Kathmandu is the capital and largest municipality of Nepal. It is the only city of Nepal with the administrative status of Mahanagarpalika (Metropolitan City).the capital city consists of three districts, i.e. Lalitpur, Kirtipur, Madhyapur Thimi, and Bhaktapur. Kathmandu is the core of Nepal's largest urban agglomeration. According to the 2011 census, Kathmandu has a population of close to 1 million people. It is surrounded by four major mountains: Shivapuri, Phulchoki, Nagarjun, and Chandragiri. Kathmandu Valley is part of three districts (Kathmandu, Lalitpur, and Bhaktapur).
Rani Pokhari means queen's pond .The historic artificial pond is located in the heart of Kathmandu.The square-shaped tank was built on the eastern side of the city .The pond is one of Kathmandu's most famous landmarks, for its religious and aesthetic significance. Rani Pokhari was built in 1670 AD by King Pratap Malla, one of the most illustrious monarchs of the Malla dynasty.Pratap Malla had the tank constructed to console his queen who was distraught with grief after their son was trampled to death by an elephant. He had water collected from various holy places and river confluences in Nepal and India like Gosaikunda,Muktinath, Badrinath, Kedarnath and poured into the pond to sanctify it. Rani Pokhari is fenced with iron bars and opened once a year during Bhai Tika, the fifth and final day of the Tihar, and Chhath festival.
For centuries, Boudhanath has been an important place of pilgrimage and meditation for Tibetan Buddhists. The Buddhist stupa of Boudhanath dominates the skyline. The ancient Stupa is one of the largest in the world.The arrival of large populations of refugees from Tibet has seen the construction of over 50 Tibetan Gompas (Monasteries) around Boudhanath.In 1979, Boudhanath was decleraed as UNESCO World Heritage Site. Along with Swayambhunath, it is one of the most popular tourist sites in the Kathmandu area.
