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The Glossary

tole - "another term for chowk, the main square or intersection with a market, the focal point of directions given by maps and locals and the starting point from which to locate landmarks."

From Nepal Glossary

For centuries, Kathmandu or "City of Snow" was believed to be the Shangri-La, a mythical earthly paradise inhabited by immortals. Today, this city, sitting at the core of its namesake valley, is the capital and biggest city of Nepal. Since it has something to fit any budget, Kathmandu has been tagged as one of the most tourist-friendly places on Earth. Its cosmopolitan heart might be suffused with traffic and pollution, but its backstreets teem with temples, palaces and workshops that hardly changed since the Middle Ages.

Seat of royalty

Kathmandu's nucleus is its ancient Durbar Square, a World Heritage Site that used to be the seat of power for the Nepalese royalty. Inside the complex is Jagannath Temple, a 16th-century version of the one in India. It has distinct erotic figures carved into its wooden struts. A temple built from a single tree, Kasthamandap, is from where the city got its name.

Nepal's biggest

One of Nepal's oldest and biggest stupas is the 36-meter Boudha Nath Stupa, built by the son of King Dharma Deva as atonement for killing his father in order to end the kingdom's drought. Today, it is one of the most sacred sites for Tibetan Buddhists.

The Swayambhu Nath Stupa, believed to date back to 250 BC, is the biggest stupa in Nepal and is one of the country's most sacred Buddhist sites. It has a white dome adorned with a 13-tiered golden spire representing the 13 steps to nirvana.

Home of the hippies

For western hippies seeking enlightenment, the historic home is Freak Street, which, like Thamel Chowk, is now a dining hub famous for its traditional Tibetan dumplings or momos. Apart from this, Kathmandu is considered as a good place to shop for carpets and silk clothes, as well as the gateway to arranging extreme adventures anywhere else in Nepal.

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