- published: 18 Sep 2012
- views: 1718
The Kathmandu Valley (Nepal Bhasa: नेपाः स्वनिगः Nepāḥ Svanigaḥ [nepaː sʷoniɡəː], Nepali: काठमाडौँ उपत्यका), located in Nepal, lies at the crossroads of ancient civilizations of Asia, and has at least 130 important monuments, including several places of pilgrimage for the Hindus and the Buddhists. There are seven UNESCO World Heritage Sites within this valley. Historically, only the Kathmandu Valley was referred to as "Nepal" by people who lived outside the valley. After the annexation of the valley by the Gorkha kingdom, and subsequent conversion of the valley as the capital of their empire, this designation of "Nepal" was extended to every land they conquered. The valley itself was referred to as "Nepal Proper" by British historians.
The city of Kathmandu is named after a structure in Durbar Square called Kaasthamandap. In Sanskrit, kāṣṭh (काष्ठ) = "wood" and maṇḍap (मंडप/मण्डप) = "covered shelter." This unique temple, also known as Maru Satal, was built in 1596 CE 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. As the city has many temples, it is also known as the City of Temples.
Kathmandu (Nepali: काठमांडौ [kɑːʈʰmɑːɳɖuː]; Nepal Bhasa: येँ देय्) is the capital and, with more than one million inhabitants, the largest metropolitan city of Nepal. The city is the urban core of the Kathmandu Valley in the Himalayas, which contains two sister cities: Lalitpur (Patan), 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) to its south and Bhaktapur or Bhadgaon, 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) to its east, and a number of smaller towns. It is also acronymed as 'KTM' and named 'tri-city'. In the last census (2001), the city of Kathmandu had 671,846 inhabitants. Population estimates for 2005 were 790,612 and for 2010 they stood at 989,273. The municipal area is (50.67 square kilometres (19.56 sq mi)) and the population density is 19,500 per km².
The city stands at an elevation of approximately 1,400 metres (4,600 ft) in the bowl-shaped valley in central Nepal surrounded by four major hills: Shivapuri, Phulchowki, Nagarjun and Chandragiri. Kathmandu valley is part of three districts, Kathmandu District, Lalitpur District and Bhaktapur District, with the highest population density in the country and accounting for about 1/15 of its population. These three disticts contain 2.5 million people, as of the 2011 census.
The Kathmandu Valley Experience
Beautiful Kathmandu valley.
Kathmandu - Valley of the Gods Vacation Travel Video Guide
Having Fun at Kathmandu Valley Water Park
Buddhist & Hindu Temples in Kathmandu valley, Nepal in HD
History of Nepal.Vintage Kathmandu. Views of Ancient Kathmandu.
Explore Bhaktapur and Nagarkot in Kathmandu Valley Nepal
Anobha Gurung on Air Pollution in Kathmandu Valley, Nepal
Old Kathmandu valley
Bhaktapur, Kathmandu Valley, Nepal in HD
Music from Nepal - kathmandu valley [with download link]
Kathmandu Valley mesmerize me
Kathmandu Valley Tour | Sightseeing Kathmandu Valley NEST Adventure
HISTORY of Kathmandu Nepal my diary 1978 full documentary