5. BROCHURES AND GUIDES

KATHMANDU

Kathmandu is the capital and largest city of Nepal. The city is situated in Kathmandu valley that also contains two other cities - Patan and Bhaktapur. Kathmandu is the most developed city. Kathmandu has been regarded as the most polluted city in Asia. Many wonderful and beautiful places lies in Kathmandu, which is situated in the heart of Himalaya Mountains, and has a rich history. Many renowned places have made Kathmandu more beautiful.

Kathmandu Durbar Square, which is listed as UNESCO world heritage site, is in Basantapur. The Narayanhiti royal Palace stands right next to Thamel - the tourist hub of the country. A small world within itself, Thamel is famous for the most attractive hotels and shopping centers. Kathmandu valley hosts an UNESCO World Heritage Sites composed by seven different Monument Zones: the centers of the three primary cities, Kathmandu Hanuman Dhoka, Patan and Bhaktapur, the two most important Buddhist stupas, Swayambhunath and Boudhanath and two famous Hindu shrines, Pashupatinath temple and Changu Narayan.  Kathmandu is known as the city of temples. Pashupatinath temple is located on the shore of the Bagmati River on the eastern part of Kathmandu. It is regarded as the most sacred temple of Shiva (Pashupati) in Nepal. Tribhuvan International Airport is located about 25 km from the city center, offering domestic and international flights.

The major religions are Hinduism and Buddhism. The city is looked after by Kathmandu metropolitan office located at Bagdarbar. Most of the houses built in Kathmandu are the banks, business houses, offices, organizations and share market of Nepal.

Having such wonderful and attractive places, ethnic groups, language etc., it is much polluted and has narrow roads. It is also estimated as the most polluted city of Asia. Different elements had played vital role in being such a polluted city. Mainly all cultivate land are turning into sites to build houses. The old houses are constructed so narrowly. These old house are so dark and congested. It has become the challenging issue in the present time. No systematic law, rule and regulations are operated.

The main problem seen in Kathmandu valley is traffic jam. Mostly the city seems crowed. Mainly because of the narrow roads and unsystematic road there happens traffic jam. It is said traffic police are kept to manage the vehicles in the road. But the civil people don’t obey the order. Anyway, the road seems managed well when the leader such as the president, PM walks on the road. If the police manage so well at all the time there would not be so crowd and traffic jam.

The unsystematic street shops have also played vital role in traffic jam. No systematic rules are found. Vehicles are driven anywhere they like. One way roads are found in negligible number.

To maintain these problems seems so challenging. Problems cannot be solved without a great effort of government and people as well. Many tourist areas are situated but they are not managed well. For the improvement of this disgusting thing government and people should be aware.
 

 CHITWAN

Nepal is a land of extreme contrasts in climate and geography. It has a unique topography (shape) ranging from lowlands with sub-tropical jungles to arctic (extremely cold) conditions in the Himalayan highlands. Within a mere 150 kilometers the land rises from near sea level in the south to over 8000 meters in the North. Nepal has been endowed with a great diversity of life-zones providing a home for a large variety of plants, birds and animals.

The Terai lowlands are defined by a belt of well-watered floodplains stretching from the Indian border northward to the first slopes of the Bhabhar and the Siwalik Range. This is the richest habitat in the land with tall grasslands and hardwood sal forest. Here one can see wildlife such as the swamp deer, musk deer, black buck, blue bull, the royal Bengal tiger, gharial and mugger crocodile and the last of a breed of Asian wild buffalo.

Chitwan District is one of the seventy-five Districts of Nepal. The district is in the western part of Narayani Zone with Bharatpur, the Fifth largest city of Nepal, as its district headquarters. Bharatpur is a commercial and service center of central south Nepal and best destination for higher education, health care and transportation of the region. The district takes its name from the Chitwan valley, one of Nepal’s inner Terai valleys between Mahabharata and Siwalik ranges.

Bharatpur, on the bank of Narayani River, is the main town with numerous shopping zones where people come from all over the district and neighboring district. Chitwan National Park has long been one the country' treasures of natural wonders. The Chitwan valley consists tropical and subtropical forests. Sal forests cover 70 percent of the park. Sal leaves are used locally for plates in festivals and religious offering. Grassland covers 20% of the park area. There are more than 50 different types of grasses. The park is home for more than 50 mammal species, over 525 birds, and 55 amphibians and reptiles.

The park offers interesting sites and activities. The display at the “Visitor Center at Sauraha” provides fascinating information on wildlife and conservation programs. The women's user groups' souvenir shop offers a variety of handicrafts and other local products for gifts and souvenirs. Elephant safari provides opportunity to get a closer view of the endangered one-horned rhinoceros. One may also get a glimpse of the elusive Bengal tiger. The “Elephant Breeding Centre gives us information on domesticated elephant and the baby elephants born there.