Around kathmandu Sightseen

Bungamati temple:

Bungamati is described as a medieval village.It is the birthplace of Rato Machhendranath, regarded as the patron of the valley, and the large shikhara – style temple in the centre of the village square is his home for six months of the year. He spends the rest of his time in Patan. The process of moving him around Patan and backwards and forwards to Bungamati is central to one of the most important annual festivals in the valley. The chowk around the temple is one of the most beautiful in the valley – here one can see the heart of a functioning Newari town. There are many chortens and a huge prayer wheel, clearly pointing to the syncretic nature of the Newari religion. There are women sitting outside spinning, men crushing seeds, and other daily activities. Between Bungamati and Khokana the Karya Binayak Temple is dedicated to Ganesh.

Godawari Botanical Garden:It was opened in 1962 and nowadays there are approximately 500 specimens of flowering and non-flowering plants, including some 66 different species of fern, 115 orchids, 77 cacti and succulents, and about 200 trees and shrubs, some of them endangered or rare. The Garden covers 200 acres of the natural forest-land with a rushing spring of the Godavari river. Also there are 256 varieties of birds and 300 variations of the butterfly.

Patan Durbar Square:
Patan, the oldest of all the three cities of Kathmandu valley. It is the best known for its artistic heritage. It is probably one of the oldest Buddhist City in the world. The city is situated on a plateau across Bagmati River. Another name of Patan, is Lalitpur. The city is surrounded by 4Stupas as 4 corners of Patan, one at each corner of its cardinal points. These stupas are said to have been built by the famous Emperor Ashoka. This is one of the most elegant architectural treasures of which Patan is very proud. About the beauty of Patan, a western lady writer has to say this - "Patan means eternity itself and Patan Durbar Square is the spectacular sight of Asia indeed". Really it is full of Hindu temples and Buddhist monuments with bronze gateways, guardian deities and wonderful carvings and many visitors come here to see the these monuments. Patan Durbar square is the famous visiting place. The square is full of ancient places, temples, and shrines noted for their exquisite carvings.

Budhanilkantha: is situated below Shivapuri hill at the northern end of the Valley. It is about 9 km from the city center. The hub of the temple complex is a pond in which lies a 5 meter (17 feet) long great stone figure of Hindu god Bishnu reclining on the coils of a cosmic serpent. The figure has been estimated to have been found buried in the ground in its original state more than thousand years ago.

Bhaktapur Durbar Square:

The art and architecture and the special layout here will give you a feeling of inner harmony . The Palace of 55 Windows built during the period of King Bhupatindra Malla in 1754 situated to the left as you enter through the city gate, inspires admiration. The National Art Gallery is also housed inside. The palace entrance, the Golden Gate known as Sunko Dhoka in Nepali is a masterpiece in repousse art. In front of the palace building is a medley of temples of various designs. Amongst the three Durbar Squares in the Valley, the Durbar Square in Bhaktapur is the best preserved one.

Chovar

Located on southern part of Kathmandu valley, Chovar is the place with historical as well as cultural value.
Legend hasit that the gorge was carved out by a mighty blow of the sword by Manjushree Who wanted to drain the lake that filled Kathmandu Valley in ancient times.Driving of about an hour from kathmandu to chovar and hiking starts with uphill route with beautiful view of Chovar Village There is a small temple of Adinath on the top of the hill with a completed view of snow-capped mountain peaks.

Dakshinkali and Pharping Monastry:Pharping lies about two hours by bus from Ratna Park outside of Kathmandu. For Hindus its a very sacred place too and well known, because of the Dakshin Kali temple that lies in the valley near Pharping.Tsoknyi Rinpoche said in one of his teachings, that for Vajrayana practitioner Pharping is as holy as Bodhgaya. Pharping, a town south of Kathmandu in Nepal, is identified with the sacred site of Yangleshö, where Guru Padmasambhava attained the level of a Mahamudra vidyadhara. There are two major practice caves in Pharping blessed by Guru Rinpoche: the Asura cave and the Yangleshö cave. Pharping also has several monasteries, temples and retreat centres, including an important Vajrayogini temple, Chatral Rinpoche's monastery, and the Palyul Retreat Centre, which is the residence of Khenpo Namdrol Rinpoche and home to the Rigpa Shedra.

Kapan:Just north of the ancient Buddhist town of Boudhanath is the Kopan hill (pictured left), rising up out of the terraced fields of the Kathmandu valley and visible for miles. Dominated by a magnificent Bodhi tree, it was once the home of the astrologer to the king of Nepal. It was to this hill that these lama"s came with their first Western students in 1969.Kopan Monastery had its beginnings in the Solu-khumbu region of the Himalayan mountains. Now, Kopan is a thriving monastery of 360 monks, mainly from Nepal and Tibet, and a spiritual oasis for hundreds of visitors yearly from around the world.

Vajra Yogini: The Vajrayogini temple (17th Century) is located on the flanks of the hills 1.5 km north of Sankhu. Vajrayogini, is surrounded by several monuments and freestanding statues. Large parts of the traditional settlement of Sankhu still retain their original character, with many of the monuments having been restored over the years.The Vajrayogini Temple Complex and the early settlement of Sankhu are culturally and historically related to the Monument Zones of the Kathmandu Valley World Heritage Site. "Vajrayogini and the Early Settlement of Sankhu" can be considered as a possible future extension to the Kathmandu Valley World Heritage Site.