna (कृष्ण in Devanagari kṛṣṇa in IAST, ˈkr̩ʂɳə in classical Sanskrit is a deity worshiped across many traditions of Hinduism Sudarshana Chakra ( Sanskrit: सुदर्शन चक्रम् is a spinning disc like weapon with very sharp edge which serves as an attribute of the Hindu He then handed the drained valley to the Gopal Vansi people, who were nomidic cow herders.

Present

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. United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization ( UNESCO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations established on November 16 A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a site (such as a Forest, Mountain, Lake, Desert, Monument, Building, complex Swayambhunath ( Devnagari: स्वयम्भूनाथ स्तुप sometimes romanized Swoyambhunath) is an ancient religious complex atop a hill in the Boudhanath ( Devnagari: बूदनाथ (also called Bouddhanath, Bodhnath or Baudhanath or the Khāsa Caitya) is one of the holiest Pashupatinath temple (पशुपितनाथ मन्िदर) is a Hindu temple located on the shore of the Bagmati river on the eastern part of Kathmandu Changu Narayan is the name of the deity enshrined in the Changu Narayan Temple located near the Changunarayan village in Kathmandu Valley, Nepal. 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. A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a site (such as a Forest, Mountain, Lake, Desert, Monument, Building, complex

Musical inspiration

Cat Stevens wrote a song titled "Katmandu" which appeared in his 1970 album, Mona Bone Jakon. Yusuf Islam (born Steven Demetre Georgiou on 21 July 1948 best known by his former Stage name Cat Stevens, is a British Musician Mona Bone Jakon is an album by singer/songwriter Cat Stevens.

Rock musician Bob Seger wrote a song titled "Katmandu" which appeared on his 1975 album, Beautiful Loser. Robert Clark "Bob" Seger (born May 6, 1945) is an American Rock and roll Singer-songwriter and Musician. Beautiful Loser is the eighth Album by American rock Singer/songwriter Bob Seger, released in 1975 (see 1975

A Russian rock band Krematorij had a song titled "Kathmandu" on their 2000 album Three Springs. Krematorij (Крематорий - "Crematory" is a Russian rock group

The Argentinian musician Fito Páez has a song called Tráfico por Katmandú ("Traffic through Kathmandu" in English)

New age guitarist Will Ackerman has a song called "A Happy Home in Kathmandu" on his 1993 album The Opening of Doors. Rodolfo "Fito" Páez Ávalos (born March 13, 1963 in Rosario, Santa Fe Province) is an Argentine popular New Age music is peaceful Music of various styles which is intended to create inspiration relaxation and positive feelings often used by listeners for Yoga, William Ackerman is a Grammy winning guitarist and composer of acoustic -based instrumental Music.

The group Tantra recorded a song called "The Hills of Katmandu" in the early 80's.

The world-famous Banjo player Béla Fleck has a number called "Kathmandu"

David Hughes, bass player from Sweden, included a track titled "Kathmandu" on his 2007 release "Foreign Shores". Béla Fleck (born July 10, 1958 in New York City, New York) is an American Virtuoso Banjo player David Hughes (born 1971 in Säffle, Sweden) is a Jazz fusion / Smooth jazz electric and acoustic bass player and composer of Swedish/Scottish origin

Some recent travelogues refer to the valley as the "Emerald Valley".

See also

Gallery

The palace in the Kathmandu Durbar Square. The rich Cultural heritage of the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, has evolved over centuries

Bhairava sculpture, Durbar Square market place 1972. Bhairava (Sanskrit sa भैरव "Terrible" or "Frightful" sometimes known as Bhairo or Bhairon or Bhairadya, is the fierce manifestation

A view of Kathmandu Durbar Square from 1920. Bhairava in the background. Bhairava (Sanskrit sa भैरव "Terrible" or "Frightful" sometimes known as Bhairo or Bhairon or Bhairadya, is the fierce manifestation

Same as the picture to the left but from 2007, shot for comparison.

Small stupa in Kathmandu

Stone carving in Kathmandu street

View over Kathmandu

A seller warming himself up in Durbar Square, Kathmandu, Nepal (pre-prohibition)

Boudnanath Stupa in Kathmandu, Nepal

Pashupatinath Temple in Kathmandu, Nepal

Pashupatinath temple in Kathmandu, Nepal

Pedicab driver in Kathmandu near Durbar Square

Two Sadhus, or Hindu Holy Men, near Pashupatinath temple in Kathmandu. Durbar Square is the plaza opposite the old royal palace in the three main cities in the Kathmandu Valley in Nepal: Kathmandu, Patan and Prohibition of alcohol, often referred to simply as prohibition, also known as Noble Experiment, refers to a Sumptuary law which prohibits Alcohol Boudhanath ( Devnagari: बूदनाथ (also called Bouddhanath, Bodhnath or Baudhanath or the Khāsa Caitya) is one of the holiest Pashupatinath temple (पशुपितनाथ मन्िदर) is a Hindu temple located on the shore of the Bagmati river on the eastern part of Kathmandu Pashupatinath temple (पशुपितनाथ मन्िदर) is a Hindu temple located on the shore of the Bagmati river on the eastern part of Kathmandu

Two girls seeking shadow on Bodnath Temple. Boudhanath ( Devnagari: बूदनाथ (also called Bouddhanath, Bodhnath or Baudhanath or the Khāsa Caitya) is one of the holiest

External links

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