Today we will go sightseeing around Kathmandu valley. After breakfast, you will be picked up via private vehicle in your hotel. World heritage sights that we will tour today include the Pashupatinath Temple, Bouddhanath, Swayambhunath and Kathmandu Durbar square.
In the early morning, we will go to the Pashupatinath temple and visit the area around the temple. Considered one of the holiest locations for Hindu’s the temple complex is very large and includes a “Ghat”. A ghat is a riverside cemetery for cremating dead bodies. The main temple is dedicated to lord Shiva with numerous other temples surrounding the area.
Bouddhanath is a large stupa also known as “Khasti Chaitya”. It is one of the largest stupas in the world and the largest dome stupa. The stupa is said to hold the remains of Kassyapa Buddha who lived many eons before the Buddha of our time, Shakyamuni. Numerous monasteries deck the area. Many Tibetan restaurants are nearby where you can have a taste of Tibetan cuisine also.
Swayambhunath is another large stupa said to have been created when Manjusri, the Bidhisattva drained the ancient Lake which filled Kathmandu valley. There is a park surrounding the main stupa and numerous temples and shrines are nearby as well. Three large statues of Amitabha Buddha, Avakokiteshvara and Guru Rinpoche are found in the area.
The last location we visit is the Kathmandu durbar square with a large Bhairava statue and numerous temples and the Hanuman Dhoka museum. The area has a nice ambiance to walk and explore and numerous rooftop restaurants also.
After the tour today we return back to our hotel.
In Spring 2013 I made a trip to Tsum valley in Nepal using service of Glorious Himalaya trekking company. The trip lasts about 3 weeks. Experience was perfect – very good service, that came up to my expectations. We had perfect guide (it’s necessary in that area), who helped us to communicate with domestic people, provided us good information about places of interest, history, geography etc. of the region.
Sergey and my wife
Moscow, Russia