Top 10 Heritage sites of Nepal

Nepal is a small yet beautiful country. It is rich in natural beauty, cultural aspects, religious aspects, ethnicity, and many more. You can get to see and experience all these things in this small country. People of Nepal are religious and respect their religion and culture a lot. We can find different people, following different cultures and religions. We can see various heritage sites based on religion, culture, and sites carrying historical importance. These heritages sites add more beauty and importance to the beauty of Nepal. Some of these heritage sites are admired at the international level and are listed as UNESCO’s world heritage. Let us know about some of those heritage sites:

Pashupatinath Temple:

Pashupatinath Temple is one of the oldest temples in Nepal made in the 5th century by Lichhavi kings. It is the biggest temple of Hindu Lord “Shiva” in Nepal that lies in the capital of Nepal, Kathmandu. The temple covers the large area and is built on the edge of the Bagmati River. It is built in pagoda style. There are many other small temples of different god and goddess worshipped by Hindus surrounding the main temple of Lord Shiva. Thousands of religious people within and outside the country visit this temple every year.  It was included in the world heritage list in 1979 A.D. by UNESCO. The art and sculptures around the walls of temples and surroundings show Nepal’s religious and cultural value. The statues of gods built inside and outside the temples are made up of metal, woods, and stones. As “Pashupati” also means the god of animals, we can find many animals being preserved inside the temple premises. Numbers of monkeys can be seen around the temples. Oxen, birds, and other animals are also preserved around the temple. If you visit Nepal, it is easy to visit this temple and learn about its beauty, religious and historical values.

Swoyambhunath Stupa:

Swoyambhunath is one of the oldest stupas in Nepal. It is the biggest stupa for Buddhists that lies in the capital of the country, Kathmandu. It lies in the top of the hill in Kathmandu. It is a highly situated stupa of Nepal. You can see a complete view of the Kathmandu valley from the top. The long stairways take you to the beautiful masterpiece constructed as white dome and peaceful eyes of Lord Buddha. As Lord Buddha is a sign of peace, the whole area is very peaceful and beautiful. Many people come here to spend time peacefully or to meditate. Colorful flags with Buddhist scripts are hung around the stupa add more beauty to the place. It is also known as ‘Monkey Temple.’ Thus, you can see large numbers of monkeys roaming around the stupa. The stupa is surrounded by chaityas, temples, and numerous other religious objects. The other attractions around the area you can see are gold-plated vajra “thunderbolt,” Buddha statues, the sleeping Buddha, traditional Tibetan paintings, etc. This world heritage site is easily accessible, and a must place to visit if you are in Nepal.

Lumbini:

Lumbini is one of the pilgrimage sites for Buddhists, which lies in the Rupandehi district of Nepal.  It is the birthplace of Lord Gautam Buddha. It is believed that Mayadevi gave birth to Siddharth Gautam, and after achieving enlightenment, he became Lord Buddha. You can see every place built in such a way that you can explore how Lord Buddha grew up there. The site includes the Mayadevi temple and the holy pond where Buddha used to take a bath. Various monuments and monasteries surround the place. You can find museums and research institutes within the sites that help you know about the history of the place. Another attraction of this place is the pillar of Ashoka. It is believed that King Ashoka discovered this pillar in the 3rd century BCE. The inscription in the pillar proves that King Ashoka discovered it, and identified the birthplace of Budhha. World peace pagoda and Myanmar Golden temple is also the part of this place. UNESCO declared Lumbini as World Heritage Site in 1997 A.D. You can travel easily to Lumbini from Kathmandu and enjoy the peace and beauty of Lumbini.

Chitwan National Park:

Chitwan National park covers Nawalpur, Parsa, Chitwan, and Makwanpur districts of Nepal. It was established in 1973 A.D. Chitwan National park is the first National Park of Nepal. It was stated as a world heritage site in 1984 A.D. by UNESCO. It covers and protects a large variety of flora and fauna. It protects animals like one-horned rhino, sloth bear, leopard, pangolin, golden monitor lizard, different species of reptiles, species of birds, and, most importantly, royal Bengal tiger. The most amazing thing here is you can explore and see all these creatures by jungle safari.

You can enjoy the safari through elephant safari, jeep safari, etc. It will be a lifetime experience to see these rare species from close and know about them. Not only wildlife safari, but it is also a famous bird watching as you can see around 544 species of beautiful and rare birds and also tiger-tracking in Nepal. It is near to Kathmandu and can get easy access to the place. Even the stay and trips are available at a reasonable cost. The place looks like it is decorated with handicrafts made by local people. You can even find people of a different ethnic group and get to learn about their cultures and lifestyles. You will not want to miss this place while visiting Nepal.

Sagarmatha National Park:

Sagarmatha lies in the Eastern part of Nepal. It covers the Himalayan region of Nepal. Mt. Everest, the highest peak of the world, lies within this national park. It was founded in 1976 A.D. It was declared as World heritage site in 1979 A.D. by UNESCO. It is the first national park declared as a world heritage site in Nepal. It conserves a large number of forests, wildlife, and cultural resources. It is very famous among tourists. Thousands of tourists visit this place every year. This national park covers various trekking trails in Nepal. Other peaks covered by the park are Mt. Lhotse, Cho Oyu, Mt.Nuptse, Thamserku, Amadablam, etc. It also covers Dudhkoshi river, Bhotekoshi river, and Gokyo lakes. It protects a large number of flora and faunas. Forests are covered with birch, juniper, blue pines, fir, bamboo, and rhododendron that make the sight colorful and beautiful. Around 118 species of birds can be found here, among which you get to see rare birds like Himalayan Monal, blood pheasant, red-billed chough, yellow-billed chough, etc. You can explore rare species of mammals like musk deer, snow leopard, langur, Himalayan wolves, etc. You will most likely get to meet Sherpas as local people and get to know about Tibetan Buddhist cultures practiced by local people. It is the best place to explore the rare natural beauty, rare wildlife, and unique cultures simultaneously.

Panauti:

Panauti lies in Kavrepalanchok district and is one of the smallest and the oldest towns in Nepal. This state has much historical importance for Nepal.  It was listed as UNESCO in 1996 A.D. There are many temples and is considered the holy place of Nepal. Indreshwor temple is the most famous temple in Nepal. It is the largest and tallest pagoda style temple of Nepal. The temple is very well maintained and is known for its classic design.  Two rivers Roshi and punyawati crosses the town and are considered as holy rivers. Various fairs are organized every year here. Among them, Makar Mela is the most famous one. It takes place every 12 years and is known as Barha Barse Mela. Pilgrims from different parts of the country and abroad come to visit this place at this time.  Though the country is highly influenced by modernization, it has managed to preserve its historical and religious values. It is very near to Kathmandu and very easy to visit while traveling in Nepal.

Changunarayan Temple:

Changunarayan temple is believed to be one of the oldest temples in Nepal. It lies in the east of Kathmandu and north of Bhaktapur and is built in a top hill called Changu. It is mainly a temple of Lord Vishnu, God of the creator of life, according to Hindu mythology. The temple is two-storeyed and built-in pagoda-style. Other small temples of gods surround it. Champak trees surround the area adding more beauty to it. The scriptures and arts carved on the walls and pillars reflect the ancient value of the temple. It is believed to be built back in the 3rd century and is preserved to date. It is also listed as a World Heritage site by UNESCO.

Kathmandu Durbar Square:

Kathmandu Durbar Square lies in the center of the Kathmandu valley. It is in front of the old royal palace in Basantapur. Listed as a world heritage site, it embraces many historical and religious sites and reflects the architecture of ancient Newar artists and artisans. There are many main attractions in this single heritage site. There is Kumari bahal, the only residence of the living Goddess Kumari. Another amazing masterpiece you can witness here is the Kasthamandap temple. It is believed that this temple is made from a single tree. Hanuman Dhoka is another durbar square inside the premises. This museum has nice collections of ancient weapons and types of equipment used by the kings. Taleju temple is the highest temple that only opens at the time of the main Hindu festival, Dashain.  The huge statue of Kal Bhairab is another attraction of this area. The main festival of Newars in Kathmandu, Indra Jatra starts from here. Crowds of people pull the huge chariot with Kumari and other gods in it. The masked dance and their various acts with melodious music add more taste to the festival. It is one of the main attractions for tourists.

Patan Durbar Square:

Patan Durbar square is another world heritage site of Nepal located exactly at the center of Lalitpur where you can see many temples built in alignment here. It also shows the architecture of ancient Newar artists. There are many major attractions here. You can see the ancient royal palace of Malla kings, which treasures ancient equipment used in ancient times. Krishna temple is built in a unique Shikhara style called granthakuta. The story of two Hindu holy books Mahabharat and Ramayana are carved in the pillars of the first and second floors of the temple. Bhimsen temple is renowned for the golden window. It is an important temple for Newars as they worship Bhimsen as god of business and trade. Vishwanath temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva. In the front entrance, you can see two stoned elephants guarding the temple. Taleju Bhawani used to be the personal temples of ancient kings. It is a five-storeyed temple with triple roofs. The big bell and golden temple is another attraction of this site. Rato machhindranath Jatra is the main festival of Newars living here. The chariot of rato machhindranath is pulled along with masked dance and newari music.

Bhaktapur durbar square:

Bhaktapur Durbar Square is located in Bhaktapur of Nepal. It is also called Khwopa or Bhadgaon. It is enlisted as a world heritage site, and the beauty of this durbar square attracts many tourists. It is a combination of four different squares: Durbar square, Taumadhi square, Dattatreya square, and pottery square. The pottery of Bhaktapur is very famous. The major attraction of this place is 55 windowed palace. This palace was built during the Malla dynasty and consist of 55 beautifully wooden carved windows. Vatsalya temple is a stone temple that is filled with beautiful carvings. Outside, the temple has a silver bell which carries important historical events. Nyatapole temple is a five-storeyed temple. It is the biggest and tallest temple ever made in Nepal. It is opened only once a year. Another beautiful and high admired attraction of this place is the golden gate. It is believed to be the most beautiful and richly molded crafts of its kind in the entire world. Bisket Jatra is celebrated as the main festival of Newars of this city. It is a highly visited durbar square in Nepal.

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