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Welcome to the Cultural City Bhaktapur The-Doors-welcome-BhaktapurBhaktapur -locally known as Khwopa-is “Nepal’s Cultural Capital.” The variously shaped and sized monuments, a mass-based culture and the generations-old traditions of craftsmanship give shape to the historic city’s proud Newari heritage. With them around, the ambience here is much like what it might have been in the remote past. So, from the moment you step into the city, you cannot help but fell that you have been transported back into living history. In an acknowledgement of its well-preserved heritage, UNESCO designated its historical core as world Heritage site in 1978 AD. Bhaktapur -locally known as Khwopa-is “Nepal’s Cultural Capital.” The variously shaped and sized monuments, a mass-based culture and the generations-old traditions of craftsmanship give shape to the historic city’s proud Newari heritage. With them around, the ambience here is much like what it might have been in the remote past. So, from the moment you step into the city, you cannot help but fell that you have been transported back into living history. In an acknowledgement of its well-preserved heritage, UNESCO designated its historical core as world Heritage site in 1978 AD.

Bhaktapur dates back to the eighth century. The ancient city was the capital city of the Greater Malla Kingdom (12th – 15th century AD), yet it is only in the early 18th century that this city took its present shape. It was at that time that many of Bhaktapur’s greatest monuments were built by the then Malla rulers.

Spread over an area of 6.88 sq km at 1401 meters above sea level, Bhaktapur gives shelter to over 80,000 people. The main occupation of the local people is agriculture, with handicrafts, trade and service being the side jobs of many of them. In religious terms, the population is comprised of Hindus and Buddhists. The relation between them has always been harmonious, which simply reaffirms the age-old traditions of tolerance and cooperation between the two communities.

Adding to the towering temples, the serene summits of great Himalaya levitate in the background to make up Bhaktapur’s skyline. The city grows out of a collection of villages spread along the old trade route between India and Tibet. Because of bhaktapur’s unrivaled cultural heritage, that too blended with the serenity of unspoilt nature, a visit to this city is a life-time experience for anyone. It is a “Living Heritage” or a “Living Museum” displaying the vibrant depth of Newari culture. Beyond the city’s rich architectural heritage, everyday traditional life spills out onto the street in public display. So in all, a quiet stroll down the city’s tranquil lanes not only allows one to explore a unique facet of human civilization, but it assures the visitor of the possibility of a sane urban life.