Makhan Tole in inner Kathmandu. A tole near the Kathmandu Durbar Square. The place where I grew up. I was curious about how it got its name. It is called Makhan in Nepali. It simply means, "See it." When the Taleju was built in the Hanumandhoka Durbar Square, the residents of the area did not see it.

When the construction was completed, I was surprised to see it suddenly. That is why the name of the village was Makhan. It is interesting to hear, but this is not the main reason for the name of the village. People say, what is in the name? But no, it is all in the name. The name says everything about history, culture, and lifestyle. In such a situation, the question is, how did the name Makhan come to be?

There is a place called Makhanmandap near Taleju, during the Lichchhavi period. Like Kasthamandap. Its name was finally formed because of Makhanmandap. The tradition of showing Bhadrakali dance along with Makhanmandap is still alive. Along with Makhan, there is also Indrachowk. It is called Vanga. Akash Bhairav ​​is also here.

The place of Vankatvasthan has become Vanga over time. Now, from Makhan to Indrachowk, it is very close to Asan. It is called Asan. This is a corruption of Ashok Mandap. Here is also the unforgotten Ajima, that is, Annapurna. There are many famous historical cities near the Hanuman Dhoka Durbar area. Batu is also located near Indrachowk.

An inscription found there says Srivantu Tolak, and from there it was initially called Batu, later Batu. It is also called Gucha Tole. It is important to find historical information about this place because it is believed that the first church in Nepal is located here. One fact is certain that this is the place where Malla King Jayaprakash Malla initially gave a place to Christian priests to live during his reign.

Kamalakshi is also located near Asan. It is called Kamilachhi in Nepali. This place is also called Kralilachha in the records. This is also the Tyahr Tol. The records specifically mention it as Tyahr Tol, later it became Tyahr.

Thahiti became a tol that could not be left here. This is where the name Thamel came from. It is believed that a large stupa was built by sealing the Luhiti here. It is still believed that if you put your ear to this stupa, you can hear the sound of water. There was a historical monastery here and it is believed that its name was Kwath Vihar. This is also the clan of the historical Thakuri kings.

Kel Twa is also near Indrachowk. Now it is also called Keltol, and also Janbahal. This is considered one of the oldest settlements in Kathmandu. There is another famous tol near the new road and this is Khichapukhu. Nowadays it is called Khichapokhari. Actually it is Khechapukhu. Some also call it Pako.

In the inscription of Tebahal, it is called Khira Pukhuri. It is said that it was later transformed into Khechapukhu. There is a Gwachemugh street along the Hanuman Dhoka Durbar area. In some records, it is called Gwachhe Mughal. Chikanmugh became another tol, connected to it. It is believed that its name was later changed from Chaitramgutol to Chikanmugh. Jhochen became another famous tol.

This is the most famous place in Nepal since foreign tourists started coming here. It is also called Jhochen because there are houses here. Jho means "waves", and "chhen" means "houses". However, this alone will be the main reason for the name of this place. This was also an ancient settlement and was initially called Jhorache and Jholache.

There is also Naradevi Tol nearby. Its real name is Ngt. Here is Ngt Ajima. It is believed to have been built by Gunakamdev. This at least makes it clear how old this Ngt Ajima temple and this tol itself are.

Now let's get out of the 'core' of Kathmandu. Baneshwor - Let's discuss. In the early days, Baneshwor was a place that covered a very large area. However, there was not much settlement. The places where there was settlement, they had some names - Gunthu, Nanga, Chaga, Gajabu, Balmoja, Nagaldol, Yatapau etc. The conch shell field was called Yatapau. If we go from here to Lalitpur, the Patan Durbar area is called Manga in Nepali.

In ancient times, this place was called Manigal. Many famous villages of Lalitpur are known with it, such as Hakha, Hauga, Mahapa, Patko, Swatha. During the time of the Malla kings, this place was important for many reasons. Jawalakhel is a name derived from the rice field in Nepali. The name Jawalakhel ultimately came from Ja Hula Khy.

Bhaktapur and Thimitir still have their historical names. Even if they are not, work is being done to revive them. The same fact applies to the names of Kirtipur and its surrounding places.

If we go back many years, the inscription in Dnyaneshwor calls the Kathmandu Valley and the nearby places Nepal Mandal. The book 'Nepal Mahatmya' mentions the area of ​​Nepal Mandal. Later, it is believed that the name of the country came from this.