Honoring Kathmandu

By Stephanie Bower, from a trip to Nepal in 2011

I have dreamt of seeing Kathmandu since I was a child, as merely the name conjured up images of what must be the most exotic and wonderful place on the earth. So it was literally a dream come true when in 2011, I had the opportunity to travel to Northern India and Nepal…quite literally, the trip of a lifetime, and the trip that got me sketching again.

Sunday’s 7.8 earthquake has devastated such a beautiful place and its people. Based on what I’ve seen online, what were once ancient and intricate Hindu and Buddhist temples have been reduced to piles of bricks and splintered wood, some of which are recorded in these sketches. The loss of life, of Nepal’s heritage, is beyond words.

So today with heartfelt sadness, I post these images from my sketchbooks…to honor the beautiful people and beautiful places in Nepal.

Ancient Hindu and Buddhist temples side by side in the Kathmandu Valley’s Bhaktapur, Durbar Square, intricately detailed brick, stone, and carved wood. There are three ancient Durbar Squares in the Kathmandu Valley, each is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The pale gray Vatsala Shikhara Temple near the center of this sketch has been destroyed in the earthquake.

The Boudhanath Stupa is the largest Buddhist stupa in the world, located in Kathmandu. It has been damaged in the earthquake.

Entry to the Boudhanath Stupa, Kathmandu. There is a constant stream of people from all walks moving clock-wise as they spin the many prayer wheels around the perimeter.

This is a tiny temple in the Durbar Square of Kathmandu, filled with numerous ancient temples. Red curtains hang from the eaves, and each corner of the roof is the form of a bird.

A sketch of courtyard of the wonderful hotel Kantipur Temple House in Kathmandu, intricate brick and wood detailing.

Very quick sketch while surrounded by kids, of Patan’s Durbar Square.

This is Swayambunath, sitting atop a hill in Kathmandu with busy monkeys hopping about. It is the oldest Buddhist Stupa in the world.

Me sketching in Patan’s Durbar Square, surrounded by curious children poking at my pencils and erasers, lifting the corners of the pages in my sketchbook.