Kirtipur

Five km southwest of Kathmandu,perched on a twin hillock, 12th-century Kirtipur was to become an independent kingdom and ultimately the last stronghold of the Mallas when, in 1769-70, Prithivi Narayan Shah marched into conquer the valley. It withstood a prolonged siege, during which the Malla army taunted Prithivi's Gorkha forces as they hurled them back down the fortress-like hill. The insults were the mistake for , when Kirtipur finally fell; the vengeful Gorkha ruler odered his men to amputate the nose and lips of all Kirtipur men the only exception being those musician who played wind instruments. Now only the ruined walls remain to remind the Kirtipur's 8,000 resident of this epic battle.Kirtipur is a place of trade and cloistered learning. On top of the hill on the south, eight shrines  decorated by stone images encircle a hege stupa, the Chilanchu Vihar. There are many Buddhist manastries around the stupa. On the higher hill to the north, some Hindus have settled around a restored temple dedicated to Uma Maheshwar. The three storied Bagh Bhairav temple stands at a high point of the saddle between the two hills, a place of worship for both Hindus and Buddhist. It is decorated with swords and shields taken from Newar troops after Prithvi Narayan Shan's 18th century victory. It contains an image of Bhairav, manifested as a tiger, and the turn above the main Miktum shows Vishnu riding Garuda, and Bhairav attended on either side by Ganesh and Kumar.

From the temple there are striking views of the valley and the brightly colored patch-work of farm fields below, with the villages of Panga and Nagaon in its south-east. One can take a path through the rice fields from Kirtipur to Panga, which was established by the Mallas as a fortress town to stall invaders from the north. None of its six or so temples dates beyond the 19th century. The path continues from Panga to Nagaon, a name that means 'new village'. Tribhuvan University's campus sprawls across the farmlands near this city. The traditional occupations, apart from farming, are spinning and weaving. At Kirtipur's Cottage Industry Centre, 900 hand looms spin fine cloth for sale in Kathmandu. Although it has withstood the earthquakes that have caused so much damage elsewhere in the valley, Kirtipur has been unable to withstand the ravages of time. Yet, decayed and neglected as it is, a walk beneath the exquisitely-carved windows of the town's multi-storied houses, laid out on terrace3s at different levels, all linked by ramps and sloping paths, reveals and ambience that seems to belong to the Middle Ages. The main approach is by a long flight of steps that enter the town, which is settled on the saddle between the two hills, beside a small lake.