Wondermondo 🢖 World 🢖 Wonders of Asia 🢖 Wonders of Nepal
Territory
Wonders of Nepal
Highlights
Most people at first associate Nepal with the breathtaking scenery of the Himalayas and above all – with the world’s tallest mountain – Mount Everest. But there is much more than this: wonders of Nepal are:
- Historical cities with ornate local architecture. Few can imagine how beautiful, ornate, and rich is the architecture and art of the many local cultures. For centuries there have been created such wonders as the old cities of Basantpur, Bhaktapur, and Madhyapur Thimi with a street network that might be 5,000 years old.
- Holy Buddhist sites. In present-day Nepal lived one of the most important persons of all times – Gautama Budha and here are located some of the most interesting Buddhist sites – Lumbini, Swayambhunath, Boudhanath, and others.
Extraordinary place is a group of more than 10,000 human-made caves in the Upper Mustang Valley – Muktinakh Cave Temples and many others. This is one of the possible places of the mythical Shambala.
Map with the described wonders
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Top 25 wonders of Nepal
Geological wonders
Mount Everest
Sagarmatha and also Tibet
Earth’s highest mountain, 8,848 m high.
Kali Gandaki Gorge
Dhawalagiri
The deepest gorge in the world, up to 5,571 m deep, if the bounding Annapurna summit is considered as a part of this gorge.
Archaeological wonders
Lumbini
Lumbini
One of the holiest sites for Buddhists – the location where Gautama Buddha lived, with the sacred Bodhi tree, Shakya Tank, Asokan pillar (sometimes around 245 BC), gardens, remnants of ancient monasteries, and stupas.
Sinja Valley
Karnali
Ruins of the ancient Khasi capital in the 12th – 14th century. The settlement was surrounded by massive monolithic stone columns, the city has an underground water supply system, and there were many temples. In cliffs near the city have been found some of the earliest written examples of Nepali.
Architecture wonders
Boudhanath
Bagmati
One of the largest spherical stupas in the world, it is also one of the holiest Buddhist sites in the region and was initially built in the 6th-7th century.
Bhaktapur Durbar Square
Bagmati
The historical core zone of Bhaktapur, the former capital of Bhaktapur Kingdom. This old city area contains many gorgeous buildings.
Pangboche Monastery and Pangboche Hand
Sagarmatha
In this monastery was located a hand of dead, unknown creature, a hominid that was not human. Parts of the hand were stolen in 1959, the remaining parts disappeared in 1999.
Madhyapur Thimi
Bagmati
This town may be up to 5000 years old. The street network has a regular grid layout that has very similar dimensions to the street network in the cities of Ancient Indus civilization – Mohenjo-Daro and Sirkap in Pakistan, as well as Patan in Nepal.
Patan Durbar Square
Bagmati
The gorgeous central part of a historical city, the former capital city of Malla. The floor of the square is tiled with red bricks and the square is surrounded by ornate buildings. Most of the current buildings are from the 17th century, but the history of this ancient town is much longer. Here are found 55 larger temples and 136 interesting courtyards. Heavily damaged during the earthquake on April 25, 2015.
Gorkha Palace
Gandaki
Old royal palace (oldest parts built in the 15th century or earlier) on the top of the mountain, the former capital of lands in the central part of present-day Nepal.
Basantpur Durbar Square
Bagmati
The historical core of Basantpur – a square in the front of the palace. This square is surrounded by beautiful architecture. This royal city has developed since the 3rd century AD. Both royal palaces were built in the 10th century and have been rebuilt numerous times. In the square is located also Kumari Chowk – a gilded cage that contains Raj Kumari – the girl who is selected through a mysterious process and is the embodiment of Durga – a Hindu goddess. Heavily damaged during the earthquake on April 25, 2015.
Sankhu
Bagmati
An ancient, well-preserved town that was founded in the 2nd century AD.
Pashupatinath Temple
Bagmati
The largest and most sacred Shiva temple in the world. First temple here was established in the 5th century AD.
Khumjung Monastery
Sagarmatha
In this monastery is located a purported scalp of yeti. Research shows that it is a fake that is made of Himalayan serow skin.
Lo Manthang
Dhawalagiri
Walled medieval city high in the Himalayas (3,840 m). Founded in 1380, many original structures survive up to this day.
Changu Narayan
Bagmati
A beautiful Hindu temple, considered to be the oldest temple in Nepal, sacred place since the 3rd century AD or earlier. This beautiful temple contains art values from the 5th and 12th centuries, including stone pillar with inscriptions from the 5th century.
Janaki Mandir (Ram Janaki Temple)
Janakpur
One of the biggest temples in Nepal with unusual and impressive architecture. Constructed in 1898.
Maya Devi Temple
Lumbini
The main temple at Lumbini – the birthplace of Gautama Buddha. The site contains remnants of an ancient tree shrine that is dated before 550 BC – the oldest Buddhist shrine (or pre-Buddhist shrine?) in the world. Above this structure stands a later brick shrine from the 3rd century BC. This could be the site of the sacred tree – an important feature in Buddhism.
Panauti
Bagmati
A historical city that has been preserved throughout the centuries without notable changes. In the city are located numerous temples, the oldest from the 13th century. The city is an important center of culture up to this day.
Hanuman Dhoka
Bagmati
Royal palace – a group of outstanding buildings. The oldest part is from the 16th century, the palace was used by the royal family until 1886. Contains such interesting buildings as Basantpur Tower with nine floors and erotic images carved on its struts, Panch Mukhi Hanuman Temple with unique design, and many other impressive structures.
Khokana
Bagmati
This traditional Newari village has been preserved so well that it represents a kind of living museum. Here is extracted mustard oil with traditional techniques.
55 Window Palace
Bagmati
A beautiful royal palace, built in 1427 and rebuilt in 1754 by the last king of Bhaktapur. The entrance to the palace leads through The Golden Gate (Lu Dhowka) – a very ornate, gold-plated gate.
Patan Krishna Mandir
Bagmati
A beautiful temple, built in 1637. Temple is very ornate, with 21 golden pinnacles.
Kirtipur
Bagmati
An ancient city, the center of Newar culture. The history of the city starts in 1099 AD and here have been preserved many valuable monuments of architecture.
Muktinath cave temples and other rock shelters of Upper Mustang Valley
Dhawalagiri
Ritseling cave has exquisite cave paintings from the 12th – 14th centuries, similar to paintings in Ajanta Caves. In nearby caves have been discovered Tibetan Bön manuscripts and also at least 2 thousand years old burials. In total in Mustang valley are some 10,000 man-made cave shelters and temples.
Recommended books
Nepal – Culture Smart!: The Essential Guide to Customs & Culture
Culture Smart! provides essential information on attitudes, beliefs, and behavior in different countries, ensuring that you arrive at your destination aware of basic manners, common courtesies, and sensitive issues. These concise guides tell you what to expect, how to behave, and how to establish a rapport with your hosts. This inside knowledge will enable you to steer clear of embarrassing gaffes and mistakes, feel confident in unfamiliar situations, and develop trust, friendships, and successful business relationships. Culture Smart! offers illuminating insights into the culture and society of a particular country.
A Beard In Nepal
‘A Beard In Nepal’ is the story of the five months Tod and Fiona spent in a small, remote village high in the Himalayas of Nepal, attempting to teach English to the village children.
It is the story of an ordinary (?) middle-aged couple from Liverpool who did an extraordinary thing and lived to tell the tale.