Accessing Bhaktapur
Bhaktapur, situated at about 12 km to the east from the capital city Kathmandu, is easily accessible from anywhere in the Kathmandu valley.
The best way to get to Bhaktapur would obviously be travelling by Taxi. Metre taxi could be hired from anywhere within the city limits of the valley including the Airport. Depending on your location it may take from 30 to 50 minutes by taxi to reach Bhaktapur.
For those who wish to experience the local ways for travelling, buses leave every 15 minutes to half an hour from Bagh Bajar Mini Bus Park, Pokhara Bus Park and Gongabu Bus Park in Kathmandu and Lagankhel Bus Park in Patan. To save time the express Mini Bus leaving from Bagbajar Mini Bus Park is recommendable.
Many adventurous tourists hire mountain bikes and motor bikes to get to Bhaktapur enjoying the trip on their own. The advantage of hiring bike is the extended rides to many other interesting driveways and trails beyond Bhaktapur city.
Bhaktapur Area local Guide Training
May 14th-29th, 2002 – A 15 day training on “Bhaktapur area local guide” was successfully conducted at Bhaktapur Tourism Development Committee training hall. The training jointly organized by Bhaktapur Tourism Development Committee & Bhaktapur Municipality with the co-operation from Nepal Tourism Board and Nepal Academy of Tourism & Hotel Management had 37 participants including 8 girls.
The training began with the simple opening ceremony where basic training materials were distributed by the mayor, Mr. Prem Suwal. Specialists & scholars on different topics related to tourism such as Iconography, Art & Architecture, Religion, Geography, History, Culture, Health, Drug abuse etc. conducted extensive theoretical as well as practical classes for the trainees.
The main objective of this training was to control the wrong practices, irresponsible activities and uncontrolled services being practiced by the unauthorized local guides. They unauthorized local guides were untrained amature and many were school dropouts and they were beginning to act in such a way that they were tending to spoil the image and the Tourism business itself.
After being trained even the selected few from among the unauthorized local guides confessed themselves that the training was most fruitful and enriching.
A Grand Closing & Certificate Awarding Ceremony was held at BCCI seminar hall on 29th May. The chief guest Mr. Narayan Man Bijukchhen-Member of the Parliament, Executive Director of NATHM, Mrs Meena Khanal, Director from NTB, Mr. Kanchan Joshi, Mayor Mr. Prem Suwal, chief district officer Mr. Ram Prasad Khatiwada, Superintendent of Police, Mr. Deepak Ranjit, and other VIP’s were present at the function. Congratulating the training organizers and the trainees the chief guest stressed the need for dissemination of true information to the tourists and guides play the important role in promoting sustainable tourism. Trainees presented a Tokan of love to the chief trainer, Mr. Krishna Kharel, and on behalf of BTDC & BM, BTDC president Neel Tamrakar presented the chief guest, Executive Director of NATHM & the Director of NTB each a Tokan of Love as an expression of gratitude.
The trained guides are now being mobilized under BTDC & BM.
Third Centuenary Celebration of Nyatapola
Nyatapola-the world is tallest suburb style pagoda temple, build in Malla Era-first day of the first fortnight of Asad in 1702 A.D. by king Bhupatindra Malla located at the heart of Bhaktapur Taumadhi Square completed it’s third century Anniversary on July 11, 2002. On the same occasion, Bhaktapur Tourism Development Committee celebrated the anniversary organizing “Nyatapola Area Cleaning Campaign & Dipawali programme.
Chief Guest Mr. Ram Prasad Khatiwada C.D.O. of Bhaktapur District inaugurated the programme in the presence of Bhaktapur Tourism Development Committee-president- Mr. Neel K. Tamrakar, President of-The Heritage Group – Mr. Om Charan Amatya and particepating members of BTDC and local people. The programme aims to cultivate awareness for the conservation and preservation of the heritage sites. Siddhi Laxmi-the enthroned goddess of the temple was worshipped and done puja by the priest of the temple according to the traditional rituals. The environment of the square at that night was very dazzling and wonderful, with 300 flickering oil lamps decorated around the temple.
A one-day symposium on ‘World Intellectual Property Right and Nepal’s Cultural Heritage’ was organized at the Jaycees Hall, Bhaktapur to mark the occasion. Presenting a working paper on the subject, Director of Cottage and Small Industries’ Department Madhusudan Poudel shed light on various aspects of Nepal’s bids directed towards getting an entry to the World Trade Organization (WTO). “Even cultural heritage will see after-effects and for this, much has to be done before becoming a WTO member,” he said. Senior Researcher at the Department of Archeology (DOA) Sukra Sagar Shrestha enlightened the assembly with detailed accounts of money and construction materials that were used in making Nyataponla, the tallest pagoda in Nepal. According to him, the temple consumed 1,135,350 locally baked bricks and 102,034 chikan-apas (oily pavement bricks) for its completion. In addition, 37 tolas (600 gm) of gold was used for coating the 40 dharnis (88 kg)-pinnacle on the top. Shrestha says, “Each and every object used and all persons contributing labor have been well-documented in a 256-page book, which is now with the DOA.” The organizers—The Heritage Group and Bhaktapur Jaycees-had also publicly felicitated six personalities on the occasion. Mr. Satya Mohan Joshi (culturist and Chancellor of Nepalbhasa Academy), Mr. Hare Ram Joshi (culturist and researcher), Mr. Lain Singh Wangdel (senior sculptor), Mr. Lila Bhakta Munankami (historian), Mr. Ram Sekhar Nakarmi (dramatist and humorist), and Mr. Mukund Aryal (cultural expert) were the personalities to be publicly honored on the day. A photo exhibition depicting Bhaktapur’s art, culture and craftsmanship was the next highlight on the exclusive occasion. The program had the ex-MP Mr. Naryan Man Bijukchhen as its chief guest. Chairman of The Heritage Group Om Chran Amatya, Jaycees President Shree Charan Amatya and The Heritage Secretary Dhanesh Raj Sharma had also shed light on the need of preserving and promoting Nepal’s cultural heritage for the long-term benefit of Nepal and the Nepalese.
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