Kathmandu

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Kathmandu (Nepali: काठमाडौं, काठमान्डु, Nepal Bhasa: येँ) is the capital and the largest city of Nepal. The city is situated in Kathmandu Valley that also contains two other cities - Patan and Bhaktapur. The original inhabitants of Kathmandu are called Newars, who speak a language called Nepal Bhasa. However, Nepali is the lingua franca of the valley and is the most widely spoken language. The city stands at an elevation of approximately 2,230 m (6,235 ft) and is inhabited by about 700,000 people. Kathmandu is the most developed city in Nepal.

[edit] History

The earliest known inscription in the Kathmandu Valley is dated 185 AD. The oldest firmly dated building in the earthquake-prone valley is almost 1,992 years old. It is said that Gautama Buddha was born in a town called Kapilbastu 6^th century BC, although there is no evidence for this. Four stupas around the city of Patan said to have been erected by Charumati, daughter of Ashoka the Great, a Mauryan king, in the 3^rd century BC attest to the ancient history present within the valley. 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 AD were the next rulers of the valley and had close ties with the Gupta Dynasty of India. The Malla Dynasty consisted of Newar rulers, who ruled Kathmandu Valley and the surrounding area from the 12^th century till the 17^th century when the Shah Dynasty under Prithvi Narayan Shah conquered the valley as he created present-day Nepal. Most of ancient Nepali architecture present in Nepal today is from the Malla/Newar era.

The city of Kathmandu is named after a structure in Durbar Square called Kaasthamandap. In Sanskrit, Kaasth (काष्ठ) = "wood" and Mandap (मंडप/मण्डप) = "covered shelter." This unique temple, also known as Maru Satal, was built in 1596 A.D. 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.

Kathmandu is also sometimes called "Kantipur". Newars, the native people of the Kathmandu valley use the original term from Nepal Bhasa, Yne.

[edit] Present

Kathmandu is home to most of the government offices, embassies, corporate houses, and the palace. The King's Palace stands right next to Thamel - the tourist hub of the country. Thamel consists of two parallel streets just to the west of the palace. It is home to different hotels, ranging from different stars. The palace is at the head of Durbar Marg, a street lined with various shops.

Most of the streets in Kathmandu are named from Nepal Bhasa, owing its origin to the rich Newari Culture and heritage.

The "old" city is noted for its many Buddhist and Hindu temples and palaces, most dating to the 17^th century. Many of these landmarks have been damaged by earthquakes and pollution. 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. 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.

Kathmandu has been popular with western tourists since the 1960s when it became a key stop on the hippie trail, when Jho: Chhee (Nepal Bhasa, continuous house)(Freak Street) was the one of the main location. It is also the subject of a popular Bob Seger song for the same reason.

Tribhuvan International Airport is located about 6 km from the city center, offering domestic and international flights.

[edit] Geography

The city is located in northwestern part of Kathmandu valley. The Kathmandu Valley covers an area of 218 sq. miles. It is situated at 1336m above the sea level. Bagmati, Bishnumati, and Tukucha rivers wind through the city.

[edit] Administrative divisions

The metropolitan has been divided into 5 sectors by metropolitan authorities as follows^[2]

[edit] Central sector

The central sector consists of wards 1, 5, 11, 31, 32 and 33.

[edit] East sector

The east sector consists of wards 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 34 and 35.

[edit] North sector

The north sector consists of wards 2, 3, 4, 16, 29.

[edit] City core

The city core consists of wards 17, 18, 19, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 30, 12, 20, 21, 22 and 23. This is the most densely populated part of the city. This part consists of most of the historical and cultural monuments of the city.

[edit] West sector

The west sector consists of wards 13, 14 and 15.

[edit] Demographics

According to 2001 census, there are 152155 houses in the metropolitan city^[3]. Kathmandu metropolitan authorities estimate the number of people living in the city to be around 700,000 people ^[4] The largest ethnic groups are Newars, Brahmins and Kshetris. The major languages are Nepali and Nepal Bhasa. The major religions are Hinduism and Buddhism.

[edit] Government

The city is looked after by Kathmandu metropolitan office located at Bagdarbar. The city hosts Singhadarbar, the government seat of Nepal (with office of Prime Minister, Supreme Court and Senate). Most of the ministries are present in the Singha Darbar premises. The Royal Palace is located in central part of city in ward number 1.

[edit] Economy

Kathmandu houses most of the banks, business houses, offices, organizations and share market of Nepal. The busiest economic centers are New Road of Kathmandu, Ason, Putalisadak and Darbar Marg.

Freak Street and Thamel are main tourist areas important for tourism.

[edit] Cultural impact

Cat Stevens wrote a song titled "Katmandu" which appeared in his 1970 album, Mona Bone Jakon.

Rock musician Bob Seger wrote a song titled "Katmandu" which appeared on his 1975 album, Beautiful Loser.

A Russian rock band Krematorij had a song titled "Kathmandu" on their 2000 album Three Springs.

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.

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

In some travelogues, the Kathmandu valley has been referred to as the "Emerald Valley".

[edit] Gallery

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

[edit] Sister cities

• Image:Flag of the United States.svg Eugene, Oregon, USA
• Image:Flag of Japan.svg Matsumoto, Nagano, Japan
• Image:Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg Xi'an, People's Republic of China
• Image:Flag of Myanmar.svg Yangon, Myanmar
• Image:Flag of Belarus.svg Minsk, Belarus
• Image:Flag of North Korea.svg P'yŏngyang, North Korea

[edit] See also

• Tribhuvan International Airport
• Kathmandu valley

[edit] Footnotes

[edit] External links

• Kathmandu travel guide from Wikitravel
• european union cultural centre
• Air pollution status in Kathmandu
• Images and Photos from Kathmandu
• Kathmandu images on Flickr
• Kathmandu Valley and other interesting places to visit in Nepal
• Explore and Discover Kathmandu on a digital Map

Coordinates: 27°43′N, 85°22′E

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