Kathmandu

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Kathmandu

Kathmandu (Nepali: काठमाडौं, Nepal Bhasa:यें) is the capital city of Nepal and it is also the largest city in Nepal. It stands at an elevation of approximately 4,265 ft (1,300 m). It is an urban and suburban area of about 1.5 million inhabitants in the tri-city area in the Kathmandu valley in central Nepal, along the Bagmati River. The two other cities are Patan and Bhaktapur. Kathmandu is located at (27.71667, 85.36667). ^*

History

Archeological finds within the Kathmandu Valley show it to have been inhabited as early as 900 BC. It is noted that the Buddha and his disciples spent some time in the area of present-day Patan in the 6^th century BC. Four stupas around the city of Patan erected by Ashoka the Great, a Mauryan king, in the 3^rd century BC attest to the ancient history present within the valley. The Kirats are the first documented rulers of the Kathmandu Valley, the remains of their palace are said to be in Patan near Hiranyavarna Mahavihara (called "Patukodon"). The Licchavi Dynasty whose earliest inscriptions date back to 464 AD were the next rulers of the valley and had close ties with the Gupta Dynasty of India. The Malla Dynasty ruled Kathamndu from the 12^th century till the 17^th century when the Shah Dynasty under Prithvi Narayan Shah conqured the valley as he created present-day Nepal. Most of ancient Nepalese architecture present in Kathmandu today is from the Malla era.

According to legend, the area was a lake in the past, but Manjushri, a disciple of the Shakyamuni Buddha, cut open a hill to the south and allowed the water to flow out, making the region habitable. The origin of the present name is unclear, but one of the more likely theories is that it was named after Kastha-Mandap ("temple of wood" in Sanskrit), after a pagoda carved from the single tree on the order of King Lakshmi Narasingha Malla in 1596.

Present

The Kathmandu Valley consists of three primary cities - Kathmandu itself, Patan (south of the Bagmati River), and Bhaktapur. Patan and Kathmandu run up right against each other (again, separated only by the river), whilst Bhaktapur is set off much closer to the eastern foothills. A lot of bideshi (foreigners) live in Patan, as that is where the relief agencies tend to be headquartered.

Kathmandu itself is home to most of the embassies, businesses, and the palace. The King's Palace (a large newly-pink building) stands right next to Thamel - the main tourist center. (Thamel consists of two parallel streets just to the west of the palace. It is home to lots of hotels, such as the Kathmandu Guest House, and lots of "hole in the wall" type establishments where backpackers tend to stay.) The palace is at the head of Durbar Marg, a street lined with various shops.

Kathmandu itself only recently began to name its streets. Until that time, most residences and buildings were located by general areas.

The "old" city is noted for its many Buddhist and Hindu temples and palaces, most dating from the 17^th century. Many of these landmarks have been damaged by earthquakes and pollution. This valley hosts an UNESCO World Heritage Sites composed by seven different Monument Zones: The centers of the three primary cities, Kathmandu Hanuman Dhoka, Patan and Bhaktapur, the two most important Buddhist stupas, Swayambhounath and Bouddhanath and two famous Hindu shrines, Pashupatinath temple and Changu Narayan. Since 2003 the site has been inscribed in the World Heritage List as being "in danger" out of concern for the ongoing loss of authenticity and outstanding universal value of the cultural property.

Kathmandu has been popular with western tourists since the 1960s when it became a key stop on the hippie trail. It is also the subject of a popular Bob Seger song for the same reason.

It is the most densely populated city in Nepal.

Interpretation of word "Kathmandu"

The word "kathmandu" is derived from the Sanskrit words, "Kaasth Mandap". In Sanskrit, Kaasth (काष्ठ) = "wood" and Mandap (मंडप/मण्डप) = "beautiful shade" or "cover." The city was so full of wooden buildings and temples that it looked like it had a "beautiful wooden cover." After many years the words "Kaasth Mandap" changed and new word Kathmandu became the name by which the city was known in the local language. Kathmandu is also sometimes called "Kantipur".

Air pollution in Kathmandu

The Kathmandu metropolitan area suffers from increasingly dangerous levels of air pollution. The Himalayan range to the north and Mahabharat range to the south form a barrier around the Kathmandu valley that inhibits suspended particulate matter from being disbursed outside the valley. The result is seasonal spikes in suspended particulate matter approaching levels of heavy industrial zones in other nations.

Simply put, the basic physical setting of Kathmandu influences air pollution concentrations. Particularly in winter months, where there are normal mountain-valley circulations that impact air pollution movement. During the winter, air pollution is carried out of the Kathmandu Valley during the day then mountain breezes force pollution to return to the valley at night. This results in a highly elevated level of suspended particulates during night time hours.

At present the PM10 (particles that are 10 micrometre in size and could easily enter human body through inhalation) level in Kathmandu is 148 micrograms per cubic meter on average, and 198 in the central business district of Kathmandu. This is significantly higher than international standards of around 72 micrograms per cubic meter.

The PM10 levels in Kathmandu have seen a three-fold increase in the last decade. The pollution level in Kathmandu during winter months is now comparable to some of the most polluted cities in the world and mirrors that of Seoul, South Korea during the early 1980s while that nation was rapidly industrializing.

Unlike Seoul, however, Nepal has never experienced industrialization of any significance. The major sources of air pollution in Kathmandu are vehicle emissions, and the effluvium from numerous unregulated brick kilns scattered across the Kathamndu region.

Gallery

Image:Kathmandu signs.jpg|Street full of signs in Kathmandu Image:Small stupa in Kathmandu.jpg|Small stupa in Kathmandu Image:Bhairava_Kathmandu_1972.jpg|Bhairava sculpture, market place. Compare 1920 picture at right. Image:KatmanduMarket1920.jpg|A view of Kathmandu from 1920. An image of Bhairava in the background. Image:Stone carving in Kathmandu.jpg|Stone carving in Kathmandu street Image:DSCI0441.JPG|View over Kathmandu Image:Hashish-shop-Kathmandu-1973.jpg|Hashish-shop 1973 (pre-prohibition) Image:Durbar-seller.jpg|A seller warming himself up in Durbar Square, Kathmandu, Nepal(pre-prohibition)

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External links

Capitals in Asia | Cities and towns in Nepal

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