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38-476: The tower had a spiral staircase containing 213 steps. The eighth floor held a circular balcony for observers that provided a panoramic view of the Kathmandu valley . It also had a 5.2-metre (17 ft) bronze mast on the roof. Most of the tower collapsed in the 25 April 2015 Nepal earthquake , but the base remains. A total of 180 bodies were retrieved from the debris of tower after earthquake. Reconstruction of

76-559: A 22-story structure with modern features. It includes a museum, a garden, and a fountain nearby, along with two lifts and underground parking for 350 four-wheelers and 6,000 two-wheelers. It retains the traditional minaret shape and has a bronze mast on the roof, similar to the original design. The tower officially opened to the public on 19 September 2024, the Constitution Day of Nepal. Kathmandu Valley The Kathmandu Valley ( Nepali : काठमाडौं उपत्यका ), also known as

114-707: 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. Kathmandu valley 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 metres or 9,062 feet), Nagarjun (2,128 metres or 6,982 feet), Champadevi (2,278 m (7,474 ft)) and Chandragiri (2,551 m (8,369 ft)). The major river flowing through

152-705: 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. The valley's trademark is the multiple-roofed pagoda which may have originated in this area and spread to India, China, Indochina and Japan. The most famous artisan who influenced stylistic developments in China and Tibet

190-468: 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. This is an incomplete alphabetical list of notable temples and monuments in Kathmandu Valley. Seven of these are designated as UNESCO World Heritage Sites . This valley hosts a UNESCO World Heritage Site with seven preserved locations: the centers of

228-461: Is the most developed and the largest urban agglomeration in Nepal with a population of about 5 million people. 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

266-526: The Government of Nepal proposed to develop Kathmandu valley as a separate national capital territory and not a part of Bagmati Province . Kathmandu Valley consists 3 Districts of Bagmati Province whose total population is 2,996,341 and total area is 933.73 km (360.52 sq mi) Cities and towns with 75,000+ population of Kathmandu Valley as per 2021 Nepal census . Nepalis Nepali (also Nepalese ; Nepali : नेपाली ) are

304-596: The Nepal Mandala . Until the 15th century, Bhaktapur was its capital, when two other capitals, Kathmandu and Patan , were established. Until the 1960s, the Kathmandu Valley was known as the Nepala Valley or Nepa Valley . In 1961 the valley was listed as Kathmandu District , which began referring to the valley as Kathmandu Valley. The term Nepa Valley is still used among Newar people and local governments, while senior citizens still tend to refer to

342-676: The Nepal Valley or Nepa Valley ( Nepali : नेपाः उपत्यका , Nepal Bhasa : 𑐣𑐾𑐥𑐵𑑅 𑐐𑐵𑑅, नेपाः गाः), 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. The Kathmandu Valley

380-585: The earthquake of 1834 and was never rebuilt. It was only a year later (in 1835) that Bhimsen Thapa built the second Dharahara, along with the Sundhara (the golden water spout), for Queen Lalit TripuraSundari Devi, who was the niece of Bhimsen Thapa. A century later, on 15 January 1934, another earthquake completely destroyed the first tower, and only two of the nine storeys of the second tower remained. The then Prime Minister of Nepal , Juddha Shumsher Jang Bahadur Rana , subsequently carried out renovation work of

418-464: The Dharahara tower to fully restore it. After the original Bhimsen Tower was destroyed, Queen Lalit Tripurasundari's tower came to be known as Bhimsen Stambha ( Nepali : भिमसेन स्तम्भ , lit.   'Bhimsen Tower'). The second tower was built in honour of Bhimsen Thapa's feat of taking Nepal's land back in the war. King Rajendra Bikram Shah had given a lalmohar (a document with

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456-611: 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 ). 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

494-403: The Kathmandu Valley. 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 . Stone inscriptions in the Kathmandu Valley are important sources for the history of Nepal. Kathmandu Valley has total population of 2,996,341. In 2015,

532-535: The Kathmandu Valley. According to Swayambhu Puran , the Kathmandu Valley was once a lake, deemed by scientists as Paleo Kathmandu Lake . 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

570-541: The citizens of Nepal under Nepali nationality law . The term Nepali usually refers to the nationality , that is, to people with citizenship of Nepal, while the people without Nepalese citizenship but with roots in Nepal are strictly referred to as Nepali-language Speaking Foreigners ( Nepali : नेपाली भाषी विदेशी ) who are speakers of Nepali or any of the other 128 Nepali languages but are now foreign citizens or of foreign nationality bearing passports and citizenship of

608-508: 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

646-514: The collapse of the tower. On one of the sign boards at Dharahara , it is stated that the Dharahara's main purpose was to enable the state and city authorities to summon people to gather on the Tundikhel (the military parade ground to the northeast of the tower) to hear government announcements , and that it showed ‘the religious harmony between Hindu, Muslim and Christian faiths.' Amongst

684-442: The collapse of the tower. The earthquake's epicenter was approximately 29 kilometres (18 mi) east-southeast of Lamjung , Nepal. The structure collapsed and only its base survived. According to the people on the scene when the earthquake hit, the region was covered with clouds of smoke and in the rubble was heard shouting. The Nepalese Army barricaded the entrance and launched the rescue mission. Some people were able to collect

722-412: The common cement used nowadays. The tower was a major tourist attraction and was open to the public from 2005 until its collapse in 2015. The management of Dharahara before 2015 came under heavy scrutiny from locals and tourists. The Heritage Department of Kathmandu Metropolitan City was criticized for its lack of effort to protect the heritage site. In April 2021, the newly rebuilt Dharahara stands as

760-526: The epicenter heard that the Dharahara had fallen, they understood the scale of the calamity: they then realised that ‘the disaster was not small’. It was a total shock for the people of Nepal, because Dharahara was the pre-eminent symbol of not only the Kathmandu metropolis, but also of the entire nation. In February 2016, the government decided to rebuild the tower, and Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and his cabinet ministers contributed one month's salary to

798-466: The foreign nation. It is also not generally used to refer to non-citizen residents, dual citizens, and expatriates. Nepal is a multicultural and multi ethnic country. Bagmati province, is the most densely populated, with almost 20.97 percent of the Nepali's population. The Nepali diaspora or Non Resident Nepali are Nepali people living overseas. The Non-resident Nepali Act, 2064 of Nepal defines

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836-703: The four corners of the Taj Mahal complex at Agra, or the Qutb Minar in Delhi. Bhimsen Thapa was a known admirer of the Mughal style as is evident by his palace, now demolished, which was Mughal in style with a fair amount of Kathmandu Gothic thrown in. The main materials used in the tower construction were Vajra-Surki (Brick dust), Chuna ( Lime ), Maas (Black lentil ) and Chaaku ( Caramel ). The combination of these materials are considered to be much stronger than

874-526: The historical Dharahara (Bhimsen Stambha/ Dharahara) on 24 April 2021, in Sundhara, Kathmandu. Despite the inauguration ceremony, construction work on the tower continued with the full opening in September 2024. The architecture of Dharahara is designed in both Mughal and European style. It is widely believed that the original towers were modelled on monuments in India such as the minarets that stand at

912-457: The indigenous inhabitants and the creators of the historic civilization of the valley. Their language is today known as Nepal Bhasa . 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 . They have developed a division of labour and

950-584: The many myths Kathmandu is surrounded by, is that of the most famous and fearsome Rana Prime Minister of Nepal, Jung Bahadur Rana . Legend has it that "The White Tiger" rode on horseback and climbed upstairs to the balcony of the tower. What he did next was daring to many and plain stupid to some. He jumped off the balcony on the horse! The horse died from the jump but " Jungey " survived. One of his daring acts among many. On 25 April 2015, at 11:56 NST, an earthquake with an estimated magnitude of 7.8 ( M w ), hit Kathmandu and its surrounding region, leading to

988-652: 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. The Newars are

1026-490: The rebuilding. A fund called " I will construct Dharahara " was also established to collect money for the reconstruction. According to Sushil Gyawali, chief executive of the National Reconstruction Agency, the new tower will be earthquake-resistant . The foundation stone of the new tower was laid down on 27 December 2018. The original one, built by the first prime minister of Nepal Bhimsen Thapa ,

1064-527: The remains of Dharahara bricks, probably to remember them. Those bricks were inscribed with the name of Juddha Shumsher , indicating that the tower was rebuilt during his tenure . More than 9,000 people were killed and 2.8 million were displaced. The image of Dharahara that fell during the earthquake in the 19th century, quickly became an iconic representation for many Nepalese not only of the catastrophe but also of their national determination to recuperate and rebuild it. When local people living far away from

1102-407: The royal seal) to Bhimsen Thapa in 1835, acknowledging his Commander-in-Chief status and building of Dharahara in Sundhara in 1824, in his honour. Dharahara was constructed for military usage as a watchtower. When incidents of national importance occurred, bugles were blown from the top floor of the tower. This was the signal for soldiers to assemble. This tradition of bugle trumpeting continued until

1140-443: 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 . 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

1178-496: The tower commenced in October 2018, and it was officially opened on 24 April 2021, one day before the sixth anniversary of the earthquake. Dharahara in Kathmandu was the tallest building in Nepal and the second such tower built by Bhimsen Thapa. The first tower was built eight years earlier in 1824 (1881 BS) at his residence, Janarala Bagh, situated at south-east of Sundhara, near Bhotebahal of Kathmandu. It got torn in half during

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1216-669: The valley as Nepal . The term Swaniga ( Nepal Bhasa : 𑐳𑑂𑐰𑐣𑐶𑐐𑑅, स्वनिगः) is used to refer to three cities namely Yén (Kathmandu), Yala (Lalitpur) and Khwapa (Bhaktapur) The Pahari name Kathmandu comes from a structure in the Durbar Square called by the Sanskrit name Kāsṣtha 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

1254-596: 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%. In 2015, Kathmandu Valley

1292-521: Was Araniko , a Newar who traveled to the court of Kublai Khan in the 13th century AD. 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

1330-646: Was destroyed in the 1934 earthquake. Rana Prime minister Juddha Sumsher Rana reconstructed it which was destroyed by the April 2015 earthquake. The reconstruction of the monument took place under the coordination of the National Reconstruction Authority. Reconstruction of the tower began in October 2018. The inauguration ceremony was organized for the eve of the sixth anniversary of the Gorkha earthquake. Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli inaugurated

1368-459: Was hit by the April 2015 Nepal earthquake . 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 . Historically, the valley and adjoining areas made up a confederation known as

1406-499: Was lifted in 2007. 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

1444-428: Was made entirely from wood. Legend has it that the timber used for this two-story pagoda was obtained from a single tree. 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

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