Nepal 2010

Durbar Square, Kathmandu

Durbar Square, holds the palaces of the Malla and Shah kings who ruled over the city. Along with these palaces, the square also surrounds quadrangles revealing courtyards and temples. The square is presently known as Hanuman Dhoka, a name derived from the statue of Hanuman, the monkey devotee of Lord Ram, near the entrance of the palace. The oldest temples in the square are those built by Mahendra Malla (1560-1574). They are the temples of Jagannath, Kotilingeswara Mahadev, Mahendreswara, and the Taleju Temple. The Durbar square is surrounded by spectacular architecture and vividly showcases the skills of the Newari artists and craftsmen over several centuries. The royal palace was originally situated at Dattaraya square and was only later moved to the Durbar square location.

The Monkey Temple, Kathmandu

The Monkey Temple is an ancient religious complex at the top of a hill in the Kathmandu Valley, west of Kathmandu city. The reason for it being named the Monkey Temple is its permanent monkey inhabitants, who live around the complex begging food from the tourists. The ascent up to the top of the Monkey Temple is an impressively steep climb and rewarded by the spectacular views of the city. At the top of the mount is the Buddhist Stupa and various Hindu places of worship; Hinduism and Buddhism sit very closely and comfortably along side one another in Nepal.

On the day of my visit to the Monkey Temple, I met a Buddhist monk in one of the shrines at the top, near the Stupa. I asked to take his photograph and happily he accepted. As well as taking his photo, I asked ‘why had he chosen to become a Buddhist monk’. Expecting to hear an explanation regarding great religious devotion, he simply said that he had been the middle son of his family; and becoming a monk was a duty and a matter of honour.

Garden of Dreams, Kaiser Mahal, Kathmandu, Nepal

Kathmandu is one of the dirtiest cities I have ever come across. However in amidst the dirt and squalor is an oasis of splendour in the form of the “Garden of Dreams” the Kaiser Mahal. The Garden was famous as the garden of Six Seasons which was created by late Field Marshal Kaiser Sumsher Rana (1892-1964) in early 1920. After the completion of this Garden, it was considered as one of the most sophisticated private gardens of its time.  Within the Garden walls, Kaiser Sumsher created an exquisite ensemble of pavilions, fountains, decorative garden furnitures and European inspired features such as verandas, pergolas, balustrades, urns and birdhouses. He erected six impressive pavilions, each dedicated to one of the six seasons of Nepal. The park is surrounded by a circle of trees which filters out the pollution from the air; which Kathmandu is famous for. This creates an amazing respite from the noise and hubbub of the crowded city. The park gardens are public now and contain a restaurant with prices beyond the reach of most ordinary citizens of Kathmandu.