Kathmandu is the capital of Nepal and also the largest city within the Himalayan region. To give you some idea, it has a population of around 5 million and is located at an altitude of around 1400 metres above sea level.

This city has always been somewhat isolated and because of that, a unique Navarrese culture has developed here. The Nawars were the original inhabitants of the Kathmandu Valley region. This culture is known for its elaborate architecture, especially in the temples, stupas and palaces that are part of UNESCO protected monuments. This culture also has its own languages, religious practices, festivals, arts and traditions. One of the most important festivals celebrated by the Nawara nation is the INDRA JATRA festival, which is held in Kathmandu and is a celebration of the goddess Indra. And I was lucky enough to be able to attend this festival. It creates a unique atmosphere in the city that you won’t find anywhere else in the world.

I was blown away by this city from the first moment I stepped off the plane. I was thrilled and surprised at how busy, colourful and noisy it is. Such a mix of all kinds of smells, sounds and scenery with beautiful palaces, Buddhist and Hindu temples, as well as nice cafes and restaurants. Motorbikes everywhere in the streets, lots of people, shops selling clothes and various goods, hanging electric cables, restaurants and bars. Everything looks so confused and disorganized. Also, everybody is riding everywhere and competing to see who can honk the horn the most.

CULTURE SHOCK

However, I must warn you at the outset. Kathmandu is unlike any other capital city in the world where you might just be backpacking. Lots of tourists come to Nepal to trek the mountains. Almost all of them arrive at the airport right in Kathmandu, spend one night there and then immediately leave towards Pokhara, Lukla or any other place to start their trek. If I can advise you, don’t do that. It would be a mistake. Make up for at least two days here, because you would be needlessly depriving yourself of an amazing experience. Think of this crazy city as an acclimatization point.

I had my first real culture shock. But of course, meant in a good way. Kathmandu is unlike any place I’ve ever visited. I spent the first two days here with my eyes rolled back and my mouth open. The city is rough, dirty and sprawling. People from all corners of the world, of all ages, races and nationalities flock here. I thought I hadn’t seen so many strange people in one place in a long time, and I’ve seen a lot. 🙂 But it’s also full of beauty and lots of amazing things to do if you know where to look.

You might be surprised to know that even though it’s the capital, the centre is mostly dirt roads. Between the crumbling walls and the still standing temples, 2000 years of history lives on. Kathmandu is simply one of those cities that you either fall immensely in love with, or you just book a bus and never look back. I myself, however, fall into the first category. ♥

        THAMEL DISTRICT – A SHOPPING PARADISE

Most tourists stay in the Thamel district. This area is perhaps the largest bazaar of counterfeit (and non-counterfeit) outdoor equipment in the world. It’s also the only place where you’ll find all outdoor gear, trinkets of all hues, bars, wine bars, pharmacies, comfortable accommodation, hash, good (if overpriced) food and an ever-changing community of backpackers who walk the streets of Thamel daily.

If you’re going on a big Himalayan adventure in the mountains of Nepal, this is the perfect place to prepare before you go. So if you don’t want to lug or buy expensive gear, you can shop here very cheaply indeed. For example, I got a winter jacket here for 200 CZK, rain pants for 250 CZK (I think the saleswoman and I misunderstood here, but they were more like wind pants) and a beautiful colorful hat for 30 CZK. Well, don’t buy it if it’s so cheap! 🙂 The things I bought lasted the whole trek and I brought them home.

As a souvenir you can buy prayer mills, yak soaps, scented sticks of countless fragrances or prayer flags on which images or sacred texts are printed with wooden stamps. The blue fabric represents the sky, the white represents the air or wind, the red represents fire, the green represents water and the yellow represents the earth. In the Himalayas, it is believed that when the wind blows on the cloths, it spreads the blessings, goodwill and compassion contained in their message around. So the more of them that are blowing, the better.

HIPPIE TRAIL AND „FREEK STREET“

Until the 1950s, Nepal was an isolated country. In the 1950s, Nepal opened up to foreign tourists, and although the initial visitors were mostly mountaineers and adventurers, as time went on the city began to attract a different breed of traveller. Yes, they were hippies. They started coming from all over the world to Kathmandu. Especially from London along the famous “Hippie Trail”. The trail started in England and went through many cities like Munich, Istanbul, Tehran, Kabul, Delhi and many other cities in Europe and Asia to reach Kathmandu. Many travellers travelled in private buses, some travelled in beautifully hand-painted vans and the rest hitchhiked their way to Kathmandu.

Hippie backpackers have settled around Kathmandu’s Durbar Square and Basantapur. This was once a quiet and peaceful neighborhood. Just a few steps south of the square is “Freak Street“, also known as Jhhonche. It got its name from the aroma of organic drugs wafting in the sky. It’s a narrow alleyway tucked away in the bustling centre. It was such a brand known all over the world. You could buy marijuana and similar drugs in the little shops here.

How I was looking forward to this street. The 60s fascinate me, so I was full of anticipation. All the while, I kept in mind that this particular street was once a magnet for the free-spirited youth of that era. And I’m a bit of a free spirit, so I was very curious to see what it was like here. The street was also characterized by a lively atmosphere. But for me, this street was rather disappointing. Today there are only distant echoes of those heady days and it looks like a dog died here.

But I was not discouraged. After all, I wanted to be in a place that was once a cauldron of ideas, art, music and spirituality, if only for a while. And I was lucky. Above all, the legendary Snowman Café still stands here today. The Snowman, which has been in continuous operation since 1965, is the only surviving “cake and tea” shop. The establishment features low lighting and only a handful of tables. It simply never goes out of style. I only peeked in because the cafe was packed with foreign visitors who seemed to have come here to soak up the atmosphere, admire the psychedelic paintings, sip tea, and of course sample a slice of apple pie or chocolate cake.

I have to admit that the cakes behind the window made me more sick than I wanted to taste. The hazy atmosphere is now due more to cigarettes than hash, but otherwise not much has changed and one feels, if only for a moment, as if the 60s never ended.

I would walk down the street and look in the windows and guess where famous writers, artists or musicians might have lived back then. Some of the most famous representatives include the Beatles or the British singer-songwriter Cat Stevens, who even composed a song (which he wrote without the “h”) in honor of Kathmandu. Listen to it on purpose.

ANCIENT TREASURES IN DURBAR SQUARE 

There are many temples and palaces in the city. I dare not describe them all. It would be quite boring. Go to the city centre, where Durbar Square is located. Here the faithful bring their offerings to their respective gods in the hope that their prayers will be answered. It’s a place like stepping back in time. Tourists pay an entrance fee here, unlike the locals. In this case, I somehow didn’t mind because the money goes towards rebuilding the monuments that were destroyed during the 2015 earthquake. A lot of them are no longer standing and a lot of them are under scaffolding too.

RELIEF OF KÁLA BHAIRAVA

However, it is nice to just sit in Durbar Square. That is why I recommend you to sit here and just enjoy. It is a living museum of Hindu faith and Nepali traditions. However, I’m sure your eyes will immediately be drawn to the haunting statue of the god Kaal Bhairav in this square, which dates back to the 5th century. It’s such a terrifying avatar of the god Shiva at his most horrific. It has six arms, a chain of human skulls around its neck and stands on a dead body. According to legend, a man who tells a lie in front of the statue will perish instantly. Therefore, this statue served as a lie detector in ancient times – the suspect was brought before it and out of fear immediately confessed to everything. Will you try it too…?

KASTHAMANDAP

Kasthamandap, which means tree shelter in Nepali, is now one of Nepal’s most famous Hindu temples. In the past, this three-storey pagoda was used as a shelter by traders and pilgrims travelling from Tibet to India, spending the winter here in anticipation of spring and especially waiting for the snow to melt in the dangerous mountain passes. Later, a shrine – a statue of St. Guru Gorakhnath, who lived as a hermit, was built at Kasthamandap. The sanctuary turned into a temple visited by thousands of pilgrims. It was believed that this temple was made from a single trunk of the sal tree.

PIGEON PARADISE

Of course, you will find plenty of pigeons in this place.Tourists and locals buy bird food from vendors and spread it around. They believe that they are taking care of the souls of their ancestors reincarnated into feathered creatures, especially pigeons.

HINDU HOLY MEN

What fascinates me so much about this square is not so much the sights, but the mix of nationalities. I won’t lie, I really wanted to see the Sadhus, which are Hindu holy men. They are religious ascetics who have renounced the worldly life. I always imagined them as yogis. Which I’m not that far from the truth. Translated, it’s a person who practices “sadhana” or trying to fervently follow the path of spiritual discipline. These men are ascetics who walk the path of penance and renunciation, cutting all ties that have connected them to the material and earthly world, therefore leaving behind their families, occupations, properties and even names. You can recognize them by their simple clothing. Because they are mostly Hindu here, their clothing is saffron in colour.

I have always wondered how one becomes a sadhu. Some saints drink only milk, others drink water. Some eat only fruit or bread. Everyone uses a different kind of penance. The process is not easy, of course, but all these men have one common goal and that is to attain Moksha – that is, enlightenment. Most of them are friendly and happy to be photographed for a small fee, for which you will receive a blessing from them.In the photo, the holy man is performing VITARKA MUDRA, which is one of the most important mudras in Buddhism and is associated with teaching and imparting wisdom. You may notice that the thumb is touching the index finger, symbolizing the union of thought and speech.

NEPALESE FESTIVALS

OR

STATUS OF GODS WHEREVER YOU LOOK

I would say that Kathmandu is such a scene of migration of peoples and mixing of languages. There has been a flowering and subsequent decline of cultures. That is why it has the most ethnic groups in the subcontinent, where each has brought its own superstitions, rituals, legends and customs. And what’s really cool is that there’s a lot of celebrating! Nepalese festivals are really colourful to the point of being exotic and people are quite joyful during them. There are almost two months of official celebrations every year. And that’s something! 🙂

Almost every street here is literally overflowing with gods and demons affecting earthly life. People here worship them and make offerings to them. The Nepalese have not only adopted Hindu deities, but have also “appropriated” Buddhist ones. They have even invented local variations of the saints. It doesn’t really matter where any given god came from, but whether the worship and especially the performance of prayers “works.” 🙂

INDRA JATRA

I was lucky enough to be able to participate in the beautiful Indra Yatra festival. This festival celebrates Lord Indra, the king of the heavens and the god of rain. In Hindu mythology, Indra plays a vital role as the bringer of rain, which is essential for agriculture in Nepal. It is for this reason that it is so popular in Nepal. Ancient legend has it that Indra once descended to Earth in search of Parijat, a precious flower for his mother, the goddess Dakini. Indra disguised himself as an ordinary man and tried to collect the flowers in the Kathmandu Valley. But the locals didn’t recognize him, so they captured him and tied him up. His mother eventually revealed his true identity and the locals released him. In gratitude, Indra promised to bless the valley with abundant rain for their crops. This event occurs at the end of the monsoon season when farmers are preparing for the harvest.

Parades filled the streets with people dancing in masks. An amazing spectacle for a tourist like me.

During the festivities, the streets were very lively, full of excited people who couldn’t wait to get to the parade. Traditional music could be heard from the windows and on the streets, encouraging people to dance. I was able to observe from a distance the rituals that the believers have passed down from generation to generation.

During the festival, several temples in Kathmandu are open to the public, allowing you to view sacred artifacts displayed only during Indra Yatra.

In shrines dedicated to Lord Indra and other deities, they place flowers, fruits and other objects. There is a scent of incense in the air, it smells beautiful here. There is a beautiful spiritual atmosphere here that I have never experienced anywhere else.

You can buy flowers everywhere and the streets are decorated with them.

 

THE LIVING GODDESS KUMARI

During the festival they carry the living Goddess on a stretcher. I was lucky enough to spot her, but unfortunately I didn’t get a chance to take a picture. She’s not allowed to take pictures anyway. I’m talking about the “Living Goddess” Kumari, who is one of the living incarnations of Shiva’s wife Parvati. In reality, she’s a little girl who’s surrounded by luxury and servants. She discovers the outside world only from a stretcher because her feet are not allowed to touch the ground. And how can an ordinary girl become a living goddess and what trials must she go through? Unfortunately, the religious community keeps this a secret, but it is said that she must not show signs of fear. They say she must pass through a courtyard of blood and dead animals. But the most difficult test is when she must choose among the items that belonged to her predecessor. If the chosen girl successfully passes all the tests, she becomes a living form of the goddess Kali, who was worshipped by the king himself. Once Kumari grows up (starts menstruating), she can no longer carry out her mission and actually retires. However, she does not have to worry about her livelihood, she is secure for life. Mostly, however, she remains unmarried because it is believed that whoever marries her will die. Sometimes the former Kumari walks around town in a red sari with red flowers.

THE CITY WAS ONCE AN IMPORTANT STOP

ON THE SILK ROAD

But the best thing you can do is to skip the tour guides and just wander the streets. You’ll discover streets you wouldn’t otherwise go to. And Kathmandu is just the place to do it. You’ll find several squares that are filled with traders who have been coming here since time immemorial. They sold their agricultural produce to feed the people of the city, which was one of the most important stops on the Silk Road from Tibet to India. You’ll zigzag between stalls offering PANI PURI, a small round bread filled with potatoes and water scented with herbs and chilli. You’ll find, among other things, lots of cozy little temples where locals offer a few grains of rice each day, flowers or the red paint used to make the typical tikka on the forehead as a symbol of sacrifice and blessing.

The streets here are full of shops where you can find mainly household items, various brass trays or bowls for dal-bhat. There are also aisles where you can buy wedding clothes, colourful accessories and ornaments, but also quite ordinary things like over-the-counter medicines or plain flip-flops, scarves or T-shirts.

You can also find tucked away little squares where people sit on the street, drink tea and just talk. There is an incredible sense of peace and you realise that there is no need to rush.

During my walks through the city, I was probably most fascinated by the shops selling meat. I’m under no illusion that this is how meat is bought even in the more expensive hotels. That’s why I’m not at all surprised that there are vegetarians in such countries.

BUDDHA’S EYES

The Buddha’s eyes, also called the Eyes of Wisdom, are a symbol used in Buddhism. The symbol is painted on all four cardinal points to express that the Buddha accompanies man everywhere. That is why it is also called the “eyes of righteousness“. The golden dot between the eyes signifies the third eye, the so-called “eye of wisdom“.

I hope I’ve enticed you to stay more than one night. Of course, there is much more to see in this colourful and magical city. And it doesn’t have to be a boring tour of all the hundreds of gods, goddesses, statues and temples you’ll encounter literally at every turn. Once you’ve familiarised yourself with the historical and religious side of Nepal’s metropolis, you can set out to explore its contemporary face and soak up its unique atmosphere. To get around the city, you can use the ubiquitous rickshaws, taxis or minibuses, used to the perpetual traffic jams, chaos and noise on the roads, which the locals have already mastered with ease.

After a while, you’ll get used to it, too, because what else is there to do in a metropolis of millions… 🙂

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