This small state in South Asia is called the Land of the Great Mountains. Ancient Nepal, closed to foreigners, only since 1991 has opened its doors to tourists. Stunning beauty of temples and monasteries became available for all to see. Any traveler, even the most skeptical, falls under the charm of this mysterious country.
Exotic Nepal, whose attractions attract ecotourists who want to enjoy the wildlife, who dream of challenging the snowy peaks of climbers and everyone who wants to achieve enlightenment, was first mentioned in the 13th century BC.
2015 earthquake
Unfortunately, the spring of 2015 made its devastating adjustments, and most of the country's significant facilities were destroyed. The human sacrifice, collapsed temples, which were local attractions, wiped off the face of the earth buildings - the result of the most powerful earthquake in eighty years.
Therefore, in our article we will talk about surviving and destroyed after the disaster famous man-made monuments, many of which cannot be restored.
Stupa Swayambhunath
Where did tourists who first arrived in Nepal need to visit? Kathmandu, the sights of which have no analogues in the whole world, was famous for the Swayambhunath Stupa, located on a high hill. Each architectural element of a hundred-meter-tall structure carried huge meaning and symbolized concepts related to religion. It is believed that the upper part of the temple is nirvana, which all worshipers want to achieve after passing thirteen levels of knowledge.
Buddha’s eyes are painted on the walls of the main temple, testifying to his all-seeing ocean, and the foot of the 40-meter stupa depicts the connection of the four elements.
The main attractions of Kathmandu are, of course, temples, but not only Buddhist. Several Hindu shrines are located next to the stupa, forming a whole complex, which symbolizes the harmonious connection of several religions. Since 1979, the place with strong spiritual power has been included in the UNESCO World List.
Now a dilapidated temple in the capital is being restored, but the construction process is proceeding at a very slow pace.
The main square of the capital
They say that the spirit of the country lives on its main square, so Durbar is the most visited place by guests of Nepal. The Royal Palace-Museum of Narayanhiti, dozens of colorful temples in which various gods were worshiped - everything was filled with a special, unforgettable atmosphere.
This went on until April last year, until a natural disaster destroyed the main square of the country. The natural disaster claimed more than four thousand human lives and destroyed the main attraction included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Goddess girl
Exotic Nepal, the sights of which have no analogues, is known for the mistress of the beautiful red brick palace-temple in the center of the square. Devi Kumari is a living goddess who is chosen at the age of five according to various parameters. The girl, in whom the spirit of the goddess is instilled, undergoes thirty-two difficult trials.
The incarnation of the goddess Durga (Taleju) sits on the throne, and her glance cast at someone from the crowd can, according to legend, change life for the better. Therefore, there was always a huge number of people near her house, eager for Devi Kumari to stop her gaze on them.
Having reached the age of 15, the girl received a monetary reward and left the palace forever, not having the right to marry, since it is believed that marrying her is a very bad sign. And the Nepalese begin to look for a new girl in the place of their goddess.
Royal Palace and temples
It is not for nothing that the name of the square translates as “palace”, because there were luxurious buildings in which the kings lived. Now the monarchy is overthrown, and everyone can take a fascinating walk inside the ancient buildings that remained intact after the disaster in order to touch the history that original Nepal carefully preserves.
The sights of the country - bizarre-shaped temples - fascinate with original architecture. Some of them accept only Buddhists and Hindus, but the rest are hospitably open to all foreign guests.
Kasthamandal Temple
One can not ignore another fantastically beautiful temple complex located in the capital Kathmandu (Nepal). Sights, reviews of tourists about which were always full of enthusiastic emotions, were built in the XVI century. According to ancient legends, the capital bears its name in honor of the construction of a three-story pagoda, which was considered the oldest and most well-preserved wooden structure in the world.
Initially, the building was intended for the temporary shelter of merchants, and only later it was transformed into a temple dedicated to St. Gorakhnath, a statue of which is located inside. His followers lived here until 1966, and after the reconstruction began, they moved to another place.
He was not spared the earthquake of 2015, which destroyed the magnificent structure. The iconic wooden monument turned into ruins in a matter of minutes, but there is no talk of restoring the shrine. A natural phenomenon wiped out the temple from the face of the Earth, which we are unlikely to see in its original state.
Dharahara Tower
Some of the sights in Nepal are in terrible condition, but thanks to the transfer of them to private hands, many monuments continue to delight posterity. This happened with the old Dharahara tower, built in the middle of the XIX century. Erected as a defensive structure, it looked more like a giant telescope, consisting of eight silver parts.
After the destruction left by the earthquake at the beginning of the last century, the tower needed restoration, for which the authorities had no money. Only after it was leased in 1998, it was completely restored, and until 2015 the tower was a popular observation platform with a breathtaking view of the capital of Nepal.
However, last year the strongest earthquake in many years destroyed the historically important structure almost to the bottom for the second time, and no one knows how long the restoration process will continue.
Jal Vinayak Temple
Incredibly rich in religious shrines, the capital of the small state of Nepal. Its main attractions are Buddhist temples, but the famous building dedicated to the Indian deity Ganesha serves as an excellent testament to the symbiosis of the two cultures.
The three-story roof is decorated with various images and openwork carvings. Almost three hundred figures of the deity, in which Ganesha is depicted as a short, plump man with an elephant's head and four arms, are located inside the entire temple. And at the entrance, its visitors are met by a huge sculpture of a rat, which sits in anticipation of sacrifice.
Garden of Dreams
Another energetically filled place is located in the capital of the country, and they rush here to be alone with nature and even get a good night's sleep. The vast territory of almost seven hectares is rightfully proud of mystical Nepal. Sights, photos of which, of course, convey the appeal of this amazing place, were discovered in the 20s of the last century.
The main thing that catches your eye is the striking difference between a noisy metropolis and a quiet corner, where time seemed to stop. Not only guests of the country try to get into the Garden of Dreams, but local residents also love to relax in nature and sleep in the open.
The design of the park is architecturally complex, which distinguishes it from all the other green oases of the state. The territory, divided into parts, allows tourists to go through different seasons of the year in which the necessary microclimate is maintained. Nepal is not in vain famous for its garden of dreams with its delicious aroma, the sights of which allow you to get into a real floral fairy tale created by the hands of landscape designers and not much affected by the disaster.
Earthquake damage
The only thing that worries the authorities of Nepal now is the irreparable damage caused by earthquakes to the country. Last year tremors lasted only a minute, but destroyed many of the country's attractions.
So far no one gives predictions as to how quickly the monuments of architecture will be restored. But we can say for sure that many of them will not reach their descendants in their original form.