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Kathmandu, officially the Kathmandu Metropolitan City is the capital and most populous city of Nepal with 975,453 inhabitants in 2011. It is located in the Kathmandu Valley, a large valley in the high plateaus in central Nepal, at an altitude of 1,400 metres.
Kumari, or Kumari Devi, or Living Durga – Nepal, is the tradition of worshiping young prepubescent girls as manifestations of the divine female energy or devi in Asian religious traditions. The word Kumari is derived from Sanskrit.
Newar or Nepami, are the historical inhabitants of the Kathmandu Valley and its surrounding areas in Nepal and the creators of its historic heritage and civilisation. Newars form a linguistic and cultural community of primarily Indo-Aryan and Tibeto-Burman ethnicities following Hinduism and Buddhism with Nepalbhasa as their common language. Newars have developed a division of labour and a sophisticated urban civilisation not seen elsewhere in the Himalayan foothills. Newars have continued their age-old traditions and practices and pride themselves as the true custodians of the religion, culture and civilisation of Nepal. Newars are known for their contributions to culture, art and literature, trade, agriculture and cuisine. Today, they consistently rank as the most economically, politically and socially advanced community of Nepal, according to the annual Human Development Index published by UNDP. Nepal's 2011 census ranks them as the nation's sixth-largest ethnicity/community, with 1,321,933 Newars throughout the country.
Vasudhārā whose name means "stream of gems" in Sanskrit, is the Buddhist goddess of wealth, prosperity, and abundance. She is one of the most popular goddesses worshipped in many Buddhist countries and is a subject of Buddhist legends and art. Her popularity peaks in Nepal where she has a strong following among the Buddhist Newars of the Kathmandu Valley and is thus a central figure in Newar Buddhism. She is named Shiskar Apa in Lahul and Spiti. She is comparable to the Earth goddesses Phra Mae Thorani in Theravada and Tai folk religion and Bhūmidevī or Lakshmi in Hinduism. Her scriptures and practices are also found in Tibetan Buddhism.
Boudha is a stupa in Kathmandu, Nepal. Located about 11 km (6.8 mi) from the center and northeastern outskirts of Kathmandu, its massive mandala makes it one of the largest spherical stupas in Nepal and the world.
Himani Shah is the wife of the former heir apparent to the throne of Nepal, Crown Prince Paras.
Madhyapur Thimi, also known as Thimi, is a municipality in Bhaktapur District in the Bagmati Zone of central Nepal. Thimi lies between Kathmandu, Lalitpur and Bhaktapur in the Kathmandu Valley. It is one of the ancient cultural and historical places along the trade route from Bhaktapur to Kathmandu. The city is situated on elevated land and occupies an area of 11.47 square kilometres (4.43 sq mi), divided into nine administrative wards.
Tokha Chandeshwari is a village and former Village Development Committee that is now part of Tokha Municipality in Kathmandu District in Province No. 3 of central Nepal. At the time of the 2011 Nepal census it had a population of 3,961. Tokha Chandeshwari now is part of Tokha municipality.
About 8 km south-east from the capital of Kathmandu, Nepal on the way to Godawari, Lalitpur, there is a historically renowned village named Harisiddhi, where the Temple of Harisiddhi is located. The temple is at the height of about 4,400 ft from the sea level, whose latitude is 270˚38' north and longitude is 850˚21' east. About 800m west from the temple, there is a river named Karmanasha (Kodku). The climate at this place is normal i.e. hot in summer and cold in winter. The temple is surrounded by the residential area. There is a pond to the south-east direction of the temple which is believed to be one of the important holy-ponds i.e. Kunda.
Asan is a ceremonial, market and residential square in central Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal. It is one of the most well-known historical locations in the city and is famed for its bazaar, festival calendar and strategic location. Asan has been described as one of the fine Newar examples of a traditional Asian bazaar. The Tuladhar, Maharjan, Shrestha, Bajracharya and Shakya castes make up most of the population.
Kathmandu Durbar Square in front of the old royal palace of the former Kathmandu Kingdom is one of three Durbar Squares in the Kathmandu Valley in Nepal, all of which are UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
The architectural heritage of Kathmandu city is integral to that of the Kathmandu valley since all monuments have evolved over centuries of craftsmanship influenced by Hindu and Buddhist religious practices. The architectural treasure of the Kathmandu valley has been categorized under the well known seven groups of heritage monuments and buildings. In 2006, UNESCO declared these seven groups of monuments as a World Heritage Site (WHS). The seven monuments zones cover an area of 188.95 hectares, with the buffer zone extending to 239.34 hectares. The Seven Monument Zones (Mzs) inscribed originally in 1979 with a minor modification in inscribed year as 2006, are: Five monuments in Kathmandu – Durbar square of Hanuman Dhoka, Hindu temples of Pashupatinath and Changunarayan, the Buddha stupas of Swayambu and Boudhanath; and two monuments outside Kathmandu city limits, in the satellite towns of Patan and Bhktapur – Durbar square at Patan, Durbar square at Bhaktapur. Brief details of the five Kathmandu city monuments are elaborated here.
Indra Jātrā, also known as Yenyā, is the biggest religious street festival in Kathmandu, Nepal. The celebrations consist of two events, Indra Jātrā and Kumāri Jātrā. Indra Jātrā is marked by masked dances of deities and demons, displays of sacred images and tableaus in honor of the deity Indra, the king of heaven. Kumāri Jātrā is the chariot procession of the living goddess Kumari.
Seto Machindranath, also known as Janabaha Dyo, Avalokiteśvara, Karunamaya, Guanyin is a deity worshiped by both Hindus and Buddhists in Kathmandu, Nepal. The temple of Seto Machindranath is located in Jana Bahal. Located at Keltole between Ason and Indra Chok in central Kathmandu, the temple is believed to have been established around the 10th century. Seto Machindranath is worshiped as an aspect of Avalokiteshvara.
Mohani or Mohni is one of the most important festivals among the Newars which involves a packed itinerary of religious services, pilgrimages, family gatherings and outdoor celebrations lasting several days. Special dinners known as Nakhtya (नख्त्या), to which all the relatives are invited, continue for weeks later. Mohani is the equivalent of Nepal's biggest festival Dasain, and there are similarities and differences between the two.
Samita Bajracharya is a Nepalese former Kumari of Patan, a living goddess worshipped by Hindus and Buddhists all over South Asia. They believe her to be a reincarnation of Durga, the Hindu goddess, and she is one of several holders of the title of Kumari. Appointed in October 2010, she lived in Lalitpur, Nepal, and as per tradition, continued in her role until first menstruated in 2014. In early 2014, upon reaching puberty, she undertook a ritual involving untying her hair and removing her third eye, after which she was no longer considered a goddess. As a Kumari, she was considered omniscient and thus not educated. She was not allowed to walk anywhere - her feet could not touch the ground. After becoming 'mortal' i.e. after her tenure as a Kumari, she was able to integrate in society, beginning school, walking and learning an instrument. By 2014 she was attending St Xavier School in Patan as a conventional 13-year-old student, allowed to mix socially with classmates with almost no trace of her former role crossing over into her post-Kumari life.
Gajalu is a Nepali movie that depicts the life of living goddess Kumari after her retirement. Shristi Shrestha plays the role of Sujata Shakya, a former Kumari. The movie is about her friendship with her six friends who happen to change her life. This movie is partly inspired by novel named Half Girlfriend by Chetan Bhagat.
Chanira Bajracharya is a former Kumari or Living Goddess of Patan in Nepal. She was born in Nepal, chosen as living goddess in April 2000, and enthroned when she was five years-old. Her reign ended when she reached puberty at the age of 15 when she menstruated for the first time, as is customary for Kumaris. She was succeeded by Samita Bajracharya.
Astalaxmi Shakya is a Nepalese politician and current Interim Chief Minister of Bagmati Province. She is first woman chief minister of Nepal. She has been accused of changing camp in party for post and being unloyal. Governor Bishnu Prasad Prasain appointed Shakya as the chief minister as per Article 168 (1) of the Constitution of Nepal after she was unanimously elected parliamentary party leader of the CPN (UML) on 18 August 2021, following the resignation of outgoing chief minister Dormani Poudel as both the parliamentary party leader and chief minister.
This is a bibliography of notable works about Nepal.
References
- ↑ "From Goddess to Mortal The True Life Story of a Former Royal Kumari - Page Turner - ECSNEPAL - The Nepali Way". ecs.com.np.
- ↑ Murr, Michael. "Michaels WebSite". www.michael-murr.de.
- ↑ Shakya, Rashmila (2012). From Goddess to Mortal. Jyatha, Thamel, Kathmandu, Nepal: Vajra Publications. ISBN 978-99946-788-0-8.
- ↑ "To Divinity and Back: Nepal's Living Goddess Returns to Normal Life". The Wire.
- ↑ "Former Living Goddesses Struggle to Regain Normal Lives". 10 September 2012.
- ↑ "KMC felicitates 8 former Kumaris".
- ↑ "Meeting Nepal's Living Goddesses". 1 July 2014.
- ↑ Magnier, Mark (14 February 2011). "A 'living virgin goddess' comes down to earth in Nepal" – via LA Times.
- ↑ "This 7-Year-Old Is Worshipped as a Living Goddess". ABC News. 9 September 2016.
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