Kirtipur, A glorious town

Many places within the valley and indeed the close ones from the main city have remained isolated and unexplored. One such place is Kirtipur, a town that is very close from Kathmandu City but still far from the reach of tourism activities. Spread in 14 hectares of land, Kirtipur is located 5 km from the center of Kathmandu. In Nepali dialect Kirtipur means "a glorious town". Looking down from its natural order it has been the scen of many historic battels and many important moments in Nepal's history. History says that the ancient city Kirtipur was founded by Shiva Deva between 1099 AD and 1126 AD and during the reign of the Malla Kingdom in the 15th century the city was developed for human settlement.

The town is an ancient town, which consists of remarkable historical values and ethics. It is still an open museum of religion, culture and tradition and glorious work of Newari crafts and architecture. With majority of Newari community, the city house about 43.000 people approximately according to the data of year 2003. Kirtipur town is harmonical convergence of Buddhist and Hindus.

Bagh Bhairav

The town is an ancient town, which consists of remarkable historical values and ethics. It is still an open museum of religion, culture and tradition and glorious work of Newari crafts and architecture.

The town is not only of historic importance but is also important from the artistic point of view. Some of the finest temples, Chaityas and Stupas of valley are scattered through this typically built Newari City. Surrounded by stone sculptures, masterpieces of Nepalese art, these shrines are the hub of festivals and religious ceremonies (Jatras).

Bagh Bhairav Temple is dedicated to God Bhairav in the form of a tiger. This god is regarded as the guardian of Kirtipur and the locals call it Ajudeu, a grandfather god. This temple was constructed between 1099AD-1126AD by Shiva Deva. The temple lies at the height of 1405m from sea level, from wher a beautiful view of Kathmandu valley can be seen. The three-storey temple is rectangular and lies within the area of 1500 sq.m. The weapons like swords and shields are showcased in the front roof of the temple. These weapons are said to be presented by Newar troops after their defeat by Late King Prithivi Narayan Shah. The temples were renovated in the years 1515AD, 1803 AD, 1850AD and 1961AD.

Uma Maheshwor Temple is another famous temple of Kirtipur. It is also known as Bhavani Shankar Temple and lies on one of the highest points of the town. It lies at 1414m altitude and was built in the year 1655AD by Vshwanath Raurta. Standing by the temple, one can enjoy the beautiful landscape of the valley including the Himalayan ranges.

As it lies on the high altitude, it has to be renovated time and again because the wind at this place is quit violent and extreme and has blown away the roofs several times.