Nepal’s capital city, Kathmandu, is a living history, religion, and culture in one. A day tour of its places

reveals the true spirit of this urban city. Spend a day with us, early morning sunrise view at Nagarkot, then

a series of day out trips to Bhaktapur Durbar Square, Changunarayan Temple, and Pashupatinath Temple,

and conclude with the sacred Aarati ceremony on Bagmati River.

We left Kathmandu in the pre-morning hours when it was morning at 5:00 AM. It was serene and peaceful

to Nagarkot, a hill station located 32 km to the east of Kathmandu. During climbing the rolling hills, break

of day was approaching and pink and orange color could be seen at the horizon.

We reached Nagarkot at sun rise time. We were alone in the location and snow topped Langtang range

mountains were gleaming in golden brown morning sun color. Enchanting time when all you are left with

is nature’s beauty and serenity which it spreads around you.

Having our breakfast in the morning, we visited Bhaktapur Durbar Square, the medieval Nepalese

architecture living museum and the World Heritage Site. The square was deserted during the morning

hours, and we therefore walked its beautifully decorated temples, palaces, and courtyards without any

tourists to disturb us.

55-Window Palace, the Golden Gate, and Nyatapola Temple were works of art and art of the Malla

dynasty. Cobblestone streets twisting upwards, the aroma of opened roadside juju dhau (King Curd)

tempts us off the street and forces us to pull over and sample some of this Bhaktapur specialty.   

The other two were Changunarayan Temple, an ancient temple built during the 4th century in dedication

to Lord Vishnu. It is placed on a hill and is ringed by towering forests. The temple walls held magnificent

carvings of Hindu mythology that gave us information on Nepal’s religion and art back in the nineteenth

century.

Inside the temple complex, we had the museum, and it was great to have a mix of historical relics, seeds,

and the tools used by the locals hundreds of years ago. It was great to observe how much Nepalese

culture and heritage rely on its past.

Noon time for lunch was set to indulge in the Nepali traditional lunch at one of the restaurants making an

effort to reach Changunarayan. Gundruk, momos, and dal bhat won the title of Nepali food. Relax during

lunch, we enjoyed to relish the morning fruits with wonder at the depth of history and spirituality which

we just ventured into.

When the sun in the late afternoon began to set, we visited Pashupatinath Temple, the world’s holiest

Hindu temple. Foreigners are not permitted within the inner temple, but the outer courtyards and ghats

were a richly rewarding experience.

Walking hand in hand by the banks of the Bagmati River, we witnessed death and life enter and exit. The

cremation sites where they were incinerating human bodies taught us the impermanence of life. Such a

sorrowful experience, an experience that made us reflect on our very self and those things which are

timeless that bind all human beings together.

We reached in the evening with more than 500 pilgrims and tourists to see the Pashupatinath evening

Aarati. Chants were sung, the pilgrims’ humming, the orange gold oil lamp spheres dance circles, and the

singing all merged together in harmony to create heaven a moment of oneness.

Aarati ceremony along the Bagmati River was the icing on the cake as it concluded our day in the most

scenic way possible. The river was moving slowly and priests reciting mantras in front of Lord Shiva. It was

pleasing and wonderful to witness hundreds of vibrant individuals running with enthusiasm.

Closing Thoughts

Our journey back to Kathmandu was no travel writer’s guide of sites; it was a return home in time, religion,

and culture. From the peaceful dawn at Nagarkot, through Bhaktapur and Changunarayan’s ancient

temples, and on to Pashupatinath’s sacred center at last, each of our pilgrimages was a testament to

Nepalese rich texture.

And as we traveled back to Kathmandu, lights of the city glimmering miles away in the distance, within us

was a sense of peace and a sense of man. Kathmandu, history, religion, and tradition had imprinted itself

on our very soul.