Rivers of Kathmandu I - Bagmati

I've been caught up with real life so came back to this blog after a long gap. In the meantime, I have managed to click some pictures around the city. Its monsoon now in Nepal and luckily the rivers have one thing in abundance, water! That has become somewhat of a novelty, finding water gushing through the river bed, and its a strictly monsoon thing. So its a nice sight away from the usual eyesore. But lets start with pictures when the water is at the lowest flow, around the peak of winter.

The following pictures were taken at the Teku area. This area not far from the confluence of the rivers Bagmati and the Bishnumati rivers is an area full of history, scattered around you can find numerous religious and social buildings - rest houses, ghats and even temples. Stories that have been passed down generations of locals survive even to this day surrounding various myths regarding monuments in and around this area which are tied with the history of Kathmandu itself.

As we go towards the confluence point, its very close to the KMC's garbage collection unit. Strange if you ask me, how planners or the City itself allowed garbage to be dumped right next to the river at the center of a city. More so at a site of such religious, cultural and historical importance.

It awaits like much of the city does for a renaissance...

Looking towards Thapathali from Teku

Looking towards Patan side

Looking towards Teku

Access routes to the river below

Another access point

And another

Remnants of a better(?) past can be found

Teen Deval Temple Complex near Ram Mandir (Teku area) Bagmati
(2013)

Some more images of the Bagmati River around Balkhu area (SW of Kathmandu)

Temporary Bamboo fencing (encroachment along bank)
(2014)

Temporary Structures along the bank
(2014)

Squatter Settlements along the SW edge near Balkhu
(2014)

Picture shows the condition of the river bank
(2014)

Updated in December 2016

Bagmati River at Chobar (South most fringe where it exits the valley) which is about 5-6 km away from Kalimati.

Steps to the river bank (2015)

Bagmati River with cremation ghats in foreground
Notice the white grime in water (mostly sewer & industrial waste)
(2015)

River bank littered with plastic (2015)

The historically significant gorge through which
the valley lake is believed to have been drained out (2015)

River bank with crumbling ghat (2015)

Public Resthouses along the river & ghat
have been damaged by the April 2015 quake
(2015)