Valley and proposed territory in Nepal
"Nepal Valley" redirects here. For the country Nepal, see
Nepal
.
"Nepa Valley" redirects here. Not to be confused with
Napa Valley
.
The
Kathmandu Valley
(
Nepali
:
???????? ???????
), also known as the
Nepal Valley
or
Nepa Valley
(
Nepali
:
????? ???????
,
Nepal Bhasa
: ?????????? ??????, ????? ???), 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
. There are seven
World Heritage Sites
within the valley.
[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 (Patan)
, 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
: ??????????????, ???????) is used to refer to
three cities
namely Yen (Kathmandu), Yala (Lalitpur) and Khwapa (Bhaktapur)
[15]
The Pahari name
Kathmandu
comes from a structure in the
Durbar Square
called by the
Sanskrit
name
K?s?tha mandapa
"Wooden shelter". This
unique temple
, also known as the
Maru Sattal
, was built in 1596 by King Lakshmi Narasimha Malla. The entire structure contained no iron nails or supports and was made entirely from wood. Legend has it that the timber used for this two-story
pagoda
was obtained from a single tree.
History
[
edit
]
The Kathmandu Valley may have been inhabited as early as 300 BCE, since the oldest known objects in the valley date to a few hundred years BCE. The earliest known inscription is dated 185 CE. The oldest firmly dated building in the earthquake-prone valley is over 2,000 years old. Four
stupas
around the city of Patan that are said to have been erected by
Charumati
, a purported daughter of the
Maurya
emperor
Ashoka
, in the third century BCE, attest to the ancient history present within the valley. As with the tales of the Buddha's visit, there is no evidence supporting Ashok's visit, but the stupas probably date to that century. The
Licchavis
, whose earliest inscriptions date to 464, were the next rulers of the valley and had close ties with the
Gupta Empire
of India. The
Mallas
ruled the Kathmandu Valley and the surrounding area from the 12th until the 18th century CE, when the
Shah dynasty
of the
Gorkha Kingdom
under
Prithvi Narayan Shah
conquered the valley as he created present-day Nepal. His victory in the
Battle of Kirtipur
was the beginning of his conquest of the valley.
Newars
[
edit
]
The
Newars
are the indigenous inhabitants and the creators of the historic civilization of the valley. Their language is today known as
Nepal 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]
They have developed a division of labour and a sophisticated urban civilization not seen elsewhere in the Himalayan foothills. They are known for their contributions to art, sculpture, architecture, culture, literature, music, industry, trade, agriculture and cuisine, and have left their mark on the art of Central Asia.
Newa 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 and spread to India, China, Indochina and Japan.
[19]
[20]
The most 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]
He is known for building the white stupa at the
Miaoying Temple
in
Beijing
. At present, people from other parts of Nepal tend to migrate to the valley for a better life due to its high level of cultural and economic development. Even with urbanization taking place, the Newars have sustained their culture in the Kathmandu Valley.
Mythology
[
edit
]
According to
Swayambhu Puran
, the Kathmandu Valley was once a lake, deemed by scientists as
Paleo Kathmandu Lake
.
[21]
The hill where the
Swayambu Stupa
rests had lotus plants with flowers in bloom. One story says that the God
Manjusri
cut a gorge at a valley called Kashapaal (later called Chobhar) with a sword called Chandrahrasha and drained away the waters in order to establish a habitable land.
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
]
Kathmandu
valley
is bowl-shaped. Its central lower part stands at 1,425 metres (4,675 ft) above
sea level
.
Kathmandu
valley is surrounded by four mountain ranges:
Shivapuri hills
(at an elevation of 2,732 metres or 8,963 feet), Phulchowki (2,762 metres or 9,062 feet), Nagarjun (2,128 metres or 6,982 feet), Champadevi (2,278 metres or 7,474 feet) and
Chandragiri
(2,551 metres or 8,369 feet). 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 220 square miles (570 km
2
). The valley consists of the municipal areas of
Kathmandu
,
Patan
,
Bhaktapur
,
Kirtipur
and
Madhyapur Thimi
; the remaining area is made up of a number of
municipalities
and
rural municipalities
(in Lalitpur district). The 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]
Notable areas
[
edit
]
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
[
edit
]
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, Dharma Swami, XIII 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]
Stone inscriptions in the Kathmandu Valley
are important sources for the history of Nepal.
Demographics
[
edit
]
Kathmandu Valley has total population of 2,996,341.
[27]
Kathmandu (National Capital Area)
[
edit
]
Proposed Territory in Kathmandu, Nepal
Kathmandu (NCT)
????????? (????????? ??????? ???????)
|
---|
|
Kathmandu Valley (a separate territory)
|
Country
| Nepal
|
---|
Capital Territory
| Kathmandu
|
---|
|
? Total
| 902.61 km
2
(348.50 sq mi)
|
---|
|
? Total
| 2,996,341
[3]
|
---|
It is proposed to
Government of Nepal
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 square kilometres (360.52 sq mi)
District
|
Area
|
Population (
2021
)
[3]
|
Kathmandu
|
413.69 square kilometres (159.73 sq mi)
|
2,017,532
|
Bhaktapur
|
123.12 square kilometres (47.54 sq mi)
|
430,408
|
Lalitpur
|
396.92 square kilometres (153.25 sq mi)
|
548,401
|
Kathmandu NCT
|
933.73 square kilometres (360.52 sq mi)
|
2,996,341
|
Major cities
[
edit
]
Cities and towns with 75,000+ population of Kathmandu valley as per
2021 Nepal census
.
[3]
Minor cities and villages
[
edit
]
See also
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
Royal Palaces of Abomey and Kathmandu removed from Danger List
Archived
6 August 2022 at the
Wayback Machine
at
UNESCO
website
- ^
a
b
Centre, UNESCO World Heritage.
"Kathmandu Valley"
.
whc.unesco.org
.
Archived
from the original on 31 October 2005
. Retrieved
8 September
2018
.
- ^
a
b
c
d
"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
)
- ^
"Managing Nepal's Urban Transition"
. World Bank.
Archived
from the original on 2 November 2019
. Retrieved
1 December
2019
.
- ^
"Nepal Disaster Risk Reduction Portal"
. Government of Nepal.
Archived
from the original on 24 October 2021
. Retrieved
5 May
2015
.
- ^
Slusser, M. (1982).
Nepal Mandala: A Cultural Study of the Kathmandu Valley.
Princeton University.
ISBN
978-0-691-03128-6
. Page vii.
- ^
Tamot, Kashinath (2006).
??????????
. Nepal Mandal Anusandhan Guthi.
ISBN
99946-987-5-3
. Retrieved
30 October
2021
.
- ^
Tamot, K. (2006).
?????????? (?????? ??????)
. Nepal Mandal Anusandhan Guthi.
ISBN
99946-987-5-3
. Retrieved
30 October
2021
.
- ^
Khatiwada, D.
"
'??????? ??????' ? '???? ?????' : ???? ?????? ?????"
.
Online Khabar
.
Archived
from the original on 30 October 2021
. Retrieved
30 October
2021
.
- ^
"Celestial Advice"
(PDF)
.
Nepal Law Commission
.
Archived
(PDF)
from the original on 1 January 2022
. Retrieved
9 November
2021
.
- ^
"??????? ?????? ??????? ?????????? ??????? ????"
(PDF)
.
Ministry Federal Affairs & General Administration
. Government of Nepal. Archived from
the original
(PDF)
on 7 September 2018
. Retrieved
30 October
2021
.
- ^
"Save Nepa Valley Movement Homepage"
.
Save Nepa Valley
.
Archived
from the original on 30 October 2021
. Retrieved
30 October
2021
.
- ^
??????? ????????? ??????? ????????? ????
(PDF)
. Bhaktapur: Bhaktapur Municipality. 2018. p. 9.
Archived
(PDF)
from the original on 30 October 2021
. Retrieved
9 November
2021
.
- ^
Khatiwada, Dambar.
"
'??????? ??????' ? '???? ?????' : ???? ?????? ?????"
.
Online Khabar
.
Archived
from the original on 30 October 2021
. Retrieved
30 October
2021
.
- ^
Rajendra S. Khadka
Travelers' Tales Nepal
- ^
von Furer-Haimendorf, Christoph (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
.
- ^
"Mesocosm"
.
publishing.cdlib.org
.
Archived
from the original on 26 June 2018
. Retrieved
8 September
2018
.
- ^
"CHAITYA HALLS"
,
History of Indian and Eastern Architecture
, Cambridge University Press, pp. 125?169, 27 June 2013
, retrieved
18 November
2023
- ^
a
b
American University (Washington, D. C. ) Foreign Areas Studies Division; United States. Army (8 September 1964).
"Area handbook for Nepal (with Sikkim and Bhutan)"
. Washington, For sale by the Supt. of Docs., U.S. Govt. Print. Off
. Retrieved
8 September
2018
– via Internet Archive.
- ^
Gellner, David N. (1994).
Nepal: A Guide to the Art and Architecture of the Kathmandu Valley
.
ISBN
1-870838-76-9
.
- ^
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
.
- ^
"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. 30 June 2023.
doi
:
10.47011/16.2.9
.
ISSN
1994-7615
.
- ^
"Places to see UNESCO World Heritage Sites"
.
welcomenepal.com
.
Archived
from the original on 10 September 2019
. Retrieved
6 August
2016
.
- ^
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
.
- ^
Observation on the influence of Tibetan Buddhism in the Kathmandu Valley:
Archived
20 November 2008 at the
Wayback Machine
- ^
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.
- ^
"Census Data"
(PDF)
. 2011.
Archived
(PDF)
from the original on 4 December 2021
. Retrieved
20 November
2020
.
- ^
"Call for integrated development of Kathmandu Valley"
. My Republica. 6 July 2016.
Archived
from the original on 27 March 2020
. Retrieved
27 March
2020
.
- ^
"Road Map for Making Kathmandu Valley Development Concept Plan Risk Sensitive ..."
(PDF)
. UNDP, Nepal. 29 May 2012.
Archived
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. Retrieved
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.
- ^
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. The Halayan. 15 July 2015.
Archived
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. Retrieved
27 March
2020
.
- ^
"Kathmandu Metropolitan City | Government of Nepal"
.
www.kathmandu.gov.np
. Archived from
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on 2 September 2017
. Retrieved
22 February
2022
.
- ^
"Lalitpur Metropolitan City | Government of Nepal"
.
lalitpurmun.gov.np
. Archived from
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on 2 September 2017
. Retrieved
22 February
2022
.
- ^
"Budhanilkantha Municipality Office | Government of Nepal"
.
www.budhanilkanthamun.gov.np
. Archived from
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on 2 September 2017
. Retrieved
22 February
2022
.
- ^
"Tarakeshwor Municipality | Office of the Municipal Executive"
.
www.tarakeshwormun.gov.np
. Archived from
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on 30 August 2017
. Retrieved
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.
- ^
"Gokarneshwor Municipality | Municipality OfficeBagmati Pradesh, JorpatiKathmandu, Nepal"
.
Archived
from the original on 10 September 2017
. Retrieved
6 February
2022
.
External links
[
edit
]