Thamel

 

Thamel has been recognized to be the heart and soul of chaos in Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal. It is located in the northern region of Kathmandu past the government district on Tridevi Marg. Although some consider it to be overcrowded it has been westerners since the 1970’s when hippies in the region discovered it. Thamel is a commercial neighborhood in Kathmandu, where most of the tourists visit. Thamel is an easy walk from anywhere in central Kathmandu. Though the roads can be quite busy during the day, & traffic can be quite heavy.

Thamel has been the Centre of the tourist industry in Kathmandu for over four decades, appearing from the hippie days when many artists came to Nepal and spent weeks in Thamel. Even though Thamel has been referred to as a “ghetto” by some, many low budget travelers consider it a hot-spot for tourism. Thamel is a renowned tourist destination in Kathmandu where various attraction deliver an array of unexpected delights. Thamel attracts visitors from across the nation and abroad. It is always bustling with hordes of tourists all year round.   

With the passing years, more and more populace from various parts of world are getting attracted towards the myriad beauty and services available in Thamel as the place provides everything right from trekking equipment, rafting facility shopping, eating facilities along with wild life tours and sightseeing tours. There are many restaurants in Thamel that serve traditional and continental cuisine, although the prices are significantly higher than in non- tourist areas.

Thamel also acts as the pre- base camp for mountaineers. It boosts a wide range of mountaineering gear shops, foreign money exchange booths, mobile phones shops, pubs, clubs and nightlife along with the numerous travel agents and guest houses. Thamel is home to wide range of Nepalese population, and serves both entertainment and employment purposes.Nepal is famous for its handicraft. Many of tourist’s shops around Thamel buy things in bulk from Thailand. This could be Bouddha Statues, singing bowls, and any Asian looking Kitsch. The more authentic things are hand- knitted clothing, carved stones and the famous Tibetan Thanka cart that is painted by the monks at the monasteries. Thamel is distinguished by its narrow alleys crowded with various shops and vendors. The commonly sold goods include food, fresh vegetables/ fruits, pastries, trekking gear, walking gear, music, DVDs, handicrafts, souvenirs, woolens and clothes. Travel agencies, small grocery stores, budget hotels and restaurants are also line the streets. Car, cycle rickshaws, two wheels and taxis layer with these narrow streets alongside hundreds of pedestrian.      

 Thamel is one of the most adventurous places in Nepal. Thamel is the center where tourists and locals intermingle with each other. Here, foreigners can access all things imaginable, from souvenirs to knock off, restaurants to tattoo parlors, and mainly trekking and tour companies. Most of the locals as well as the tourists who visit Thamel gather in a variety of restaurants, shops and bars than be seen on both sides of the road. Even on the roads one can hear the music of the 80s era playing all though the Thamel. Thamel is about twenty minute drive by taxi from Tribhuvan International Airport or about a fifteen minute drive from the city bus station.

 Venue to recognize:-

  Garden of Dream:-    

 Garden of dream is small and beautiful historical garden, which is situated in the midst of the craziness of Kathmandu within walking distance of Thamel. It consists of 6,895 square meters of gardens with three pavilions, an amphitheater, ponds, pergolas and urns.

The Garden of Dream is part of the Kaiser Mahal, a palace built in 1895 by the then Prime Minister Bir Sumsher Jung Bahadur Rana. It was later inherited by his son Chandra Sumsher Jung Bahadur Rana who went on to create the landscaped garden. He eventually presented the remarkable garden to his son Kaiser Sumsher Jung Bahadur Rana as a wedding gift. The Garden of Dream itself was an addition to the original palace made by Keshar Sumsher in 1920. A learned man with great aesthetic sense, Kaiser Sumsher turned the garden into a work of art. It included a fabulous lawn, wooded area where birds roosted, flower gardens and a pond for ducks.  

After the completion of this Garden, it was considered as one of the most sophisticated private gardens during that time. However it was a private garden of Kaiser Sumsher, it was beautifully designed inspired by the famous Edwardian style with in the Garden walls, and Kaiser Sumsher created an exquisite ensemble of Pavilions, fountains, decorative  garden furniture and European inspired features such as  Varandas, pergolas, balustrades, urns and bird houses. He erected six impressive Pavilions, each dedicated to one of six seasons of Nepal. Those names are Basanta (spring), Grishma (summer), Barkha (monsoon), Sharad (early autumn), Hemantaa (late autumn) and Shishir (winter).

These Pavilions provided the Garden’s architectural framework and lent a cosmopolitan flavor to the formal arrangement of flowers, shrubs and trees. Today, only half of the garden is in existence. After the demise of Kaiser Sumsher, the garden was handed over to the Government of Nepal. A seven years of extensive renovation has revived the garden as per the original concept with added modern facilities. It was recently restored with the help of the Austrian Government. It has now become an oasis of peace and tranquility in the urban bustle of Kathmandu city.   

   There are dozens of gorgeous details in the small garden, including original gate, a marble inscription from Omar Khayam’s Rubaiyat, the new fountains and ponds, a quirky ‘hidden garden’ to the south. The Garden of Dream is an open peaceful place at the edge of Thamel and reminds of classical formal European gardens. Relaxing or walking in the garden gives an impression of the luxurious life the formal Royals and Ranas had in Kathmandu.

The Garden is a great to spend a romantic evening with a loved one or even a peaceful few hours by own self, the Garden of Dream is a wonderland and in its own right.

An oasis of calm in the heart of the bustling Kathmandu. A lot of people laying around in the ground with a book in their hand or just enjoying nap in the pleasant sunny weather.

         It is a neo- classical historical garden renovated and restored from 2000 to 2007. Then, opened for the public in 2008 with a restaurant and bar to raise money for its maintenance. Garden of Dreams welcomes private and corporate functions, receptions, cultural programs and classical concerts too.