“Shop till you drop” should be your motto as Kathmandu is a shoppers’ paradise. The remarkable choices of handicrafts made in Nepal are immensely popular throughout the world. The brilliant workmanship and artistic creations are unique. Much of the handicrafts also carry religious significance and in fact many are meant for religious purposes. Nepal ranks high when it comes to making statues and statuettes of copper, bronze, silver or gold...
With the thrills of outdoor activities Nepal also offers city fun for its visitors. While visitors enjoy the rustic by simply beholding spectacular sights and partaking in the activities of exotic cultures, in cities like Kathmandu and Pokhara some entertainment is on par with western world. Visitors have a choice from a potpourri of amusements. They can: partake in cultural shows that include theater and local art; wine and dine at premier hotels that provide excellent...
Everything festive in Nepal traditionally begins with something religious and moves with spontaneous spirit into a pleasant family feast. This is because, for Nepali's, relegion has always influenced and has been the core of Nepali culture. Most of the festivals celebrated in Nepal are religious. However, they can be generally divided into four sections keeping in mind the main aspects of the festival emphasized:...
Nepal is basically known for its altitudinal variations, ranging between 100 m above the sea level to pinnacle of the Earth, the Mt. Everest. This fact describes Nepal as the mountainous country encompassing many sky-penetrating mountains with lush green meadows, serene hills and deepest gorge. Notable among hill stations include: Bandipur, Nagarkot, Dhulikhel, Tansen, Gorkha amongst others....
Located at the confluence of the Saptakoshi and Koka rivers, is 20km away from a town in eastern Nepal-Dharan. Baraha-chhetra is among the four great Hindu pilgrimages. Here, the Boar-Baraha, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu is said to have killed the demon Hiranakshya. Apart from the main shrine dedicated to Baraha, there are many other temples with images of the Baraha in Baraha-Chhetra. Every year on the first Magh (November),...
Further east from Hile, is the little settlement of Basantapur with a few lodges for tourists and local travelers. It lies on the route to the Kanchenjunga region which is one of the less traveled trekking destinations in Nepal. Being on an important route to the north-east, there are many travelers passing every day. The area is known for a large variety of rhododendrons and during spring, the upper regions are resplendent in many colored flowers that grace ...
Speckled with numerous exemplary works of art and architecture, Kathmandu Valley stands a testimony to ancient Nepal's inclination toward the aesthetics. Several monuments in the Valley have been listed by UNESCO as World Heritage Sites. Lumbini, the birthplace of Lord Buddha, is the only World Heritage Site outside the Valley in South Nepal. Like architecture, most artwork of Nepal is based on religion. Artworks range from the famous...
Butterflies are beautiful colorful creatures and they have been studied in Nepal for over 150 years. In the early days of the Raj, the British residents and their subordinates took considerable interest in butterflies and managed to collect quite a number of species which they meticulously studied and catalogued. After 1950, it was the Japanese who took particular interest in collecting butterfly species through scientific expeditions. This later resulted in the...
Nepal and specially the Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve in the eastern tarai is a bird watcher’s paradise. Nepal boasts of more than 850 species of birds, and a surprisingly large number of these birds can be spotted in the Kathmandu valley alone. The hills around the valley especially Nagarjun, Godavari and Phulchowki are popular birding areas and the Tauda lake on the way to Dakshinkali is fabulous for watching migratory water...
Ever since Eric Valli published a book and made a film on Honey Hunting, it has received immense publicity. This is an ancient tradition handed down through generations. Requiring remarkable skills, it is undertaken by experienced villagers who hang from cliffs as tall as 300m with the help of home-made hemp ropes and ladders. The wild bees choose difficult perches high on steep rock faces for their hives.
One of the most interesting museums is the National Museum of Nepal in Chauni near Swoyambhu, which was established in 1928 as an Arsenal Museum in a historical building constructed during the premiership of General Bhimsen Thapa. The museum was initially known as Chhauni Silkhana which literally means "the stone house of arms and ammunitions". It was opened as a public museum in the year 1938 by the then...
Nepali classical music has its origins in the Rig Veda. Later, the metrical chanting of its hymns found its expression in the songs of Sama Veda. Since then classical music has been a part of the Nepali music sphere. The tradition of playing classical music has been handed down from generation to generation. The classical structure of a melody is known as Raga, and there are hundreds of Ragas either played on musical instruments...
There are different types of Nepali food depending on the region the kind of food belongs to but most Nepalis have Dal (lentil soup), Bhat (steamed rice) and Tarkari (curried vegetables). It is often accompanied by aachar (pickles). Curried meat is popular, but since meat is expensive people save it for special occasions. Tibetan influences increase as you go north and perenial favorites like momo s (steamed or fried dumplings stuffed with meat), are widely available...
Meditation has gained immense popularity in the last decade. There are many meditation centers in and around Kathmandu. The prominent ones are listed below: Mahayana Buddhist Himalayan Yogic Institute located in Baluwater, conducts regular evening meditations and weekly dharma teachings (donation) and hosts a revolving schedule of day-long workshops and courses...
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