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The Kathmandu Valley contains three ancient cities, each one a harmony in urban design, elegant architecture and refined culture. The cities are embellished with a plethora of pagodas and magnificent palaces that are laid out in symmetrical combinations of brick-paved squares and picturesque streets-giving the cities a theme-park feel. The streets are lined with houses adorned with exquisite carved-wood window; and around every corner, the visitor confronts imposing multi-roofed pagodas or temple courtyards. Frequently, the streets reverberate to the boom of music and religious processions in celebration of festivals that go back hundred of years. Inspired by a devotion founded on a unique amalgamation of Hinduism and Buddhism, the skilled people of the valley expressed their piety in artistic edifices dedicated to the glory of the gods. The cities of Kathmandu, Lalitpur and Bhaktapuir pack a concentration of religious monuments unequalled in the world. Within the small confines of the valley are seven monument zones names as World Heritage Sites by UNESCO.
Among the three cities in the Valley, Lalitpur is the “City of Beauty”. A city of many names (Lalitpur, Patan, Yela), Lalitpur lies across the Bagmati River to the southeast of Kathmandu. On April 18. to coincide with World Heritage Day, the Lalit Festival was organized to celebrate its artistic grandeur and rich culture, rejuvenate ancient crafts at risk, and to call attention to the need for greater environment action. “The objective of the festival is to revive and recapture, preserve, promote and develop the city’s fine traditions. The concept centers upon the exposition of various aspects of cultural heritage of Lalitpur- arts, architecture, crafts, and the performing arts that are intricately entwined with the livelihood and life in the city. The Lalit Festival, which was held April 18-24, consisted of a cultural walking tour, photographic exhibition, cultural processions with traditional music, a street festival of local dance and music performances, arts, crafts, street plays and displays of traditional games and skills at the Durbar Square and the city’s many monastic courtyards. The festive week was topped off with a program of ethnic dress show and food festival. The Program highlighted Lalitpur’s living cultural traditions which have an unbroken history going back over a thousand years. Chronicles indicate the founding of the city around the eighth century AD. The artistic grandeur of Lalitpur converges on Durbar Square, the ancient royal palace complex. The Durbar Square is a mélange of palace buildings, massive temples the skill of the ancient craftsmen in stone, metal and wood work. Most of the Durbar Square was put together in the 16th and 17th centuries, during the reign of its illustrious Malla Kings. The Krishna Temple, a masterpiece in Stone, stands out in a city dominated by monuments of brick-work and carved-wood. Its design is also very different from the usual pagoda structures that are scattered all over the Kathmandu Valley. Another outstanding monument on Lalitpur is the terra-cotta temple of Mahaboudha. Each of the bricks in the towering shrine is imprinted with a figure of the Buddha. Lalitpur is also known for its many Newar Buddhist Baha. The courtyard is famed as the Golden Temple because of its roofs and much of other surfaces which are covered with the gold-plated copper. Kwa Baha is an important pilgrimages site for Buddhists form Tibet as well. The multitudes of sacred metal images that ornament the walls, windows, doorways, and roof struts of Kwa Baha exemplify another of Lalitpur’s specialties. The city is the center of image-casting in the Nepal, where the ancient “lost-wax” process still thrives. Its craftsmen are among the best in casting and carving images, and their brass, bronze and copper creations grace center of handicrafts manufacturer for Lalitpur revels as one of the most popular tourist allures in the Kathmandu Valley. Tours of its Durbar Squares, superb monuments and monastic courtyards are a thrilling experience of the enhancement that is Kathmandu.
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