Kathmandu Durbar Square, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is one of three squares within Kathmandu Valley in Nepal. Durbar Square (durbar translates to “palace” or “a court held by a prince”) is an important site for Buddhist and Hindu rituals, holy ceremonies, royal events, and kingly coronations.

Built in the shape of a mandala designed to replicate the Gyangtse of Tibet, the stupa was renovated by Licchhavi rulers in the 8th century. The location of the stupa is interesting as it once lay on the ancient trade route to Tibet and it was here that Tibetan merchants rested and offered prayers for many centuries. It is one of the major pilgrimage sites for Buddhists from around the world.

Pashupatinath Temple is one of the seven UNESCO Cultural Heritage Sites of the Kathmandu Valley. It is also a cremation site where the last rites of Hindus are performed. The rituals of cremation is not for the faint hearted; still visitors are seen watching curiously from across the river from the hillside. Visit Pashupatinath Temple for an out-of-this-world experience.

Unlike Kathmandu and Patan, Bhaktapur has resisted rapid change, and a large number of women in Bhaktapur are still seen in their traditional Newari attire in black and red. Pottery, farming, singing in the temples or just sitting in the rest houses in the mornings and evenings are a way of life they have retained for centuries. Once known as Bhadgaon (Nepali) and Khwopa (Newari) the city has maintained its festivals in their original elaborate forms, many of which last over a week. After the restoration program in the 1970s, the city’s municipality has controlled the construction of new buildings in order to maintain the brick façade. One of the most popular festivals of Bhaktapur is the Bisket Jatra which attracts a large number of tourists around the Nepali New Year.