Culture and Heritage

Kathmandu's ancient and refined culture has been inspired by the convergence of the Hindu and Buddhist devotion of its inhabitants. The traditional customs, festivals, art and literature are all religious in character. Kathmandu's location on a key Asian trade route has exposed it to varied influences form ancient times, and they have further enriched local artistic traditions.

High level craftsmanship can be seen in the exquisite artworks that ornament the ancient temples, palace buildings and domestic houses. Local artisans excelled in wood carving, stone carving, metal casting, weaving, pottery and other crafts. Examples of fine wood carving can be seen on the ornate windows of old buildings and on the roof struts of temples. Street side images of gods and goddesses and sunken water spouts illustrate the level of skill in stone carving.

From 1400's to late 1700's AD, Kathmandu experienced a cultural flowering under the Malla Kings. This was a creative period for the other cities in the Kathmandu valley as well (known as Nepal Mandal from historical times). These great patrons of the arts embellished the city with sculptures, pagodas, stupas and palace buildings of exceptional beauty. Amazed by the artistic prolificacy, a British visitor more than two hundred years ago, made the often-quoted observation, "There are as many temples as there are houses and as many idols as there are men."

Indeed, Kathmandu possesses one of the greatest concentrations of architectural treasures in the world. There are not only hundreds of temples, stupas and open shrines, but also 106 monastic courtyards (known as baha or bahi) which are centers of art and piety.

Most of the remarkable cultural wealth is located in the City Core. These artistic edifices are intimately linked with the daily life of the people. They provide places for worship and are the setting for a roster of annual festivals (133 in a year). UNESCO ahs listed four of the temple complexes as World Heritage Sites. They are the Hanuman Dhoka Durbar Square, Swayambhunath, Pashupatinath and Bouddhanath.