Saturday, March 1, 2014

Nepal Travels

I've been on the road for work (and a little sight seeing) for about 10 days.  Tomorrow we go to Pokhra, 2nd largest city in Nepal, for a quick 1.5-


day look around.  It's famous for great views of the highest peaks of the Himalayas, but it's been cloudy or rainy here for 7 days and so far, I could be living in Iowa for all I can see.  Here are 3 places I've been, including Hyderabad, in India, before we left for a conference and meeting in Kathmandu.  The blue title  at the beginning of each short description is a link to photos on FLICKR.

Hyderabad:  Hyderabad is famous for its large Muslim population, its bangles, its attar [perfume without alcohol, which is forbidden in Islam], and I’m not sure what else.  The one free day I had we went to Char Minar, the outdoor bazaar, and these few photos are from there. 


The Golden Temple, Patan, Kathmandu, Nepal:
This 3 story golden pagoda of Shakyamuni (Lord Buddha) was built in the 13th century by King Bhaskar Verma.  On the walls are paintings depicting a complete life history of Buddha.  There are large prayer wheels, and places for prayer situated around the courtyard, with people in outside alcoves preparing their puja (offerings) and others reciting prayers.  Toward the end of these photos are some photos of the incredible Durbar Square in Patan, an area of Kathmandu.  Patan was once the capital of a powerful independent kingdom, and is the oldest city in the Kathmandu Valley. These buildings are exquisite examples of Newari architecture from the 18th century, with a royal palace along one side and assorted temples grouped in the remaining public space.


Boudhanath, Kathmandu, Nepal:  The great white stupa at Boudha is one of the world’s largest stupas.  It is also the most important Tibetan Buddhist monument outside of Tibet.  Since 1959 Boudha has been the focus for Tibetan exiles in Nepal, but it has been a sacred site on the Kathmandu-Tibet trade route for centuries. 

2 comments:

  1. Thanks for the tour of Nepal. I left comments on flickr. Have a good rest after your travels.

    ReplyDelete
  2. the whole collection is so light filled and colorful... Loved it... not so cold this time? Enjoy your next stop!

    ReplyDelete