Kirtipur is an ancient town located in the southwest of Kathmandu. The picturesque hill continuously radiates and practices traditional beliefs and culture in the presence of modernity. During the medieval period, the Kirtipur Kingdom was influential even though it was smaller in size. After defeating Gorkhali, Kirtipur integrated into the mainland. The heritage, festivals, traditions, and customs were preserved and practiced. At present, Kirtipur follows the same traditional customs which was practiced for 2000 years. Kirtipur town was a fort that had 12 entry gates. The town had a King’s palace so security was a major concern during those days. The town was designed in such a way that the kingdom was secured from everywhere. The Newar community is extra conscious and active in preserving cultural heritage, festivals, and traditions. The co-existence of Hinduism and Buddhism within the Kingdom makes it clear that there is a higher level of harmony between Hindus and Buddhists. I am going to share the one-day tour around Kirtipur town in this blog article.
If you plan to visit a one-day tour of the ancient city of Kirtipur, you are getting an opportunity to witness living history on the premises of modernity. There are a few ancient sights such as Chilancho Stupa, Uma Maheshwar temple, Baag Bhairav temple, and Indryani temple. At the same time, while exploring ancient monuments, we can taste authentic local cuisine in Newari restaurants such as Lahana, Layaku, and many other local flavor restaurants.
Around four hours are required to visit Kirtipur town, we can start our tour from Chilancho Stupa which is considered one of the oldest and most revered stupas in Nepal having deep historical and religious significance. The Chilancho Stupa was believed to have been built in the 3rd century BCE. According to legend, the emperor Ashoka from Bharat visited Nepal and constructed several stupas to spread Buddhism. The Jagatpal Mahabihar is known for worship and meditation for Buddhist practitioners which is famous as Chilancho Stupa.
The structural architecture of the Chilancho Stupa is unique in Nepal and has no similarity with other stupas. The plinth of a stupa is quite big compared to its size. It is a combination of both Buddhist and Newari architecture(style). It holds intangible religious values for Buddhists in Nepal. After completing the visit to Chilancho Stupa, we walk northwest to visit one of the popular sites of the Hindu deity Bagh Bhairav temple. While heading towards Bhag Bhairav temple, we pass through the Durbar square of Kirtipur and can see several architectures and monuments, in the meantime, you can enjoy local Newari cuisine in Layaku (Newari name for Durbar) restaurants.
The multi-story Bhag Bhairav temple is one of the popular landmarks of Kirtipur city. The temple has a furious image of lord Shiva who has no tongue. The missing tongue in the image has several myths which I will cover in the next blog. Enjoy breathtaking views of the surrounding area. Walk a little more to reach the top of Kirtipur City to homage to the goddess Uma Maheshwor. Then if you like to engage a bit more, you can visit the suspension bridge over Balkhu Khola. While going there, you can see the medieval period fort gate which is still preserved and used as an entrance gate to visit Kirtipur city.
This blog article will continue to cover the interesting festivals, local cuisine, economy, and traditional handicrafts of Kirtipur in its next series. I hope the blog is informative and can raise interest in visiting the ancient town of Kirtipur.
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