Culture in Kathmandu
The narrow streets of the capital slowly silt up as traders display their merchandise in the course of the morning. Pashminas are rows thick. On cardboard boxes, women sell the proceeds of their vegetable garden. The foliage of the roots is trampled by the endless stream of passers-by who is occasionally forced between the vegetables by a passing engine. Re-energet from a bargain hunt in the Thamel district in the beautifully landscaped gardens of the Garden of Dreams. A place to get the hustle and bustle in the middle of pavilions, bedding and fountains. Whichever alley you choose from Thamel, almost all of them end up in Durbar Square: the center of the city full of ancient temples and palaces.
The Taleju temple, with its three-storey roof and traditional Newari carvings, stands out literally and figuratively. A temple may be a religious place, and the steps of the temples are also acted upon. Flower garlands as a sacrifice to the gods hang row to row displayed. Sellers shout their offer of the day at passers-by.
The Swayambunath (also called the Monkey Temple) manages to lure travellers out of this oasis of tranquillity. The prayer wheels around this Buddhist temple complex rotate incessantly through the passing stream of travellers and pilgrims. Those who enter the temples meet monks in prayer. Outside, monkeys jump in front of the lens of photographing visitors, even if it were to clarify the nickname of this temple. On the central stupa impress the large all-seeing eyes of Buddha.
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