Visiting Kathmandu
The Newari golden age peaked in the 17th century when the valley consisted of small city-states. Nepal was a vitally important trading center between Tibet and the north Indian plains. The valley’s history is inextricably entangled with the Malla kings. It was during their reign, particularly in the 1600s and 1700s, that many of the valley’s finest temples and palaces were built. Competition between the cities was intense and an architectural innovation in one place would inevitably be copied throughout the valley.
The unification of Nepal in 1768 by Gorkha’s King Prithvi Narayan Shah heralded the end of the Kathmandu Valley’s fragmentation. Nepali, an Indo-European language spoken by the Khas of western Nepal, replaced Newari as the country’s language of administration. In 1816 the Shahs closed the borders of Nepal and kept the country isolated until the mid 19th century. In 1846 a bloody massacre of Kathmandu’s 100 most powerful men, held in the very public forum of Durbar Square, ended the Shah dynasty and installed the Ranas.
The Ranas weren’t too taken with the Shahs’ policy of seclusion. The first Rana Maharaja set off for Europe with a huge entourage, visiting Queen Victoria and causing quite a stir in England. The Ranas were so impressed with European architecture that they began introducing neo-classical buildings into their own cities, including the 1904 Singha Durbar. The Ranas began dressing like European royalty, and imported all the latest inventions which, strangely enough, never found their way beyond the royal compounds into the homes of ordinary folk. During this period of royal extravagance, the majority of people in Kathmandu became much poorer and the Hindu caste system became much more rigid. On the other hand, human sacrifice, slavery and sati (widow burning) were abolished.
On 15 January 1934 a huge earthquake struck the Kathmandu Valley, killing almost forty three hundred people and destroying many of Kathmandu’s temples and palaces. Inspired by the independence movement in India, Nepalis fell into a political upheaval. An alliance was formed between the ousted Shahs, the army’s Gurkha regiments and the dissatisfied poorer extended families of the Rana clan. In November 1950 they revolted. King Tribhuvan, a Shah, was anointed ruler in 1951 and struck up a government comprised of Ranas and members of the newly formed Nepali Congress Party. Power, of course, remained with only one party – the king’s. After months of uprisings, the Nepali people were finally granted democracy in 1989.
In 1956, the first road capable of carrying cars and trucks linked Kathmandu with India. Ten years later another highway opened, and in 1974 international air services began. Foreign aid began pouring in from the 1960s, bringing with it new prosperity for the city. Kathmandu’s population tripled in 20 years, and the city sprawled as modern houses sprang up to meet the needs of ex-pats and immigrants poured in from the country. In the 60s, the tourists also started flooding in, looking for cheap living and eastern answers to the questions of life. Freak Street became the center of the action, as the hippies set up a huge market for every type of drug and every strange new age philosophy one could imagine. Kathmandu was transformed into a tourist mecca, particularly for backpackers.
Political turmoil across Nepal has made an impression in the capital. Following the assassination of the King and many of his family members in June 2001, the streets exploded into widespread rioting. Even the new backpacker district, Thamel, was not exempt from disorder, with a curfew being imposed across the city. Although there is now more money around, most of it has remained in the pockets of the upper class. Kathmandu has one of the highest inflation rates in Asia. And while the city’s literacy and health have improved over the last 20 years, they’re still under par, and lately burgeoning heroin addiction and caustic air pollution have been added to Kathmandu’s problem.
Still, with a myriad of Buddaist and Hindu shrines and its position as a jumping off point for mountain climbers, Kathmandu remains a prime destination for tourists. One treat is an aerial tour of the nearby mountains at the Roof of the World, including Mount Everest, for those not inclined to face the dangers and discomforts of climbing them. Various tours are available at the air port.
Bhimsen Tower
Towering like a lighthouse over the old town, this white, minaret-like watchtower, also known as Sundhara, is a useful landmark near the main post office. It was originally built by a Rana prime minister as part of the city’s first European-style palace, and was rebuilt after being severely damaged in the 1934 earthquake.
Freak Street
Kathmandu’s most famous street from the hippy overland days of the 1960s and 70s runs south from Basantapur Square. Its real name is Jochne but since the early 1970s it has been better known as Freak Street and, in its prime, the street’s squalor and beauty was irresistible.
The smell of sweet incense, children fluttering prayer wheels, cheap hotels, ad hoc restaurants, and shops selling enlightenment, recreational narcotics, and epiphany were standard sights on Freak Street. Not surprisingly, it made an instant rapport with the dusty-haired ‘freaks’ who gave the street its name. While love-ins are a thing of the past, Freak Street’s history and plum position in the heart of old Kathmandu still make it a popular destination.
Hanuman Dhoka
The old royal palace is a part of Durbar Square, which remains the traditional heart of the old town and a spectacular legacy of traditional architecture. The king no longer lives here and the 1934 earthquake damaged the complex, but it remains a fascinating place to explore.
The western part of the palace, overlooking Durbar Square, is home to an interesting museum that celebrates King Tribhuvan’s successful putsch against the Ranas. Wander inside and one gets an eerie insight into his life: lots of personal effects, extensive photos and newspaper clippings and magnificent furniture and knick-knackery.
Kumari Chowk
Also on Durbar Square, the Kumari Chowk or House of the Living Goddess is the home to a prepubescent girl chosen to be the living incarnation of the Hindu goddess Taleju. Once the girl reaches puberty, another small girl is chosen to be the goddess. The living goddess is only brought out during certain festive occasions and her feet are never allowed to touch the ground.
Bodnatha Stupa
The largest Buddhist stupa around Kathmandu is found at Bodhnath. This used to be out in the country – NE of Kathmandu, about two miles from the ring road. It is north of the large Hindu temple complex of Pashupatinath by a few miles and one can easily walk between the two complexes, though it is easy to get lost in the warrens of little streets on the north side of the Bagmati river. The stupa is very large and is ringed by a large walkway in which pilgrims can go – clockwise – around the stupa for good luck. This ancient site is surrounded by numerous monasteries.
Pashupatinath
Pashupati is one of the numerous names for Lord Shiva, a major Hindu god. Situated a couple of miles east of Kathmandu, Pashupatinath is a pilgrimage place for Hindis. Cremations take place on the river Bagmati bank, as in Varanasi India on the Ganges, in front of the Golden Temple. On the banks of the river are raised platforms used as cremation sites. The entrance to the Golden Temple is not allowed for non Hindus but the sight from outside on the top of the hill overlooking the river is quite nice. The best time to go is early afternoon, when most of the ceremonies take place
Swayambhunath
On top of this hill is a temple complex filled with both Buddhist and Hindu edifices. One can drive or be driven up to a car park neat the top of the hill or, if one is interested in obtaining more karma, one can walk up the nearly four hundred steps on the eastern side. The hill is locally known as Monkey Hill, as the charming creatures swarm all about the temples, the steps, and the trees. The view of the valley from the top is nothing short of spectacular.
Swayambhunath Stupa watches over the Valley from the top of the hill on its western side. The huge stupa is one of the holiest Buddhists sites in Nepal and its establishment is linked to the creation of the Kathmandu Valley out of a primordial lake. The 2,500 year old monument is a holy site replete with symbols. The mound represents the four elements of earth, fire, wind and water. The 13 gilded rings of the spire symbolize the 13 steps of the ladder leading to Nirvana, the final salvation. The shrine is bedecked in colorful prayer flags.
Behind the Swayambhunath Stupa is the pagoda-style Hariti Temple. This temple has a beautiful image of Hariti, the goddess of smallpox and fertility. This Hindu goddess indicates the interweaving of Hinduism and Buddhism in Nepal. It’s hard to distinguish the two, especially since they are also interwoven with the exotica of Tantrism on a background of animistic cults from the past.
