The enigma of Kathmandu

As one of the three cities of Nepal Mandala, it has occupied the minds of people for centuries.

Kathmandu or Kantipur has an enigmatic character. Native and foreign scholars, writers and artists have made attempts to spell it out by writing about the culture, politics, music, art and literature of Nepal Mandala of which Kantipur is a prominent city. The enigma still remains a pragmatic, inspiring and creative challenge. When it comes to the question of power or statism, this capital city, though not very large in size, poses challenges to those who want to explain the enigma. This is the subject of a long essay but here I am putting forth some arguments about the character of Kathmandu brought into focus once again by the victory of an independent candidate of the young generation named Balen Shah in the mayoral election of the city.