kathmandu (2)

The pagoda at Bakhtapur

My last full day in Nepal, and I’m in the capable hands of Mr Kumar. He definitely deserves the Mister – he has a schoolmasterly air of authority and a depth of knowledge of everything I’m likely to ask, from the attributes of the many Hindu gods, to the life and teachings of the Buddha, to the exact heights and names of the mountains, which today have finally emerged from the mists and now dominate the view to the north against a clear china blue sky. His English is good and despite his age – late 60s I would hazard – he has an upright bearing and keenness that the word ‘sprightly’ was invented for.

We’re off on a little tour d’horizon, literally and metaphorically, visiting Nepal’s other capitals. One of Nepal’s kings having unified the Kmd valley as a single kingdom, decided, Lear-like, to divide his inheritance between three sons, and they set up capitals practically within walking distance of each other. Of course in no time at all they were at each others’ throats. They also vied with each other in the excellence of their capitals and there was a boom in building temples, stupas and palaces. Each city has its durbar square around which are grouped the main set pieces.

Mr Kumar gave me a series of succinct and entertaining lectures. He tells it all interestingly, freshly, like the teacher at school you really loved and wanted to impress. I confessed (resisting the temptation to start with Please Sir…) to being baffled by the multiplicity of gods and their consorts and aspects, and was gratified to hear him say, ‘Don’t worry, we also get confused, and we live with it all our life,’ said with a warm smile, a slight shrug and a twinkle in his eye.

The square and its buildings at Bhaktapur have been immaculately restored, although the ’55 windows’ royal palace is having work done now. The temples are protected by pairs of beautifully carved animals, real and mythical, each pair more fearsome than the last. Further into the town another space – Taumadhi Square - opens up with Nepal’s finest pagoda (famously they were invented here and exported to China and Japan). The town also has a square filled with pottery and surrounded by potters’ workshops.

Patan is even closer to Kmd and is a more bustling kind of place. Here there are some particularly fine temples, and a good museum of religious artefacts in a well restored palace part of the palace. This also has a very pleasant garden with a restaurant where I have momos for lunch – a Nepal speciality – steamed parcels of spicy meat or veg encased in rice pasta, a bit like dim sum.

Next it’s the monkey temple, built on a high promontory, from where the whole valley can be seen stretched out, with the foothills and finally the white tops of the Himalayas. The place is busy, a popular picnic site on a Sunday afternoon, after prayer of course, though the parties have to almost literally fight off the many troupes of monkeys with eyes on their food. It’s a good place to end my short tour of Kathmandu valley, and to reflect that I should visit again and take a little longer. Mr Kumar is full of suggestions for other places to visit, and I hope I can take him up on it, and get a few more lessons at his knee, on a future occasion.