Panauti

At the end of the 13th century, Panauti was finally integrated into the unified kingdom of Nepal, along with Kathmandu, Patan, and Bhaktapur, which are all former capital cities of the Kathmandu Valley. Panauti was a trading hub along the ancient Salt Trade route between Tibet and India. The recorded history of Panauti goes back to the first century AD. With the end of the Salt trade in the 1950s and the construction of the Arniko Highway in the 1960s bypassing the town, Panauti has gone into an economic rut. Panauti, consists of a variety of Buddhist and Hindu religious monuments, and is called to be one of the area's most important medieval sites by Lonely Planet. ==Historical==

The Indreshwar temple is one of the largest and tallest pagoda style temples in Nepal. It was originally built over a lingam in 1294, making it the oldest surviving temple of Nepal. The roof struts embellishing the two lower stories of the temple are distinct Nepalese wood-carving and architecture. The upper section of the temple is hung with pots and pans, offerings from young married couples hoping for a happy and prosperous family life. The temple is in good condition and survived the 2015 earthquake. It is from this temple that the mystical third river of Panauti starts from leading to the Brahmayani temple across from the Tri Beni Ghats. ==Demographics==

At the time of the 2021 Nepal census, Panauti Municipality had a population of 51,504. Of these, 58.4% spoke Nepali, 21.10% Tamang, 16.9% Newar, 0.6% Magar Dhut, 0.5% Bhojpuri, 0.3% Maithili, and 2.1% other languages as their first language. In terms of ethnicity/caste, 26.5% were Hill Brahmin, 26.2% Chhetri, 22.10% Tamang, 17.9% Newar, 1.6% Mijar, 1.6% Pariyar, 1.4% Kami, 1.1% Magar, 0.9% Bhujel, 0.9% Sanyasi/Dasnami and 0.2% others. In terms of religion, 79.01% were Hindu, 18.87% Buddhist, 1.79% Christian, 0.26% Muslim, and 0.3% others. In terms of literacy, 81% could read and write, 1.6% could only read and 17.0% could neither read nor write. ==Economy==

Information Technology Park, Nepal is in Panauti municipality. ==Gallery==

File:Panauti.JPG|Streets of Panauti File:Panauti 2.JPG|Panauti Temple File:Panauti 3.JPG|Panauti during Makar Mela ==Notable people==

• Hari Bansha Acharya – actor, born in Sankhu, Panauti • Rabindra Khadka – actor raised in Sunthan, Panauti • Shweta Khadka – Nepalese film actress, producer, and entrepreneur from Khopasi, Panauti • Mukunda Thapa – actor from Malpi, Panauti • Shiva Prasad Humagain – politician from Panauti ==References==