History of Kathmandu

The history of the city of Kathmandu, which is inseparable from that of the Kathmandu valley, dates back to ancient times. Archaeological explorations indicate that Kathamandu and the two other sister towns in the valley were the oldest towns and are traced to the period between 167 B.C. and 1 A.D. Excavations conducted at Hadigaon and Lubhu in southern part of the valley, in Kathmandu, have unearthed brick walls and stone age tools. The Buddha was also born in 563 B.C in the Kapilvastu District of Nepal near the Indian border. The extent of Kathmandu city today across the Kathmandu Valley. In 1992, workers digging a trench for the foundation of a house in Maligaon in Eastern Kathmandu discovered a life size standing male figure carved in pale sandstone, clearly made in the Kushan style. The sculpture was donated by an early Licchavi or pre-Licchavi monarch, named Jaya Varman with an inscription on the pedestal. Although the identity of the figure is contested, it is the authors'opinion that it is likely Jaya Varman himself who is portrayed. It is the oldest known inscription from the Kathmandu Valley.