Thankot

Thankot, about 10 km west of Kathmandu built by the Mallas, and later made as fortress by Prithvi Narayan Shah its name, in fact, translates as 'military base'. An impressive two-storied Mahalakshmi temple built in 1690, occupies a charming site at the foot of a hill, much admired for its carved tympanum and columns, erotic carvings, open shrine, and images of kneeling devotees. Four km southwest stands the 2,423 m. peak of Chandragadhi, 'Mountain of the Moon' reached by a trail through a dense forest of bamboo, pine and sal trees. Back on the Raj Path, look for a monument to King Tribhuvan, built to commemorate the restoration of the monarchy after the Rana regime. There is another monument along the road which honors the men, Indian engineers and Nepali labourers, who built it between 1953 and 1956. Before then goods were moved laboriously from India to Nepal by railway, and then from the Tarai by ropeway to Daman, and by porters to Kathmandu.