Sankhu 15 Km east of  kathmandu emerges red as a result of its position of on the ancient trade route that linked India and Tibet. A permanent settlement first established here during the lichhavais times.

Today Sankhu typifies rural life in Kathmandu Valley. An agglomeration of old Newari houses, their structural woodwork often dilapidated whilst simultaneously displaying the fine carving which seem to have been taken so much granted in traditional Newari architecture .The village is also surrounded by fertile agricultural land  the basis of villages existence. If you are here either or harvesting or sowing it's worth taking time to watch as all those who physically fit to plant or reap.

A Large and colorfully decorated arched gateway marks the village limits. There are rarely shops selling cold drinks but there are traditional restaurants. From Sankhu you can head to Vajra Jogini.

jogni generally calls Yogini too.

This delightful  three storied pagoda Temple built by king Prakash Malla who is responsible for many of the building and monuments standing Kathmanudu's Durbar Square is situated some 2 KM north of Sankhu and command magnificent views of valley. The uppermost roof is said to be of gold while two lower roofs  are copper gilded. The struts of three roofs are lavishly carved with depiction of various deities and mythchical animal figures. The main entrance of richly engraved cooper is guarded by two large and bright color lions. The site has long been associated with religion and although current Temple structure dates from 17^th century. It's widely believed that the location was used as place of worship even earlier times. The deity which is fearsome Shakti aspect which normally remains out of sight derives from Tantric tradition and as part of local festival is carried in an annual journey to Sankhu on April.

The goddess Kali {lit black} Described  in the Mahabharata as born of Anger……..The cruel daughter of the ocean of blood, The drinker of the blood is the terrifying form of Durga  the consort of Shiva one of the trinity of "all powerful" Hindu gods. Kali is perhaps the best known of all the Tantric Shakti divinities and is seen as representing or controlling, Destruction and death in the ending cycle of fire. Often known affectionately as Ma {Mother} kali by devotees for her other protective qualities. Her peroration is the past occasionally involved human sacrifice, in modern era it continues to include ,inter alia ,animal sacrifice. This practices which emerged as a prominent features of Hindu Worship during the late Vedic period {C 900-500 BC } Is seen as continuing the process of creation by repeating the first great sacrifice in which the world was created .There are specific rites and rituals associated with it and the value of the sacrifice depended upon their correct performance by priest. Kali is usually their portrayed with multiple arms ,a protruding tongue  wearing a garland of skulls  and treading on the prostrate figure of Shiva. Around the temple is a variety of religious icons  and to the west another smaller wooden temple with some great fine wood carving which is dedicated to one of Buddhist Taras.

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Changu Narayan and Bhaktapur

The ancient Hindu Temple of Changu Narayan ranks as one of the finest and most dramatic of all sites in the valley and is a UNSECO designated World Heritage Site. Perched on the Dolagiri hill some 125 km above the valley floor and 13 east of Kathmandu .It has superb views across the valley. It's origins are widely believed to be date back to the 5the century AD. Some sources suggest an earlier beginning and that it  was built by King Hari Dutta Varma in 325 A.D.While other say the temple was built on erstwhile animist place of worship. Before the 18^th century unification of Nepal. it was part of  the independent Malla Kingdom of Bhaktapur. The temple is acknowledged to be the oldest extant of example of the Nepalese style of pagoda architecture.

The main temple is 2-storeyed building standing slightly off center in rectangular courtyard which contains two smaller temples and numerous statues. The shire contain a gold image of Vishnu as Narayan which is said to date from 7^th century. Each of  the four doors is ornately decorated. The north door  is guarded by a pair of winded lions the east door by griffins the south door by elephants and west door by lions. The Torana and lavishly engraved brass work  surrounding the main west door is particularly intricacy and detail. Each of the roof struts both floors is a masterpieces of Newari woodcarving .

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Thimi is the first town you come to after leaving Kathmandu some 3 km before and although often overlooked it is actually the fourth largest in the valley. It's renowned for its craftsmanship especially pottery and paper Mache masks. Indeed it's name is a derivation of the Newari for "Capable people" The majority of the masks sold in Kathmandu are produced here. though some are also used in festivals.

The architecture is very much Newari in character but the town is rather round down and there are few building of tourist interest. The balkumari Mandir in the square at the southern end of town is a 16^th century structure and is dedicated to kumari in her child form  but the temple has no "Living Goddess" A main road runs through thimi and lind Arniko highway to the south with minor road running from airport to Bhaktapur to north.Just north of this smaller road lies the three storoyed  Ganesh mandir which you can reach via stone stairway.less than 1 km Manohora Khola is the the village Bode.with its 16^th century Mahalakshami Mandir.

As part of a day trip you can walk the 4km from Dhulikhel down to Banepa from where you can catch bus back to kathmandu. Leave Dulikhel among the along the main road the goes northwest through the village. When you get junction at the end of the village turn left{west}.Continue all the way down this attractive trail as it cuts through the wooded slopes an leads into Banepa where the bust stop is on the main road near the statue of king Thrivuvan.The following walks to Panauti and Namobuddha  can also be combined .

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Leave Dhulikhel along the road leading southwest  from near by lodge. The trail continues downhill and you walk through some delightful rural scenery before meeting the road between Banepa and Panuati  some 3 km form Dhulikhel.The road follows the Punyamata khola  rover for 3 km into Panuati.

The village is typically Newari in character and has several examples of finely carved windows.its location at the confluence of punyamati khola and Roshi khola bestows tis with special sancitity.Legend has it that the Buddha in a  previous incarnation gave his life for hungry tigress. A Monument to this sacrifice was built at Nomobuddha .To the southwest of the village is one of Nepal's oldest Hindu temples, the three-storied Indreshwar Mahadev Mandir.beilived to date from the 13^th century.The temple has some magnificent woodcarvings  and in contrast to later composite  caryatid. the roof strut  figures  are each carved from single length  of wood.Two other temples the Krishna Mandir and Brahmanyan Mandir stand at the northeast endof of the village.

There are several option to go on from Pauati.To return to kathmandu of Dhulikhel you can either take the bus or  walk the 6km north to Banepa from where there are regular local buses in both direction .You can walk from here to Namobuddha along an attractive though indirect trail which leaves Panuati to the east.

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There are two ways  to get from Dhulikhel to Namobuddha .You can walk both as an all day circuit the shorter route 9 km  leaves Dhulikhel for the Kali Mandir. After the temple the trail descends into the Kavre Valley and past the village of Kavre Banjyang  4km from Dhulikhel. You can either walk along the memorable  road that continues south or along one of the path at the side. After another 3 km through pine forest you reached the Tamang village of Pulbhari.

Namobuddha is one of Nepal holies Buddhist sites and commemorated the supreme compassion of the Buddha in his legendary self-sacrifice  to a starving tigress at Panuati. The origins of the hilltop site are unknown ,though some sources suggest that architectural style is indicative of construction in 17^th or 18^th century .It's dominated by a large Stupa  to which many prayer flags a dn banners are attached. It is surrounded by many Chaityas, bells. prayer bells, and other Buddhist accoutrements .To one is a small Buddha. A little way beyond is more recent monastery and meditation centre with more representatives of the compassionate Buddha. Beneath near tree a plaque illustrate the Buddha and tigress. The main festival of the year takes palace in March when pilgrims especially Mahayana Buddhist come to offer prayer.

This is traditional agricultural community. It has no featured prominently on tourist itineraries but during harvest it's really comes alive as sheaf loads of crops are windowed  grain spread across cobbled streets to dry in board  though neatly defined rectangles .The surrounding fields are also used to grow mustard and village has been a traditional center for the production of mustard oil pungent and distinctly   flavored ingredient used

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In the centre of town, just north of the main square, this is Kirtipur's best known temple. Bagh means tiger and the clay image of Bhairab is shown with the mask of a tiger, which underlines the deity's ferocious character. This image had no tongue, a deliberate absence derived from the story of a Kirtipur boy who once made a clay model  of tiger and upon returning from the wood to fetch a leaf for the tongue, discovered that his model has come to  life. The site has been used as a place of worship for as long as Kirtipur has existed, though the three-strayed temple was built much later. Its principal attractions are the swords and shields which adorn the temple, fascinating vestiges of the battle in which Kirtipur fell to Prithvi Narayan shah. The Bagh Bhairab festival takes place in Autumn when the image is carried on palanquin through the village and down to the river. Sacrifices are offered to Bhairab on Tuesday and Saturday.

Socially, the most important contribution of the Vedic age was the development of the 4-stage caste system. (The word 'caste' was given by the Portugese in the 15th century AD means 'breed' or 'race'.)The Rig Veda records how the original single caste, the Hamsa, was divided as a result of the continuing moral  decline of man through ages. In descending hierarchical order, the Brahmins represent the unsullied Hamsa and were seen as coming from the mouth of brahma while the kshatriyas are the warrior class coming from Brahma's arms, the Vaishyas the mercantile and professional class coming from Brahma's thighs, and the Shudras the working class who came from Brahma's feet. A fifth class is considered to be outside the caste system, and is known variously as outcastes, untouchables, panchama and harijans. "Untouchable" refers to ritual pollution suffered upon contact by a caste member, while 'Panchama' means 'fifth'. The term 'Harijan' was first coined by Gandhi in the early 1930s and means ' a person of Hari(Vishnu)', or 'a child of god'. They were left with the jobs which were regarded as impure, usually associated with the dead (animal or human) or with excrement.

Those of the top three castes are considered to be dvija or 'twice born', a reference to the additional 'spiritual birth' that takes place with ceremony of the 'sacred thread'. The exact origins of the system are unclear. Some theories maintain that it was initially based on the obvious criterion of skin Colour, or Varna (the Aryans were fair skinned), while others point to differences in religious practice and traditions among communities, or simply to a monitorial division of society by occupation . There are, in addition, several thousand sub-castes-including over 1800 subdivisions of Brahmins. In theory, interaction between members of different castes is strictly regulated. There should  be no intermarriage, for example, nor should those of one caste share food approach is often adopted: pollution may be ritually cleansed and some communities have a more liberal interpretation of marriage rules.

Even though , in modern Nepal, the strength of caste hierarchy was officially replaced by the acknowledgement of equality of all people before the law in the 1967 Constitution of Nepal, the caste system itself was not actually abolished and continues to play a central role in the structure and organization of Nepali society.

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