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About Kirtipur |
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The
name Kirtipur comes from Kirti (glory) and pur (city). It is
also said that once a queen named Kirti ruled over this place,
so it might have been named after this queen.
Kirtipur is an ancient city in Nepal which is located in the
Kathmandu Valley about 5 km south-west of the city of
Kathmandu. It is one of the five municipalities in the valley,
the others being Lalitpur, Kathmandu, Bhaktapur and Madhyapur
Thimi.
Kirtipur is situated on a ridge with steep hillsides. The
residents are reputed as being expert weavers and builders.
The town is untouched by the growing urbanization of the
capital city and is a live museum of culture, values and
ethics. In local dialect, Kirtipur means "the magnificent
town". This town is associated with many historical battles
and movements that have taken place in the country. It is
considered that it was once a sprawling city that had 12
gates. The traces of the old city wall are still visible.
Bagh Bhairav Temple, dedicated to God Bhairav and Uma
Maheshwor Temple which lies on the highest point of the town
are two important temples of Kirtipur. There are a few
beautiful churches that reminds of the glorious history of the
past.
Kirtipur is one of the oldest settlements in the Kathmandu
Valley. This small town is regarded as an ancient capital of
Nepal. Kirtipur means “a famed town” in Nepali language is
also known as “kyapu” and“kipu”. The location of this small
town is different from the other main towns of the valley in
the same that occupies the top of a steep rocky hill. This
city of magnificence is inhabited by Newars, which are the
earliest settlers in the Valley with their own language and
culture.
Best Time to Visit Kirtipur
Best Time to Visit Kirtipur is from October to March when all
the main festivals are celebrated and the weather too remains
exceptionally pleasant. |
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Demographics |
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Originally a Newar foundation, Kirtipur is still a center of
Newar culture. It has been merged with surrounding villages to
form the municipality of Kirtipur with a population of 65,602.
It consists of many temples, gumbas (Buddhist monastery) and
churches too. Due to the presence of Tribhuvan University,
Kirtipur is also a popular area for out-of-town students and
professors to rent houses and they are major contributors to the
local economy. |
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History of Kirtipur |
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Kirtipur's history dates from 1099 AD. It was part of the
territory of Lalitpur at the time of the invasion of the
Kathmandu Valley by the Gorkhali king Prithvi Narayan Shah in
the 18th century.
In 1767, Kirtipur was occupied to the Gorkhali kingdom by
Prithvi Narayan following the Battle of Kirtipur. He took the
town on his third attempt, after entering it by trickery. After
this, he cut off the noses and lips of everybody in the city.
This was the site of a motivating peaceful demonstration of the
people in the 2006 mass uprising that overthrew the powers of
the king. It is considered to be an anti-monarchy city due to
its bitter history against the Shah dynasty whose modern founder
conquered the city sarcastically, which was followed by
negligence of the administration and development by subsequent
rulers. |
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Geography |
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Kirtipur Municipality is part of the Kathmandu District
and lies in the hilly region. Geographically, Kirtipur
lies in between longitude 27˚ 38’ 30” and 27˚ 41’ 30” E
and latitude 85˚ 13’ and 85˚ 19’ N, at altitudes ranging
from 1284m to 1524m above mean sea level. The general
decline of altitude is from south-west to north-east. The
Kathmandu Metropolitan City lies in the northern side,
while the Bagmati River separates the Lalitpur District
with the Lalitpur Sub-Metropolitan City on the eastern
side. Chalnakhel VDC borders Kirtipur Municipality in the
south and Macchegaun VDC in the west. |
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Places of interest in Kirtipur |
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Shri Kirti Vihara
Shri Kirti Vihara is a Theravada Buddhist monastery built in
traditional Thai architectural style, it is situated near the
entrance to the city.
Uma Maheshwar
Uma Maheshwar is a temple which is devoted to Shiva and his
companion; it lies on the northern hill and ascends over the
skyline of Kirtipur.
Chilimcho Stupa
Chilimcho Stupa is a Buddhist temple which is situated on the
southern hill.
Bada Bhairav Temple
The temple of Bagh Bhairav is situated at the center of town, it
is the main religious and artistic structure in Kirtipur.
Weapons captured from ancient invaders are nailed to the upper
windows.
Chobar
Chobar is a small village, Chobar, is no less closer to nature
as any of the other hill stations or far flung valley villages.
The village is quiet and peaceful and is a perfect place to
spend a quiet but memorable evening.
Dakshinkali Temple
Dakshinkali Temple is devoted to Goddess Kali who is regarded as
the fearful form of Lord Shiva's wife Parvati. The temple is
located at the meeting point of two rivers between two hills.
Freak Street
Freak street has once been a place which remained flooded with
Hippies. But these days, it has picked up a more international
approach and people of all colours and nations can be seen here. |
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How to reach Kirtipur |
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Kirtipur is about 6 kms from south-west of Kathmandu. The
journey by bus from the main city takes about an hour. The buses
stop at Tribhuvan University from where one has to walk up the
hill. One can also hire a taxi up till Kirtipur but that might
prove little expensive. Biking to this place is also a
good bit of fun.
The route goes as:
Hit the ring road bridge on Bagmati river and take the first
left onto Dakshinkali road. About 1.2 kms past the bridge, take
right turn. The land mark is that the turn is bordered by two
brick gatehouses. Carry on for another km or so and take left.
You will find the place where buses stop near the university.
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