Kathmandu is situated in a bowl shaped valley in central Nepal. The Kingdom extends about 885 km. east to west and 193 km.in width north to south. The entire terrain is like a steep incline, descending from the icy Himalayan heights to the hot Terai flatland within a short distance. Kathmandu is the capital of the kingdom, situated in a valley which is an open air museum of famous sites, ancient temples and shrines, golden pagodas and are inspiring deities, is a city of inexhaustible historic artistic and cultural interest. Several beautiful and interesting villages and towns surrounding the valley offer ideal destinations for mini treks. The dazzling Himalayan peaks are visible from several points on the mountains around the valley. Kathmandu City: Hanuman Dhoka (Durbar Square), Built between the 12th and the 18th centuries, this complex of palaces, courtyards and temples is the historic seat of royalty. It used to be the seat of ancient Malla kings of Kathmandu.
The durbar Square, protected as a UNESCO World heritage site, epitomizes the religious and cultural life of the people. Other than a 17th - century stone inscription set into the wall of the palace with writings in 15 languages, interesting things to see here are: Taleju Temple (Built by King Mahendra Malla in 1549 A.D., Kal Bhairav, the god of Destruction Nautalle Darbar, Coronation Nasal Chowk, the Gaddi Baithak, the statue of king Pratap Malla, the big bell, big drum, the Jagannath Temple and three museums including the numismatic museum and the Tribhuvan Museum.
Pasupatinath: Situated five kilometres east of Kathmandu on the bank of sacred
Bagmati River, the temple of lord Shiva Pasupatinath with two tiered golden roof and silver doors is famous for its super architecture. It is a centre of annual pilgrimage on the day of Maha Shivratri.
Boudhanath: Boudhanath is among the largest stupas in South Asia, and it has become the focal point of Tibetan Buddhism in Nepal. The white mound looms thirty-six meters overhead. When refugees entered Nepal from Tibet in the 1950s, many of them decided to live around Boudhanath.
