Isn’t Basantapur worth visiting?

Basantapur Durbar Square

Kathmandu,

Basantapur is a tourist area with a rich history of Nepal. It has a separate identity. This region, which is connected to the ruling class of the country, is also a major tourist destination in Nepal. But Basantapur could not be included in the government’s list of tourist destinations.Whether they are external tourists or internal, they enjoy visiting Basantapur. They are very happy to see the heritage.

Hanumandhoka Durbar has also been included in the World Heritage List. That is why its importance is increasing, say Sanskrit scholars. Basantapur is also a tourist attraction as one can observe the physical and cultural structures and local traditions and heritage from the Malla period to the Shah period. Basantapur is also one of the major tourist destinations for visiting the living Goddess Kumari.

When internal and external tourists visit Kathmandu, they do not miss to visit Basantapur. There are plenty of pictures reflecting the culture and history of Nepal. As a result, it is clear that tourists are attracted to it and they are attracted to it. But the government has not listed it as a tourist destination. The government is promoting the year 2020 as Nepal Tourism Year and aims to attract 2 million tourists to Nepal during this period. However, the government did not consider it necessary to include Basantapur, a tourist destination in the center of the country, in the list of tourist destinations.

The 100 places listed as tourist destinations by the government do not include the Mallakalin historical area of ​​Basantapur.As per point number 114 of the budget statement of the Fiscal Year 2075/76, the name of Basantapur, which is the choice of tourists, does not appear in the list prepared for tourism promotion and new destination identification and development in Nepal.

The names of seven places from Kathmandu district have been included in the 100 places selected by the government. Among them are Pushpatinath, Vauddha, Swayambhunath, Narayanhiti, Chandragiri, Sundarijal and Budhanilkantha.Only three temples from Kathmandu Metropolitan City have been kept as tourist sites. Similarly, Chandragiri under Chandragiri municipality, Sundarijal in Garkarneshwar municipality and Budhanilkantha have been included.

Priority should be given to the less famous places: Ministry of Tourism

Ghanshyam Upadhyaya, spokesperson of the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, said, “Not only Basantapur, but many places like Basantapur which has been selected by millions of tourists, has to be included the list of 100 destinations.” As he said, many other places in the valley are not included in the list.”Heritage sites that have been inscribed on the World Heritage List are still known as tourist destinations,” he told. He said that seven places in Kathmandu district have been included in the list of places to be promoted.According to him, when choosing a tourist destination, places rich in all aspects of religion, culture and nature have been selected and the hidden places have been made the focal point of attraction.

What does the Metropolitan Office  says?

The Kathmandu Durbar Square area falls within the Kathmandu Metropolitan City. The Kathmandu Metropolitan City has stated that the name of Basantapur, which is listed in the World Heritage List, has been omitted from the list of tourist destinations.Metropolitan spokesperson Ishwar Man Dangol said that the metropolis is now preparing to meet Tourism Minister Yogesh Bhattarai to put Basantapur on the list of tourist destinations.

“The Metropolitan Office is seriously concerned about why Basantapur, which is within the metropolis, is not included in the list of tourist destinations,” Dangol told.Basantapur area is known as a tourist destination and therefore it is important to include it in the same list, said Dangol. Stating that tourists will not know the originality of Kathmandu without studying Basantapur, he said, “Removing Basantapur from the list of tourist destinations will remove the identity of the metropolis.“The Heritage and Tourism Committee”under the metropolis has also raised serious objections in this regard. The committee is of the view that this area should be kept as a tourist destination as the tour of Kathmandu would be incomplete without visiting Basantapur

Locals have protested saying that the government has not included Basantapur in the list of tourist destinations. He said that Basantapur is an important place for tourists to visit Nepal. They have even questioned whether they are no longer fit to visit Basantapur.

What is the significance of Basantapur?

This area is in the central part of Kathmandu city. Also known as Hanumandhoka, the palace complex has historical buildings and temples of cultural significance. The occasional processions and festivals add warmth and originality to Basantapur.

Among the important monuments in this area are Taleju Temple, Jagannath Temple, Shiva Parvati Temple, Thulo Ghanta, Kalbhairav, Kumari Ghar, Basantapur Darwar, Gaddi Baitak, Kashthamandap. There are Hanuman Dhoka, Kashtmandap, Kalbhairav ​​and other temples in Basantapur area.