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Kathmandu Valley

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(Redirected from Nepal Valley)

Kathmandu Valley
काठमाडाैँ उपत्यका
Nepa Valley, नेपा: उपत्यका, 𑐳𑑂𑐰𑐣𑐶𑐐𑑅
Kathmandu Valley seen from the space by the NASA Earth Observatory
Kathmandu Valley seen from the space by the NASA Earth Observatory
Kathmandu Valley is located in Bagmati Province
Kathmandu Valley
Kathmandu Valley
Location in Province
Kathmandu Valley is located in Nepal
Kathmandu Valley
Kathmandu Valley
Kathmandu Valley (Nepal)
Kathmandu Valley is located in Asia
Kathmandu Valley
Kathmandu Valley
Kathmandu Valley (Asia)
Coordinates: 27°42′14″N 85°18′31″E / 27.70389°N 85.30861°E / 27.70389; 85.30861
Country   Nepal
ProvinceBagmati Province
DistrictsKathmandu, Lalitpur, Bhaktapur
CriteriaCultural: (iii), (iv), (vi)
Reference120bis
Inscription1979 (3rd Session)
Extensions2006
Endangered2003–2007[1]
Area665 km2 (257 sq mi)
The Durbar Square in Kathmandu

The Kathmandu Valley (Nepali: काठमाडाैँ उपत्यका), also known as the Nepal Valley, Nepa Valley or Swaniga: (Nepali: नेपाः उपत्यका, Nepal Bhasa: 𑐣𑐾𑐥𑐵𑑅 𑐐𑐵𑑅, नेपाः गाः or 𑐳𑑂𑐰𑐣𑐶𑐐𑑅, स्वनिगः), National Capital Area, is a bowl-shaped valley located in the Himalayan mountains of Nepal. It lies at the crossroads of ancient civilizations of the Indian subcontinent and the broader Asian continent, and has at least 130 important monuments, including several pilgrimage sites for Hindus and Buddhists. The valley holds seven World Heritage Sites within it.[2]

The Kathmandu Valley is the most developed and the largest urban agglomeration in Nepal with a population of about 5 million people.[3] The urban agglomeration of Kathmandu Valley includes the cities of Kathmandu, Lalitpur, Bhaktapur, Changunarayan, Budhanilkantha, Tarakeshwar, Gokarneshwar, Suryabinayak, Tokha, Kirtipur, Madhyapur Thimi, and others. The majority of offices and headquarters are located in the valley, making it the economic hub of Nepal. It is popular with tourists for its unique architecture, and rich culture which includes the highest number of jatras (festivals) in Nepal. Kathmandu Valley itself was referred to as "Nepal Proper" by British historians. As per the World Bank, the Kathmandu Valley was one of the fastest growing metropolitan areas in South Asia with 2.5 million population by 2010 and an annual growth rate of 4%.[4]

In 2015, Kathmandu Valley was hit by the April 2015 Nepal earthquake.[5] The earthquake caused thousands of deaths and the destruction of many infrastructure across the Kathmandu Valley, which included the towns of Lalitpur, Kirtipur, Madhyapur Thimi, Changunarayan, and Bhaktapur. Kathmandu is also the largest city in the Himalayan hill region.

Etymology

[edit]

Historically, the valley and adjoining areas made up a confederation known as the Nepal Mandala. Until the 15th century, Bhaktapur was its capital, when two other capitals, Kathmandu and Lalitpur, were established.[6][7][8] Until the 1960s, the Kathmandu Valley was known as the Nepala Valley or Nepa Valley.[9][10] In 1961 the valley was listed as Kathmandu District, which began referring to the valley as Kathmandu Valley.[11] The term Nepa Valley is still used among Newar people[12] and local governments,[13] while senior citizens still tend to refer to the valley as Nepal.[14] The term Swaniga (Nepal Bhasa: 𑐳𑑂𑐰𑐣𑐶𑐐𑑅, स्वनिगः) refers to the three cities of Yẽn (Nepal Bhasa: 𑐫𑐾𑑃, येँ), Yala (Nepal Bhasa: 𑐫𑐮, यल), and Khwapa (Nepal Bhasa: 𑐏𑑂𑐰𑐥, ख्वप) ie. Kathmandu, Lalitpur and Bhaktapur respectively.[15]

The Nepali name Kathmandu comes from the corruption of the word Kasthamandap (Sanskrit: काष्ठमण्डप, "Wooden pavilion"), a structure in the Kathmandu Durbar Square. This unique temple, also known as the Maru Sattal (Nepal Bhasa: 𑐩𑐬𑐸𑐳𑐟:, मरुसत:), was built in 1596 by King Lakshmi Narasimha Malla. The entire structure containes no iron nails or supports and is made entirely from wood. Legend has it that the timber used for this three-story pagoda was obtained from a single tree.[citation needed]

History

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Pashupatinath Temple, dedicated to Pashupati

Newars

[edit]

The Newars are the indigenous inhabitants and the creators of the historic civilization of the valley. Their language is known as Nepal Bhasa, not to be confused with Nepali Bhasa.[16] They are understood to be the descendants of the various ethnic and racial groups that have inhabited and ruled the valley in the two-millennium history of the place. Scholars have also described the Newars as a nation.[17]

Newari architecture consists of the pagoda, stupa, shikhara, chaitya and other styles.[18] The valley's trademark is the multiple-roofed pagoda which may have originated in this area; a famous artisan who influenced stylistic developments in China and Tibet was Araniko, a Newar who traveled to the court of Kublai Khan in the 13th century AD.[19][20]

Mythology

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Swayamhbu Stupa

According to Swayambhu Purana, the Kathmandu Valley was once a lake deemed by scientists as Paleo Kathmandu Lake[21], inhabited by Nagas. Vipassī Buddha, who lived ninety-one kalpas (aeon) ago, came on a pilgrimage and sowed the seed of a lotus in the lake which grew into a lotus flower with thousand petals. The flower emitted eternal radiant form of light with the Five Great Buddhas: Vairocana, Akshobhya, Ratnasambhava, Amitābha and Amoghasiddhi, appearing on each side of the differently coloured rays of the light. Following on the footsteps of Vipassī Buddha, Sikhī Buddha and Vessabhū Buddha came to pay homage to the lotus flower. Later on, Bodhisattva Manjushri came to the lake and pondered how to drain the lake so that people can traverse and pay homage to the radiant light. Out of his compassion, he drained the lake out of the valley by cutting a gorge at Kashapaal (now Chobhar) with his indestructible Khadga sword; and created other lakes like Taudaha to give shelter to the mythical serpents. Manjushri then established a city called Manjupatan which is believed to be the earliest settlement in the Kathmandu Valley. Swayambhu Stupa was erected on the hill where the self-arisen ray of light in a thousand-petaled lotus restested on after draining the lake.

According to Gopal Banshawali, Krishna cut the gorge with his Sudarshana Chakra to let the water out. He then handed the drained valley to the Gopal Vansi people, who were nomadic cow herders.

Geography

[edit]
Mountain view from Kathmandu Valley

The Kathmandu Valley is a cultural and political hub of Nepal. The Kathmandu Valley was accorded the status of a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in the year 1979.[22]

It is bowl-shaped. Its central lower part stands at 1,425 m (4,675 ft). Kathmandu Valley is surrounded by five mountain ranges: Shivapuri hills (at an elevation of 2,732 m (8,963 ft)), Phulchowki (2,762 m (9,062 ft)), Nagarjun (2,128 m (6,982 ft)), Champadevi (2,278 m (7,474 ft)) and Chandragiri (2,551 m (8,369 ft)). The major river flowing through the Kathmandu Valley is the Bagmati River. The valley is made up of the Kathmandu District, Lalitpur District and Bhaktapur District covering an area of 570 km2 (220 sq mi). The valley consists of various municipal areas:

Notable areas

[edit]
Dese Maru Jhya, the only window of its kind in the country
Kathmandu Durbar Square

This is an incomplete alphabetical list of notable temples and monuments in Kathmandu Valley. Seven of these are designated as UNESCO World Heritage Sites.[2]

Present

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Narayanhiti Palace Museum

This valley hosts a UNESCO World Heritage Site with seven preserved locations: the centers of the three primary cities, Kathmandu Hanuman Dhoka, Patan Durbar Square and Bhaktapur Durbar Square, the two most important Buddhist stupas, Swayambhunath and Boudhanath, and two famous Hindu shrines, Pashupatinath temple and Changu Narayan.[23] In 2003, UNESCO listed the sites as being "endangered" out of concern for the ongoing loss of authenticity and the outstanding universal value of the cultural property. The endangered status was lifted in 2007.[24]

In the past, Tibetan Buddhist Masters including Marpa, Milarepa, Rwa Lotsava, Ras Chungpa, Dharmasvamin, XIII Karmapa, 16th Karmapa, XVI Karmapa and several others visited and travelled in the Kathmandu Valley. However, the largest group of Tibetans came in the 1960s. Many settled around the Swayambhunath and Boudhanath Stupas. Many other famous Lamas known throughout the world have their Buddhist monasteries and centers in the Kathmandu Valley.[25]

The 1500-year history of funerary architecture in the valley provides some of the finest examples of stone architecture found in the subcontinent. A caitya is placed in almost all courtyards in cities like Patan.[26]

Demographics

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Kathmandu Valley has total population of 2,996,341.[27]

Kathmandu (National Capital Area)

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Kathmandu (NCT)
काठमाण्डौ (राष्ट्रिय राजधानी क्षेत्र)
Proposed Territory
Kathmandu Valley (a separate territory)
Kathmandu Valley (a separate territory)
Map
Interactive map of Kathmandu (NCT)
CountryNepal
Capital TerritoryKathmandu
Area
 • Total
902.61 km2 (348.50 sq mi)
Population
 (2021)
 • Total
2,996,341[3]

In 2015, the Government of Nepal proposed to develop Kathmandu valley as a separate national capital territory and not a part of Bagmati Province.[28][29][30]

Kathmandu Valley consists 3 Districts of Bagmati Province whose total population is 2,996,341 and total area is 933.73 km2 (360.52 sq mi)

DistrictAreaPopulation (2021)[3]
Kathmandu District413.69 km2 (159.73 sq mi)2,017,532
Bhaktapur District123.12 km2 (47.54 sq mi)430,408
Lalitpur District396.92 km2 (153.25 sq mi)548,401
Kathmandu NCT933.73 km2 (360.52 sq mi)2,996,341

Included cities

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Cities population of Kathmandu Valley as per 2021 Nepal census.[3]

Name District Population (2021) Area (km2) Density (/km2)
Kathmandu Kathmandu District 845,767 49.45[31] 17,103
Lalitpur Lalitpur District 299,843 36.12[32] 8,301
Budhanilkantha Kathmandu District 179,688 34.8[33] 5,163
Tarakeshwar Kathmandu District 151,508 54.95[34] 2,757
Gokarneshwar Kathmandu District 151,200 58.5[35] 2,585
Suryabinayak Bhaktapur District 137,971 42.45 3,250
Chandragiri Kathmandu District 136,928 43.9 3,119
Tokha Kathmandu District 135,741 17.11 7,933
Kageshwari-Manohara Kathmandu District 133,327 27.38 4,870
Madhyapur Thimi Bhaktapur District 119,955 11.47 10,458
Mahalaxmi Lalitpur District 118,710 26.51 4,478
Nagarjun Kathmandu District 115,507 29.85 3,870
Godawari Lalitpur District 100,972 96.11 1,051
Changunarayan Bhaktapur District 88,612 62.98 1,407
Kirtipur Kathmandu District 81,782 14.76 5,541
Bhaktapur Bhaktapur District 78,854 6.89 11,445
Dakshinkali Kathmandu District 26,372 42.6 619
Shankharapur Kathmandu District 29,316 60.21 487

Though Konjyoson Rural Municipality, Bagmati Rural Municipality, Mahankal Rural Municipality lies in Lalitpur they are not considered as major area of core Kathmandu Valley.

See also

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References

[edit]
  1. ↑ Royal Palaces of Abomey and Kathmandu removed from Danger List Archived 6 August 2022 at the Wayback Machine at UNESCO website
  2. 1 2 Centre, UNESCO World Heritage. "Kathmandu Valley". whc.unesco.org. Archived from the original on 31 October 2005. Retrieved 8 September 2018.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Archived copy" (PDF). cbs.gov.np. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 February 2022. Retrieved 22 February 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  4. ↑ "Managing Nepal's Urban Transition". World Bank. Archived from the original on 2 November 2019. Retrieved 1 December 2019.
  5. ↑ "Nepal Disaster Risk Reduction Portal". Government of Nepal. Archived from the original on 24 October 2021. Retrieved 5 May 2015.
  6. ↑ Slusser, M. (1982). Nepal Mandala: A Cultural Study of the Kathmandu Valley. Princeton University. ISBN 978-0-691-03128-6. Page vii.
  7. ↑ Tamot, Kashinath (2006). नेपालमण्डल. Nepal Mandal Anusandhan Guthi. ISBN 99946-987-5-3. Retrieved 30 October 2021.
  8. ↑ Tamot, K. (2006). नेपालमण्डल (नेपाली अनुवाद). Nepal Mandal Anusandhan Guthi. ISBN 99946-987-5-3. Retrieved 30 October 2021.
  9. ↑ Khatiwada, D. "'राजधानी प्रदेश' र 'नेवा राज्य' : केही भ्रमको खण्डन". Online Khabar. Archived from the original on 30 October 2021. Retrieved 30 October 2021.
  10. ↑ "Celestial Advice" (PDF). Nepal Law Commission. Archived (PDF) from the original on 1 January 2022. Retrieved 9 November 2021.
  11. ↑ "नेपालको जिल्ला प्रशासन पुनर्गठनको रिपोर्ट २०१३" (PDF). Ministry Federal Affairs & General Administration. Government of Nepal. Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 September 2018. Retrieved 30 October 2021.
  12. ↑ "Save Nepa Valley Movement Homepage". Save Nepa Valley. Archived from the original on 30 October 2021. Retrieved 30 October 2021.
  13. ↑ भक्तपुर नगरपालिका स्थानीय पाठ्यक्रम २०७५ (PDF). Bhaktapur: Bhaktapur Municipality. 2018. p. 9. Archived (PDF) from the original on 30 October 2021. Retrieved 9 November 2021.
  14. ↑ Khatiwada, D. "'राजधानी प्रदेश' र 'नेवा राज्य' : केही भ्रमको खण्डन". Online Khabar. Archived from the original on 30 October 2021. Retrieved 30 October 2021.
  15. ↑ Rajendra S. Khadka Travelers' Tales Nepal
  16. ↑ Von Furer-Haimendorf, C. (1956). "Elements of Newar Social Structure". Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute. 86 (2). Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland: 15–38. doi:10.2307/2843991. JSTOR 2843991.
  17. ↑ "Mesocosm". publishing.cdlib.org. Archived from the original on 26 June 2018. Retrieved 8 September 2018.
  18. ↑ "Chaitya Halls". History of Indian and Eastern Architecture. Cambridge University Press. 2013. pp. 125–169. doi:10.1017/cbo9781139814621.009. ISBN 978-1-139-81462-1.
  19. ↑ "Area handbook for Nepal (with Sikkim and Bhutan)". American University. Washington, DC. Retrieved 8 September 2018. {{cite web}}: |first1= missing |last1= (help)
  20. ↑ Gellner, D. N. (1994). Nepal: A Guide to the Art and Architecture of the Kathmandu Valley. Kiscadale. ISBN 1-870838-76-9.
  21. ↑ Sakai, Harutaka; Paleo-Kathmandu Lake Drilling Project, Members (15 February 2008). "Middle to late Pleistocene climatic and depositional environmental changes recorded in the drilled core of lacustrine sediments in the Kathmandu Valley, central Nepal". Himalayan Journal of Sciences. 2 (4): 240–241. doi:10.3126/hjs.v2i4.924. ISSN 1727-5229.
  22. ↑ "In-situ Radiometric Assessment of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Kathmandu Valley of Nepal Using Gamma Ray Spectrometry". Jordan Journal of Physics. 16 (2): 215–227. 2023. doi:10.47011/16.2.9.
  23. ↑ "Places to see UNESCO World Heritage Sites". welcomenepal.com. Archived from the original on 10 September 2019. Retrieved 6 August 2016.
  24. ↑ Centre, UNESCO World Heritage. "UNESCO World Heritage Centre - State of Conservation (SOC 2003) Kathmandu Valley (Nepal)". whc.unesco.org. Archived from the original on 3 October 2017. Retrieved 2 October 2017.
  25. ↑ Observation on the influence of Tibetan Buddhism in the Kathmandu Valley: Archived 20 November 2008 at the Wayback Machine
  26. ↑ Gutschow, Niels (1997). The Nepalese Caitya: 1500 Years of Buddhist Votive Architecture in the Kathmandu Valley. ISBN 978-3-930698-75-2. Pages 30-31.
  27. ↑ "Census Data" (PDF). 2011. Archived (PDF) from the original on 4 December 2021. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
  28. ↑ "Call for integrated development of Kathmandu Valley". My Republica. 2016. Archived from the original on 27 March 2020. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
  29. ↑ "Road Map for Making Kathmandu Valley Development Concept Plan Risk Sensitive ..." (PDF). UNDP, Nepal. 2012. Archived (PDF) from the original on 22 December 2018. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
  30. ↑ "Valley envisioned as national capital of federal Nepal". The Halayan. 2015. Archived from the original on 27 March 2020. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
  31. ↑ "Kathmandu Metropolitan City | Government of Nepal". www.kathmandu.gov.np. Archived from the original on 2 September 2017. Retrieved 22 February 2022.
  32. ↑ "Lalitpur Metropolitan City | Government of Nepal". lalitpurmun.gov.np. Archived from the original on 2 September 2017. Retrieved 22 February 2022.
  33. ↑ "Budhanilkantha Municipality Office | Government of Nepal". www.budhanilkanthamun.gov.np. Archived from the original on 2 September 2017. Retrieved 22 February 2022.
  34. ↑ "Tarakeshwor Municipality | Office of the Municipal Executive". www.tarakeshwormun.gov.np. Archived from the original on 30 August 2017. Retrieved 22 February 2022.
  35. ↑ "Gokarneshwor Municipality | Municipality OfficeBagmati Pradesh, JorpatiKathmandu, Nepal". Archived from the original on 10 September 2017. Retrieved 6 February 2022.
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