sentence-transformers/squad huggingface dataset:
Passage: The ancient trade route between India and Tibet that passed through Kathmandu enabled a fusion of artistic and architectural traditions from other cultures to be amalgamated with local art and architecture. The monuments of Kathmandu City have been influenced over the centuries by Hindu and Buddhist religious practices. The architectural treasure of the Kathmandu valley has been categorized under the well-known seven groups of heritage monuments and buildings. In 2006 UNESCO declared these seven groups of monuments as a World Heritage Site (WHS). The seven monuments zones cover an area of 188.95 hectares (466.9 acres), with the buffer zone extending to 239.34 hectares (591.4 acres). The Seven Monument Zones (Mzs) inscribed originally in 1979 and with a minor modification in 2006 are Durbar squares of Hanuman Dhoka, Patan and Bhaktapur, Hindu temples of Pashupatinath and Changunarayan, the Buddhist stupas of Swayambhu and Boudhanath.

Question: What religion does Changunarayan belong to?

Question: What Buddhist monuments are present at Boudhanath?

Question: How many acres are the Kathmandu valley monument zones?

Question: In hectares, how large is the Kathmandu valley monument buffer zone?

Question: When did the Kathmandu valley monuments receive WHS status?
Passage: The literal meaning of Durbar Square is a "place of palaces". There are three preserved Durbar Squares in Kathmandu valley and one unpreserved in Kirtipur. The Durbar Square of Kathmandu is located in the old city and has heritage buildings representing four kingdoms (Kantipur, Lalitpur, Bhaktapur, Kirtipur); the earliest is the Licchavi dynasty. The complex has 50 temples and is distributed in two quadrangles of the Durbar Square. The outer quadrangle has the Kasthamandap, Kumari Ghar, and Shiva-Parvati Temple; the inner quadrangle has the Hanuman Dhoka palace. The squares were severely damaged in the April 2015 Nepal earthquake.

Question: Where is a Durban Square located that is not preserved?

Question: What is the oldest dynasty to be represented with buildings in Kathmandu's Durbar Square?

Question: How many temples are present in Kathmandu's Durbar Square?

Question: When did a notable earthquake occur that damaged Kathmandu's Durbar Square?

Question: How many kingdoms have buildings present in the Durbar Square of Kathmandu?
Passage: Kumari Ghar is a palace in the center of the Kathmandu city, next to the Durbar square where a Royal Kumari selected from several Kumaris resides. Kumari, or Kumari Devi, is the tradition of worshipping young pre-pubescent girls as manifestations of the divine female energy or devi in South Asian countries. In Nepal the selection process is very rigorous. Kumari is believed to be the bodily incarnation of the goddess Taleju (the Nepali name for Durga) until she menstruates, after which it is believed that the goddess vacates her body. Serious illness or a major loss of blood from an injury are also causes for her to revert to common status. The current Royal Kumari, Matina Shakya, age four, was installed in October 2008 by the Maoist government that replaced the monarchy.

Question: What is Durga called in Nepali?

Question: How long is Kumari believed to incarnate Taleju?

Question: Who was the Royal Kumari as of late 2008?

Question: What type of government did Nepal have after the monarchy?
Passage: The Pashupatinath Temple is a famous 5th century Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Shiva (Pashupati). Located on the banks of the Bagmati River in the eastern part of Kathmandu, Pashupatinath Temple is the oldest Hindu temple in Kathmandu. It served as the seat of national deity, Lord Pashupatinath, until Nepal was secularized. However, a significant part of the temple was destroyed by Mughal invaders in the 14th century and little or nothing remains of the original 5th-century temple exterior. The temple as it stands today was built in the 19th century, although the image of the bull and the black four-headed image of Pashupati are at least 300 years old. The temple is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Shivaratri, or the night of Lord Shiva, is the most important festival that takes place here, attracting thousands of devotees and sadhus.[citation needed]

Question: When was the Pashupatinath Temple built?

Question: What faith does the Pashupatinath Temple serve?

Question: What is another name for Pashupati?

Question: Prior to the secularization of Nepal, who was the country's national god?

Question: Who damaged the Pashupatinath Temple in the 14th century?
Passage: Believers in Pashupatinath (mainly Hindus) are allowed to enter the temple premises, but non-Hindu visitors are allowed to view the temple only from the across the Bagmati River. The priests who perform the services at this temple have been Brahmins from Karnataka, South India since the time of Malla king Yaksha Malla. This tradition is believed to have been started at the request of Adi Shankaracharya who sought to unify the states of Bharatam (Unified India) by encouraging cultural exchange. This procedure is followed in other temples around India, which were sanctified by Adi Shankaracharya.

Question: What people make up the majority of Pashupatinath followers?

Question: In what part of India do the Pashupatinath priests originate?

Question: What dynasty did Yaksha Malla belong to?

Question: Who supposedly encouraged the usage of Karnataka Brahmin priests at Pashupatinath Temple?

Question: What is another term for Bharatam?
Passage: The Boudhanath, (also written Bouddhanath, Bodhnath, Baudhanath or the Khāsa Chaitya), is one of the holiest Buddhist sites in Nepal, along with Swayambhu. It is a very popular tourist site. Boudhanath is known as Khāsti by Newars and as Bauddha or Bodhnāth by speakers of Nepali. Located about 11 km (7 mi) from the center and northeastern outskirts of Kathmandu, the stupa's massive mandala makes it one of the largest spherical stupas in Nepal. Boudhanath became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979.

Question: To what religion is Boudhanath holy?

Question: What do the Newars call Boudhanath?

Question: What is Boudhanath called in Nepali?

Question: How far is Boudhanath from Kathmandu in miles?

Question: When did UNESCO make Boudhanath a World Heritage Site?
Passage: The base of the stupa has 108 small depictions of the Dhyani Buddha Amitabha. It is surrounded with a brick wall with 147 niches, each with four or five prayer wheels engraved with the mantra, om mani padme hum. At the northern entrance where visitors must pass is a shrine dedicated to Ajima, the goddess of smallpox. Every year the stupa attracts many Tibetan Buddhist pilgrims who perform full body prostrations in the inner lower enclosure, walk around the stupa with prayer wheels, chant, and pray. Thousands of prayer flags are hoisted up from the top of the stupa downwards and dot the perimeter of the complex. The influx of many Tibetan refugees from China has seen the construction of over 50 Tibetan gompas (monasteries) around Boudhanath.

Question: Who is pictured on the stupa's base?

Question: What is Ajima the deity of?

Question: What are gompas?

Question: Visitors from what faith routinely visit the stupa?

Question: What mantra is engraved on the stupa's prayer wheels?
Passage: Swayambhu is a Buddhist stupa atop a hillock at the northwestern part of the city. This is among the oldest religious sites in Nepal. Although the site is considered Buddhist, it is revered by both Buddhists and Hindus. The stupa consists of a dome at the base; above the dome, there is a cubic structure with the eyes of Buddha looking in all four directions.[clarification needed] There are pentagonal Toran above each of the four sides, with statues engraved on them. Behind and above the torana there are thirteen tiers. Above all the tiers, there is a small space above which lies a gajur.

Question: In what part of Kathmandu is Swayambhu located?

Question: What faith does Swayambhu belong to?

Question: Other than Buddhists, who worships at Swayambhu?

Question: In how many directions does the Buddha of Swayambhu look?

Question: In Swayambhu, what is present in the small area above the tiers?
Passage: Kathmandu valley is described as "an enormous treasure house of art and sculptures", which are made of wood, stone, metal, and terracotta, and found in profusion in temples, shrines, stupas, gompas, chaityasm and palaces. The art objects are also seen in street corners, lanes, private courtyards and in open ground. Most art is in the form of icons of gods and goddesses. Kathmandu valley has had this art treasure for a very long time, but received worldwide recognition only after the country opened to the outside world in 1950.

Question: Kathmandu valley contains art made of metal, terracotta, wood and what other substance?

Question: What is the most typical type of art in the Kathmandu valley?

Question: In what year could Nepal be said to have been discovered by the outside world?
Passage: The religious art of Nepal and Kathmandu in particular consists of an iconic symbolism of the Mother Goddesses such as: Bhavani, Durga, Gaja-Lakshmi, Hariti-Sitala, Mahsishamardini, Saptamatrika (seven mother goddesses), and Sri-Lakshmi(wealth-goddess). From the 3rd century BC, apart from the Hindu gods and goddesses, Buddhist monuments from the Ashokan period (it is said that Ashoka visited Nepal in 250 BC) have embellished Nepal in general and the valley in particular. These art and architectural edifices encompass three major periods of evolution: the Licchavi or classical period (500 to 900 AD), the post-classical period (1000 to 1400 AD), with strong influence of the Palla art form; the Malla period (1400 onwards) that exhibited explicitly tantric influences coupled with the art of Tibetan Demonology.

Question: What types of deities are Bhavani and Durga?

Question: What is Sri-Lakshmi a deity of?

Question: By tradition, what notable figure came to Nepal 250 years before the birth of Christ?

Question: When did the Licchavi period end?

Question: What is another name for the Licchavi period?
Passage: Kathmandu is home to a number of museums and art galleries, including the National Museum of Nepal and the Natural History Museum of Nepal. Nepal's art and architecture is an amalgamation of two ancient religions, Hinduism and Buddhhism. These are amply reflected in the many temples, shrines, stupas, monasteries, and palaces in the seven well-defined Monument Zones of the Kathmandu valley are part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This amalgamation is also reflected in the planning and exhibitions in museums and art galleries throughout Kathmandu and its sister cities of Patan and Bhaktapur. The museums display unique artifacts and paintings from the 5th century CE to the present day, including archeological exportation.

Question: Along with the National Museum of Nepal, what notable Nepalese museum is present in Kathmandu?

Question: From what time period are the oldest artifacts in Kathmandu museums?

Question: Along with Buddhism, what religion has had a significant influence on Nepal?

Question: What Kathmandu valley area was named a World Heritage Site by UNESCO?

Question: How many Monument Zones are present in the Kathmandu valley?
Passage: The National Museum is located in the western part of Kathmandu, near the Swayambhunath stupa in an historical building. This building was constructed in the early 19th century by General Bhimsen Thapa. It is the most important museum in the country, housing an extensive collection of weapons, art and antiquities of historic and cultural importance. The museum was established in 1928 as a collection house of war trophies and weapons, and the initial name of this museum was Chhauni Silkhana, meaning "the stone house of arms and ammunition". Given its focus, the museum contains many weapons, including locally made firearms used in wars, leather cannons from the 18th–19th century, and medieval and modern works in wood, bronze, stone and paintings.

Question: In what area of Kathmandu is the National Museum?

Question: What stupa is close to the National Museum?

Question: Who built the building that contains the National Museum?

Question: When was the National Museum founded?

Question: What does Chhauni Silkhana mean?
Passage: The Tribhuvan Museum contains artifacts related to the King Tribhuvan (1906–1955). It has a variety of pieces including his personal belongings, letters and papers, memorabilia related to events he was involved in and a rare collection of photos and paintings of Royal family members. The Mahendra Museum is dedicated to king Mahendra of Nepal (1920–1972). Like the Tribhuvan Museum, it includes his personal belongings such as decorations, stamps, coins and personal notes and manuscripts, but it also has structural reconstructions of his cabinet room and office chamber. The Hanumandhoka Palace, a lavish medieval palace complex in the Durbar, contains three separate museums of historic importance. These museums include the Birendra museum, which contains items related to the second-last monarch, Birendra of Nepal.

Question: When did Tribhuvan die?

Question: What was the birth year of King Mahendra?

Question: How many museums are in the Hanumandhoka Palace?

Question: Who was the penultimate king of Nepal?

Question: During what era was the Hanumandhoka Palace constructed?
Passage: The enclosed compound of the Narayanhity Palace Museum is in the north-central part of Kathmandu. "Narayanhity" comes from Narayana, a form of the Hindu god Lord Vishnu, and Hiti, meaning "water spout" (Vishnu's temple is located opposite the palace, and the water spout is located east of the main entrance to the precinct). Narayanhity was a new palace, in front of the old palace built in 1915, and was built in 1970 in the form of a contemporary Pagoda. It was built on the occasion of the marriage of King Birenda Bir Bikram Shah, then heir apparent to the throne. The southern gate of the palace is at the crossing of Prithvipath and Darbar Marg roads. The palace area covers (30 hectares (74 acres)) and is fully secured with gates on all sides. This palace was the scene of the Nepali royal massacre. After the fall of the monarchy, it was converted to a museum.

Question: Where in Kathmandu is Narayanhity Palace Museum located?

Question: In what year was Narayanhity constructed?

Question: Whose marriage led to the construction of Narayanhity?

Question: How many acres is the Narayanhity Palace?

Question: What god is Narayana?
Passage: The Taragaon Museum presents the modern history of the Kathmandu Valley. It seeks to document 50 years of research and cultural heritage conservation of the Kathmandu Valley, documenting what artists photographers architects anthropologists from abroad had contributed in the second half of the 20th century. The actual structure of the Museum showcases restoration and rehabilitation efforts to preserve the built heritage of Kathmandu. It was designed by Carl Pruscha (master-planner of the Kathmandy Valley ) in 1970 and constructed in 1971. Restoration works began in 2010 to rehabilitate the Taragaon hostel into the Taragaon Museum. The design uses local brick along with modern architectural design elements, as well as the use of circle, triangles and squares. The Museum is within a short walk from the Boudhnath stupa, which itself can be seen from the Museum tower.

Question: What is the Taragaon Museum dedicated to?

Question: Who is the designer of the Taragaon Museum?

Question: In what year was the Taragaon Museum built?

Question: What stupa is located close to the Taragaon Museum?

Question: What was the Taragaon Museum prior to being a museum?
Passage: Kathmandu is a center for art in Nepal, displaying the work of contemporary artists in the country and also collections of historical artists. Patan in particular is an ancient city noted for its fine arts and crafts. Art in Kathmandu is vibrant, demonstrating a fusion of traditionalism and modern art, derived from a great number of national, Asian, and global influences. Nepali art is commonly divided into two areas: the idealistic traditional painting known as Paubhas in Nepal and perhaps more commonly known as Thangkas in Tibet, closely linked to the country's religious history and on the other hand the contemporary western-style painting, including nature-based compositions or abstract artwork based on Tantric elements and social themes of which painters in Nepal are well noted for. Internationally, the British-based charity, the Kathmandu Contemporary Art Centre is involved with promoting arts in Kathmandu.

Question: Contemporary Kathmandu art combines traditional influences with what type of art?

Question: How many types are Nepali works of art typically divided into?

Question: What do the Tibetans call traditional idealistic paintings?

Question: What UK charity works on behalf of Kathmandu art?

Question: What do the Nepalese call Thangkas?
Passage: The Srijana Contemporary Art Gallery, located inside the Bhrikutimandap Exhibition grounds, hosts the work of contemporary painters and sculptors, and regularly organizes exhibitions. It also runs morning and evening classes in the schools of art. Also of note is the Moti Azima Gallery, located in a three storied building in Bhimsenthan which contains an impressive collection of traditional utensils and handmade dolls and items typical of a medieval Newar house, giving an important insight into Nepali history. The J Art Gallery is also located in Kathmandu, near the Royal Palace in Durbarmarg, Kathmandu and displays the artwork of eminent, established Nepali painters. The Nepal Art Council Gallery, located in the Babar Mahal, on the way to Tribhuvan International Airport contains artwork of both national and international artists and extensive halls regularly used for art exhibitions.

Question: Where can one find the Srijana Contemporary Art Gallery?

Question: The Moti Azima Gallery contains objects that might be found in a Nepalese house of what time period?

Question: What art gallery is located close to the Durbarmarg Royal Palace?

Question: Where can the Nepal Art Council Gallery be found?

Question: In which of Nepal's art galleries can one take an art class?
Passage: The National Library of Nepal is located in Patan. It is the largest library in the country with more than 70,000 books. English, Nepali, Sanskrit, Hindi, and Nepal Bhasa books are found here. The library is in possession of rare scholarly books in Sanskrit and English dating from the 17th century AD. Kathmandu also contains the Kaiser Library, located in the Kaiser Mahal on the ground floor of the Ministry of Education building. This collection of around 45,000 books is derived from a personal collection of Kaiser Shamsher Jang Bahadur Rana. It covers a wide range of subjects including history, law, art, religion, and philosophy, as well as a Sanskrit manual of Tantra, which is believed to be over 1,000 years old. The 2015 earthquake caused severe damage to the Ministry of Education building, and the contents of the Kaiser Library have been temporarily relocated.

Question: How many volumes are contained in Nepal's National Library?

Question: Along with Hindi, Sanskrit, Nepali and English, the National Library contains books in what language?

Question: What government department is located in the same building as the Kaiser Library?

Question: How many volumes does the Kaiser Library contain?

Question: Who did the Kaiser Library's books previously belong to?
Passage: Kathmandu is home to Nepali cinema and theaters. The city contains several theaters, including the National Dance Theatre in Kanti Path, the Ganga Theatre, the Himalayan Theatre and the Aarohan Theater Group founded in 1982. The M. Art Theater is based in the city. The Gurukul School of Theatre organizes the Kathmandu International Theater Festival, attracting artists from all over the world. A mini theater is also located at the Hanumandhoka Durbar Square, established by the Durbar Conservation and Promotion Committee.

Question: Where can the National Dance Theatre be found in Kathmandu?

Question: What year saw the beginning of the Aarohan Theater Group?

Question: What gathering is the work of the Gurukul School of Theatre?

Question: Who constructed the theater in Hanumandhoka Durbar Square?
Passage: Most of the cuisines found in Kathmandu are non-vegetarian. However, the practice of vegetarianism is not uncommon, and vegetarian cuisines can be found throughout the city. Consumption of beef is very uncommon and considered taboo in many places. Buff (meat of water buffalo) is very common. There is a strong tradition of buff consumption in Kathmandu, especially among Newars, which is not found in other parts of Nepal. Consumption of pork was considered taboo until a few decades ago. Due to the intermixing with Kirat cuisine from eastern Nepal, pork has found a place in Kathmandu dishes. A fringe population of devout Hindus and Muslims consider it taboo. The Muslims forbid eating buff as from Quran while Hindus eat all varieties except Cow's meat as the consider Cow to be a goddess and symbol of purity. The chief breakfast for locals and visitors is mostly Momo or Chowmein.

Question: What meat is very rarely eaten in Kathmandu?

Question: What animal does buff come from?

Question: What people are particularly known for eating buff?

Question: What cuisine notably makes use of pork?

Question: What do Kathmandu residents typically eat for breakfast?
Passage: Kathmandu had only one western-style restaurant in 1955. A large number of restaurants in Kathmandu have since opened, catering Nepali cuisine, Tibetan cuisine, Chinese cuisine and Indian cuisine in particular. Many other restaurants have opened to accommodate locals, expatriates, and tourists. The growth of tourism in Kathmandu has led to culinary creativity and the development of hybrid foods to accommodate for tourists such as American chop suey, which is a sweet-and-sour sauce with crispy noodles with a fried egg commonly added on top and other westernized adaptations of traditional cuisine. Continental cuisine can be found in selected places. International chain restaurants are rare, but some outlets of Pizza Hut and KFC have recently opened there. It also has several outlets of the international ice-cream chain Baskin-Robbins

Question: How many restaurants in the western style were present in Kathmandu circa 1955?

Question: What chain restaurants are present in Kathmandu?

Question: How is the egg in American chop suey prepared?

Question: Along with locals and tourists, who eats at Kathmandu's restaurants?

Question: Along with Nepali, Indian and Chinese cuisines, what cuisine has been a focus of Kathmandu restaurants?
Passage: Kathmandu has a larger proportion of tea drinkers than coffee drinkers. Tea is widely served but is extremely weak by western standards. It is richer and contains tea leaves boiled with milk, sugar and spices. Alcohol is widely drunk, and there are numerous local variants of alcoholic beverages. Drinking and driving is illegal, and authorities have a zero tolerance policy. Ailaa and thwon (alcohol made from rice) are the alcoholic beverages of Kathmandu, found in all the local bhattis (alcohol serving eateries). Chhyaang, tongba (fermented millet or barley) and rakshi are alcoholic beverages from other parts of Nepal which are found in Kathmandu. However, shops and bars in Kathmandu widely sell western and Nepali beers.

Question: What beverage is consumed by more people in Kathmandu, coffee or tea?

Question: How might a western traveler find the tea served in Kathmandu?

Question: What is used to make thwon?

Question: What are bhattis?

Question: What goes through a fermentation process to create tongba?