Devoted to Kathmandu valley
Liz Price
KUALA LUMPUR
Saturday, April 28, 2007
THE narrow alleyway was blocked by goats and we had to squeeze past them, risking a butt if we got too close. Their devil-like eyes with the horizontal pupils gleamed at us as if to say, "this is our territory so make way, we have right of passage".
I just muttered "goat satay" under my breath as I nonchalantly pushed past them. I was used to seeing cows wandering everywhere, so it made a change to have a different form of road obstacle.
Wandering around the maze of small lanes and alleys of the Kathmandu valley is a constant surprise you never know what will be around the next corner. For instance, we strolled down one dark passageway and popped out into a small square which was a riot of colour. The floor was covered with red chillies and yellow corn cobs laid out to dry in the sun. Small children were left on guard because the occasional flock of goats would come and try to sneak a free meal.
We rounded another corner and were surprised to find chillies neatly laid out next to hundreds of newly made pots.
Bhakatapur is one of the three cities of the Kathmandu Valley in Nepal. It is known as the "City of Devotees" and is a mediaeval showcase. Seen from a distance in the early morning light, the long stretch of ochre brickwork blends perfectly with the surrounding landscape of gentle hills. A temple rises into the sky like a beacon.
The city is said to have been designed in the Ninth Century and is a hotchpotch of temples, shrines and sunken fountains, bordered on the south side by the Hanumante River. The open spaces were old village centres spread along the ancient trade route to Tibet.
Bhakatapur has retained its character better than the Valley's other two major cities, Kathmandu and Patan. At the centre of the city is Durbar Square, a feature found in all three cities.
The one in Bhakatapur is quite sparse compared to those in Kathmandu and Patan. We entered through the royal gate and were confronted by a vast open brick square. In 1934 this area suffered from a big earthquake, destroying the two large temples which originally formed a focal point of the square. The remaining buildings, however, pay tribute to the former splendour.
Exploring, we found something new to discover all the time. Sitting outside one temple was an orange robed sadhu, or Hindu mendicant. His Rasta style hair hung down below his waist and his face was painted with white lines and red dots of Shiva. But it was his trident that really caught my eye, as the three prongs were made to represent cobra heads.
I was fascinated by the shops selling papier-mache dance masks representing every face imaginable. Nepal is a land of festivals and celebrates many religious events as well as its multitude of legends.
If you spend time in Kathmandu, you are bound to see a festival somewhere. People turn out in their best clothes and jewellery to watch. Many of the women wear gold rings in their nose and also have nose studs. Huge crowds gather and take up every available space on temple steps and around the squares forming a sea of people. What a great way to people watch!
Then we decided it was time to head for the Hanumante River for a change of scenery. This sacred river is the southern boundary of Bhakatapur city. From the city a maze of winding lanes lead to the river. There are various ghats along the river, which are used as bathing and cremation places.
The riverside was a good place to sit and soak up all the amazing sights of this mediaeval place. I was so absorbed in my thoughts that I was mentally transported into a different world. So I was quite startled when a plane took off from the airport and brought me back to the reality of the modern world and the fact that I would soon have to leave this amazing place.
The Brunei Times
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Source URL:
http://www.bt.com.bn/en/en/classification/life/travel/2007/04/28/devoted_to_kathmandu_valley
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