Kathmandu

Kathmandu (Nepali: काठमांडौ, Nepal Bhasa: येँ) is the capital and the largest metropolitan city of Nepal. The city is situated in Kathmandu Valley, which also contains two other cities - Lalitpur and Bhaktapur. Nepali language is spoken by most people of the city. English is understood by most of the educated population of the city. The city stands at an elevation of approximately 1400 m and is inhabited by about 7,000,000 people. Kathmandu is considered to have the most advanced infrastructure among urban areas in Nepal.
Contents
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* 1 History
* 2 Present
* 3 Geography
* 4 Administrative divisions
o 4.1 Central sector
o 4.2 East sector
o 4.3 North sector
o 4.4 City core
o 4.5 West sector
* 5 Statistics
* 6 Government
* 7 Economy and Business
* 8 Notable landmarks
* 9 Cultural impact
* 10 Gallery
* 11 Politicians from Kathmandu
* 12 See also
* 13 Footnotes
* 14 External links

[edit] History

Kathmandu is situated in the heart of the Himalaya mountains and has a rich history. Considered by many to be among the most beautiful cities in the world, the earliest known inscription in the Kathmandu Valley is dated 185 AD. The oldest firmly dated building in the earthquake-prone valley is almost 1,992 years old. Four stupas around the city of Patan, said to have been erected by Charumati, attest to the ancient history present within are in Patan near kendra Hiranyavarna Mahavihara (called "Patukodon"). The Licchavi Dynasty whose earliest inscriptions date back to 464 AD were the next rulers of the valley. The Malla Dynasty consisted of Newar rulers, who ruled Kathmandu Valley and the surrounding area from the 12th century till the 17th century, when the Shah Dynasty founder Prithvi Narayan Shah conquered the valley as he created present-day Nepal. Most of ancient Nepali Architecture present in Nepal today is from the Malla/Newar era.

The city of Kathmandu is named after a structure in Durbar Square called Kaasthamandap. In Sanskrit, Kaasth (काष्ठ) is "wood" and Mandap (मंडप/मण्डप) is "covered shelter." This unique temple, also known as Maru Sattal, was built in 1596 AD by King Laxmi Narsingh Malla. The entire structure contains no iron nails or supports and is made entirely from wood. Legend has it that the timber used for this two-story pagoda was obtained from a single tree[citation needed].

Kathmandu is also sometimes called "Kantipur". "Kanti" is an alternate name of the Goddess Laxmi, and "pur" means the place where such a goddess resides. Thus, the name Kantipur demonstrates the ancient belief that it is the place where Laxmi dwells[citation needed].

[edit] Present
Pashupatinath temple
Boudhanath
A Mosque in Kathmandu

Kathmandu is home to most of the government offices, embassies, corporate houses, and palaces. The old palace of the Newar kings at Durbar Square is listed as a UNESCO world heritage site. Nearby is Freak Street, which was the popular hippie spot during the 1970s. The former Shah King's Palace stands just east of Thamel - the tourist hub of the country. It consists of two parallel streets catering to tourists with shops, restaurants and little hotels. The palace is at the northern end of Durbar Marg, a major street lined with various shops and larger hotels.

The "old" city is noted for its many Buddhist and Hindu temples and palaces, most dating to the 17th century. Many of these landmarks have been damaged by earthquakes and pollution. Kathmandu has two important Buddhist stupas, Swayambhunath and Boudhanath, and a famous Hindu shrine, Pashupatinath temple. Since 2003 the sites have been added to the World Heritage List as being "in danger" out of concern for the ongoing loss of authenticity and the outstanding universal value of the cultural property.

Kathmandu has been popular with western tourists since the 1960s, when it became a key stop along the hippie trail. For the hippies during the 60s, once in India they went to many different destinations but gathered in large numbers in Kathmandu to spend months in search of tranquility and Nirvana.[2] Most of the hippies hung out in the tranquil surroundings of Freak Street[3]. Cultural change, as well as a government crackdown on some of the activities, eliminated hippie movement activities in Kathmandu. Today there is a more conventional type of tourism, although it is also a jumping off location for trekking and mountaineering activities in the Himalayan region. Kathmandu has also been the subject of a popular Bob Seger song for the same reason.

Tribhuvan International Airport is located at the eastern edge of the city, about 6 km from the city center, offering domestic and international flights.

[edit] Geography

The city is located in the northwestern part of Kathmandu Valley. The Kathmandu Valley covers an area of 565 sq. kilometres. It is situated at 1336 m above the sea level. The Bagmati, Bishnumati, Dhobikhola, and Tukucha rivers wind through the city. It falls in the central development region and it is the headquarters of the region.

[edit] Administrative divisions
A crowded street (Jamal) in Kathmandu.

The metropolitan has been divided into around 5 sectors by metropolitan authorities as follows[4]

[edit] Central sector

The central sector consists of wards 1, 5, 11,12(Growing Business Area), 19, 28, 31, 32 and 33.

[edit] East sector

The east sector consists of wards 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 (Baneshwor), 34 (Shantinagar) and 35 (Koteshwor).

[edit] North sector

The north sector consists of wards 2, 3, 4, 16, and 29.

[edit] City core

This is the most densely populated part of the city. This part consists of most of the historical and cultural monuments of the city.

[edit] West sector

The west sector consists of wards 12,13, 14 and 15.

[edit] Statistics

According to 2001 census, there are 235,387 households in the metropolitan city[5]. Kathmandu metropolitan authorities estimate the number of people living in the city to be around 1,081,845 people. [6] The largest ethnic groups are Newars, Brahmins and Kshetris. The major languages are Nepali and Nepal Bhasa. The major religions are Hinduism and Buddhism. The city has also a significant and growing Muslim population.

[edit] Government

Madhav Kumar Nepal of the Communist Party of Nepal Unified Marxist Leninist (CPN-UML)is the Prime Minister of the country who has Nepali Congress as its main ally. Other minor parties are also involved in the ruling government. In total, there are 18 Ministries in the government of which Home Ministry is the major one. The new budget that has been presented spends the most on Education. Tourism has also been given special emphasis, with the ongoing obstacles the industry is facing.

The city is looked after by Kathmandu metropolitan city office. The city hosts Singhadarbar, the government seat of Nepal (with office of Prime Minister). Majority of the ministries are located in the Singha Darbar premises. The Shital Niwas has the president's office and Birendra International Convention Center holds the constituent assembly meetings.

[edit] Economy and Business

Tourism, sometimes said to be the 'third religion' of Nepal, is the country's most important industry, and plays a large role in the economic activity of Kathmandu. It is a major source of income for much of the city's people. The neighborhood of Thamel is Kathmandu's primary 'traveler's ghetto,' packed with guest houses, restaurants, shops and bookstores catering to tourists from abroad. Freak Street, also known as Jochhen Tole, is Kathmandu's original traveler's haunt made popular by the hippies of the 1970s and remains a popular alternative to Thamel.[7] In addition, Kathmandu houses most of the banks, business houses, offices, organizations and share market of Nepal. The busiest economic centers are New Road of Kathmandu, Ason, Putalisadak and Darbar Marg. New Road is regarded as financial hub with presence of most of the banks in this street.

In economic perspectives, Nepal still lags behind much of the countries that were poorer previously. However, Terai, to the south of Nepal houses major factories and companies that export goods. In addition, Nepal has lately been famous for the 'Lokta Paper', which has an international standard. Overall, Nepal's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of 2008 was 3.20%, the biggest sum hitherto. Nepal ranks among the world's poorest countries, with a per capita income of around $470 in 2009. Based on national calorie/GNP criteria, an estimated 31% of the population is below the poverty line. An isolated, agrarian society until the mid-20th century, Nepal entered the modern era in 1951 without schools, hospitals, roads, telecommunications, electric power, industry, or a civil service. The country has, however, made progress toward sustainable economic growth since the 1950s and is committed to a program of economic liberalization.

Nepal launched its 10th five-year economic development plan in 2002; its currency has been made convertible; and fourteen state enterprises have been privatized, seven liquidated, and two dissolved. Foreign aid accounts for more than half the development budget. The Government of Nepal has shown an increasing commitment to fiscal transparency, good governance, and accountability. Also in 2002, the government began to prioritize development projects and eliminate wasteful spending. In consultation with civil society and donors, the government cut 160 development projects that were driven by political patronage.

Agriculture remains Nepal's principal economic activity, employing over 71% of the population and providing 32.12% of GDP. Only about 25% of the total area is cultivable; another 33% is forested; most of the rest is mountainous. Rice and wheat are the main food crops. The lowland Terai region produces an agricultural surplus, part of which supplies the food-deficient hill areas. Because of Nepal's dependence on agriculture, the magnitude of the annual monsoon rain strongly influences economic growth.

In FY 2007/2008 Nepal's exports increased by 2.4%, compared to a decrease of 1.4% in FY 2006/2007. Imports grew by 16.1% in FY 2007/2008 as compared to 12% in FY 2006/2007. Exports constrained by political turmoil and a poor investment climate in the last fiscal year grew marginally owing to improvement in the political situation. The trade deficit for FY 2006/2007 was $1.9 billion, which widened to $2.5 billion in FY 2007/2008. Real GDP growth during 1996-2002 averaged less than 5%. According to the revised estimates of the Central Bureau of Statistics, GDP grew 4.68% in FY 2003/2004 and slipped to 3.12% in FY 2004/2005, but again increased marginally to 3.72% in 2005/2006 and slipped to 3.19% in FY 2006/2007.

Despite its growing trade deficit, Nepal traditionally has a balance of payments (BOP) surplus due to remittances from Nepalese working abroad. In FY 2007/2008, Nepal recorded a balance of payments surplus of $452.9 million (0.4% of GDP), as compared to $83.58 million in FY 2006/2007 (0.01% of GDP). Significant rise in workers' remittances and grants assistance contributed to a record level of BOP surplus in FY 2007/2008, however, the BOP surplus covered import trade credit amounting to $232 million in 2007/08, reflecting a rather fragile base. In the previous year, import trade credit was at a lower level of $ 25.95 million. Nepal receives substantial amounts of external assistance from India, the United Kingdom, the United States, Japan, Germany, and the Scandinavian countries. Several multilateral organizations--including the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, and the UN Development Program--also provide significant assistance. On April 23, 2004, Nepal became the 147th member of the World Trade Organization (WTO).

With eight of the world's ten highest mountain peaks--including Mt. Everest at 8,848 m (29,000 ft)--Nepal is a tourist destination for hikers and mountain climbers. However, the decade-long insurgency and a global economic slowdown threatened the tourism industry. But 2007 witnessed a renewed wave of tourism. Figures from the Department of Immigration showed a 37.2% increase in arrivals in 2007, which surpassed the numbers of tourist arrivals during 1999, the peak tourism year prior to 2006. Since the political parties and Maoists brokered a comprehensive peace agreement in November 2006, renewed tourist arrivals have given relief to the tourism-based hotel, trekking, mountaineering, and aviation industries.

Swift rivers flowing south through the Himalayas have massive hydroelectric potential to service domestic power needs and growing demand from India. Only about 1% of Nepal's hydroelectric potential is currently tapped. Several hydroelectric projects, at Kulekhani and Marsyangdi, were completed in the early to late 1980s. In the early 1990s, one large public-sector project, the Kali Gandaki A (144 megawatts--MW), and a number of private projects were planned; some have been completed. Kali Gandaki A started commercial operation in August 2002. The most significant privately financed hydroelectric projects currently in operation are the Khimti Khola (60 MW) and Bhote Koshi (36 MW) projects.

The environmental impact of Nepal's hydroelectric projects has been limited by the fact that most are "run-of-river," with only one storage project undertaken to date. The planned private-sector West Seti (750 MW) storage project is dedicated to electricity exports. An Australian company signed a power purchase agreement with the Indian Power Trading Corporation in September 2002 and has the lead on the project. Negotiations with India for a power purchase agreement have been underway for several years, but agreement on pricing and capital financing remains a problem. The Government of Nepal has taken up the issue of project financing for the West Seti project with the EXIM Bank of China. Starting in December 2006, the Department of Electricity Development obtained proposals from 14 foreign companies for survey licenses of three projects--600 MW Budhi Gandaki, 402 MW Arun III, and 300 MW Upper Karnali. The Ministry of Water Resources, after delaying the evaluation process for more than a year, finally awarded the 300 MW Upper Karnali to Indian private sector developer GMR Energy Ltd. In March 2008, the 402 MW Arun III was awarded to India's state-owned Sutlej Jal Vidyut Nigam (SJVN). The Department of Electricity Development had invited fresh global tenders for the 600 MW Budhi Gandi project in December 2007, but it failed to attract investors. Currently, domestic demand for electricity is increasing at 8%-10% a year.

Population pressure on natural resources is increasing. Overpopulation is already straining the "carrying capacity" of the middle hill areas, particularly the Kathmandu Valley, resulting in the depletion of forest cover for crops, fuel and fodder, and contributing to erosion and flooding. Additionally, water supplies within the Kathmandu Valley are not considered safe for consumption, and disease outbreaks are not uncommon. Although steep mountain terrain makes exploitation difficult, mineral surveys have found small deposits of limestone, magnesite, zinc, copper, iron, mica, lead, and cobalt.

Progress has been achieved in education, health, and infrastructure. A countrywide primary education system is under development, and Tribhuvan University has several campuses. Although eradication efforts continue, malaria has been controlled in the fertile but previously uninhabitable Terai region in the south. Kathmandu is linked to India and nearby hill regions by an expanding highway network.

[edit] Notable landmarks

* Swayambhunath
* Pashupatinath Temple
* Boudhanath
* Tharlam Monastery
* Durbar Square
* Kasthamandap
* Dharahara

[edit] Cultural impact

The city has been referenced in numerous songs, including works by Cat Stevens "Katmandu", Mona Bone Jakon (1970)), Bob Seger ("Katmandu", Beautiful Loser (1975)), Rush ("A Passage to Bangkok" ("Pulling into Kathmandu"), 2112, 1976), Krematorij ("Kathmandu", Three Springs (2000)), Fito Páez ("Tráfico por Katmandú" -- "Traffic through Kathmandu"); Will Ackerman ("A Happy Home in Kathmandu", The Opening of Doors (1993)); Tantra ("The Hills of Katmandu", early 1980s); and Godiego ("Coming Together in Kathmandu", 1980).

Numerous works of literature have been set in Kathmandu, including Kim Stanley Robinson's 1989 work, Escape from Kathmandu. Recently, the book ("Arresting God in Kathmandu") by Samrat Upadhyay received international acclaim, as well as the non-fictional book written by Manjushree Thapa "Forget Kathmandu". Pico Iyer, a famous American writer, also has a non-fiction book named "Video nights in Kathmandu", although only one chapter of the book is dedicated to Kathmandu.

In some travelogues, the Kathmandu valley has been referred to as the "Emerald Valley".

The location is mentioned in the film Bewitched as the title of a fictional movie Will Ferrell's character stars in prior to his role in the Bewitched remake.

Cameron Diaz's character also mentions Kathmandu as a place that she really wants to visit, in the movie There's Something about Mary.

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, A Video Game Sequel by Sony Entertainment, is based on Nepal and shows the inner Kathmandu, with a vivid pagoda-style temple and old Newari houses.

[edit] Gallery

Kathmandu, viewed from Monkey Temple


The palace in the Kathmandu Durbar Square.


Bhairava sculpture, Durbar Square market place 1972.


A view of Kathmandu Durbar Square from 1920. Bhairava in the background.

Same as the picture to the left but from 2007, shot for comparison.


Small stupa in Kathmandu


Stone carving in Kathmandu street


View over Kathmandu

A seller warming himself up in Durbar Square, Kathmandu, Nepal (pre-prohibition)


Boudhanath Stupa in Kathmandu, Nepal


Pashupatinath Temple in Kathmandu, Nepal


Pashupatinath temple in Kathmandu, Nepal

Rickshaw driver in Kathmandu near Durbar Square

Newroad.jpg

Downtown Kathmandu


Phallic sculpture Kathmandu

[edit] Politicians from Kathmandu

* Ganesh Man Singh
* Prakash Man Singh
* Dhyan Govinda Ranjit

[edit] See also

* Tribhuvan International Airport
* Kathmandu Valley

[edit] Footnotes

1. ^ a b "Census Nepal 2001". http://www.kathmandu.gov.np/cityatglance/index.html. Retrieved on July 13 2007.
2. ^ Sherwood, Seth. "A New Generation of Pilgrims Hits India's Hippie Trail". The New York Times Company. http://travel.nytimes.com/2006/04/09/travel/09goa.html. Retrieved on 2008-09-11.
3. ^ "Have a high time on hippie trail in Kathmandu". Independent Online. 2001-01-30. http://www.ioltravel.co.za/article/view/3549557. Retrieved on 2008-09-11.
4. ^ Ward Profiles, Kathmandu Metropolitan City
5. ^ "Census Nepal 2001". http://www.cbs.gov.np/Population/National%20Report%202001/VDC.pdf. Retrieved on July 13 2007.
6. ^ National Report 2001
7. ^ "FudoMouth: Under the Spell of Ancient Deities". http://www.fudomouth.net/intertext/ap_subcontinent01.htm. Retrieved on 2008-12-27.

[edit] External links
Search Wikimedia Commons Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Kathmandu

* Kathmandu travel guide from Wikitravel
* Kathmandu Metropolitan City
* Explore and discover Kathmandu on a digital Map
* Flickr.com Sights & Scenes from Kathmandu
* whl.travel Kathmandu Guide
* [http://traveldocs.com/ Economy of Kathmandu
* Virtual tour of Nepal. Contains almost all tourist destination of Nepal to travel virtually