A Visit to a Historical Place of Nepal

We must be familiar with the history of our country. One of the best ways of learning history is to visit historical places. There are many historical places in our country. They are found in the valley of Kathmandu and outside. I have visited few historical places outside the valley. I have visited many such places in the valley.

            One of the famous historical places in the valley of Kathmandu is Bhaktapur. It is a very old town. It was founded by King Ananda dev. It was once a flourishing town. It was the capital of the Malla Kings. We traveled from Kathmandu by bus. It takes half an hour to reach here. There is a fine motor able road. The bus stopped neat Siddha Pokhari. It is a big pond, but not properly maintained.

            We went to the

Durbar Square

and visited the National Art Gallery. he Gallery contains many historical pictures of the Malla Kings. It has a great educational value for students. It is a small gallery but well-maintained.

            Near the gallery, we can see the Durbar (Palace) where the Malla Kings lived. This palace was built by King Bhupatindra Malla. This palace contains fifty-five windos. These wooden windows are artistic and of old design. Besides this main place, there are other palaces in the big compound. We saw built marks on the walls and windows of some of these places. These bullet marks were left in a battle fought between King Ranjit Malla of Bhaktapur and Prithvi Narayan Shah. Ranjit Malla fought bravely but was defeated.

            Next we visited the ancient temples. First, we visited the temple of Taleju Bhavani in the

Durbar Square

. Then, we went to the Nyatpol Temple. It has five stories. It is the highest and famous temple in the town. It occupies a central position in the town. We also visited the temple of Datttraya. This temple, they say, is made of the wood of a single tree. It is now partly dilapidated.

            After visiting these historical places, we went round the town. It is a small town. The streets and the lanes are not clean. Most of the people of the town are peasants. They are engaged in agriculture and dairy-farming. Bhkatapur is famous for curds and dried milk.

            There is a famous temple near Bhaktapur. It is the temple of Surya Vinayak. We visited the temple and enjoyed a picnic in the forest nearby. Surya Vinayak is a holy place and a picnic spot. It lies on the Araniko Rajmarg whichruns to Kodari on the Chinese border.

            Bhaktapur wa once a flourishing town. Nowadays, its importance has declined. There is no big industry in the town. Its only importance is that it is the centre of an agricultural region. It is also the headquarters of Bhaktapur District. Its historical importance attracts tourists. Those who come to visit Kathmandu hardly miss a visit to Bhaktapur.

            My visit to Bhaktapur was rewarding. I knew many historical and other facts about the town.