nomadsally: BHAKTAPUR AND BODHNATH TOUR

Bhaktapur

THE BEAUTIFUL MEDIEVAL CITY OF BRICKS AND CARVED WOOD

HINDU NAYATAPOLA TEMPLE
HIGHEST IN THE VALLEY

Even though Lonely Planet travel guide stated that Bhaktapur's architecture is the most outstanding of all Nepal, I was totally overwhelmed with the beauty of its buildings and streets. Never have I seen so many brick structures - roads and buildings. And the carved wooden doors, pillars, window coverings, and other embellishments were spectacular. And to think that the Newar people were the craftsmen for most of this city of 100,000,

Serving as a medieval trade route center, building began in the 12th century . Then from the 14th to 16th Century, Bhaktapur became the most powerful of the three Malla kingdom of the region. The other two being Patan and Kathmandu.

Being a World Heritage Site helps the city maintain its treasured resource, but the people seem to be involved in its care and maintainance. The cleanliness and life seemed to be much more managable than in Kathmandu.

Watch for a much more detailed story of Bhaktapur in later posts.

GOLDEN GATE
HINDU TEMPLE ENTRY DOOR
FORMER KING'S DOOR

JAPANESE TOURISTS AT GOLDEN GATE

INSIDE THE GOLDEN GATE
ONLY HINDUS CAN ENTER

MORE ABOUT BHAKTAPUR TO COME......IN LATER POST!

BODNATH STUPA
BUDDHIST

ENTRY TO THE STUPA

FULL VIEW OF STUPA
A PILGRIMAGE SITE

Another site we visited was the huge Buddhist Stupa, Bodhnath. This ancient stupa, first built in 600, when the Tibetan King Songsten Gampo first converted to Buddhism. It is said that the King built the stupa for penance for having killed killed his father.

Unfortunately the first stupa was destroyed by the Mughal invaders in the 14th century so the current stupa is of a more contemporary design. It is most graceful from its whitewashed dome to it gilded tower painted with the eyes of Buddha.

The area surrounding the stupa seems to always be filled with Tibetan refugees and pilgrims from near and afar.