SIGHTSEEING
PLACES OF INTEREST
 Nepal
has a history spreading one many eventful centuries.
Its advancement in art and architectural beauties,
are thus numerous and varied but these are so harmoniously
blended together that they form one single concept
of culture preserved and cherished by all .
Kathmandu Valley enjoy world wide reputation for
such architectural wonders as the Basantpur Durbar
or Nautalle Durbar, Statue of Raja Pratap Malla,
Swayambhunath, Pasupati Nath temple, Krishna Mandir
, Mahaboudha , the Golden Gate, palace of 55 windows
and Narayan. Kathmandu Valley has had a prominent
centre over Buddha visited in his life. In fact
Nepalese art and architecture had by then attained
a high standard of excellence. A group of Nepalese
architects were invited to Tibet and China to build
pagodas and to train local architects. The architectural
style which is known as the pagodas style was already
in vogue in Nepal in the middle of the seventh century.
The chinese travellers including Wang Hiusntese
saw pagodas style temples and secular building ,
the like of which they had notseen in their own
country . The pagodas style on later exported from
Nepal to China. In the realm of art and architectural
great strides were made by Nepal during the Malla
Period. Most of the old places and gilded temples
that fascinate the visitor and the statues of Kings
on lofty pillars so typical of Nepal belong to the
13th century onwards. Kathmandu Valley consists
of three main cities of architectural interest,
Kathmandu, Patan and Bhadagaon . Where ancient monument,
relics of architectures and fine arts have been
well preserved ever since, maintaining its dignified
position comprehensive treasurehouse of the cultural
inheritance in the past and as as Ancient capital
of Nepal . Travelling Kathmandu Valley thus helps
one to get acquainted with the Nepalese architecture
in general since the sixth century to the present.
 KATHMANDU
CITY
Kathmandu or Kantipur (The city of Glory) is situated
at an altitude of 4500 ft at the confluence of the
two river-the Bagmati and the Bisnumati in the wide
valley . The City of Kathmandu was founded by Raja
Guna Kama Deva in 723 A.D.
TALEJU TEMPLE
Close to the old palace ,on the north , is the temple
of Taleju , one of the largest temple built by Raja
Mahindra Malla , about 1549 A.D. Taleju Bhawani is
the principal deity of Malla kings. It is said that
Raja Mahindra Malla and offered Puja to Tulja Devi
daily. At last she was pleased and directed him to
build a high temple in his Durbar. He then returned
to Kantipur and told the architects to build the temple
on the plan he proposed . From this time , people
were allowed to build high houses in the city .
Temple of Living Goddess:- Near the Durbar
square lies the temple of Living Goddess with lavishly
carved wodden balconies and windows .
 KASTA
MANDAP
After the death of Shiva Simha Malla, Lakshmi Narshinha
Malla became the king and ruled over Kantipur .
In his reign , on the day of Machhendra Nath 's
Lagan -Jatra(the day on which his car reaches Lagantol
) Kalpa - Briksha(tree of Paradise) was looking
on in the form of a man , and , being recognised
by a certain Biseta, was caught by him and was not
released until he promised the Biseta that through
his influence , he would be able to build a rest
house (Satal ) with the wood of a single tree .
On the fourth day after this , the Kalpa briksha
, a Sal tree, and the Biseta , after getting the
Raja's permission , cut up the tree and with its
timber he built the Satal in Kantipur named Marusatal.
From its being built of the timber of one tree ,
it was also named Kathmandu . The satal was not
consecrated because the Kalpa-briksha had told the
Biseta that if it were, the wood would walk away
. This temple stands on the right hand side of the
road leading from the Durbar Square towards Vishnumati
.
HANUMAN
DHOKA
This Durbar square is the old palace square with
many interesting to see. Taleju Temple , Big figure
of Kal Bhairab , nine -storied Basantpur Durbar
, Coronation Platform , the Hall of public audience,
Statue of Raja Pratap Malla , the Big bell , the
Big Drum and innumerable pagoda temples. The whole
area of this old palace square is famous by the
name of its gate. Pratap Malla , the lover of art & architecture
and learned king of Malla dynasty made a principal
gate to the palace and put there an image of Monkey
God(Hanuman) to scare away evil spirits in 1699
A.D. Since then it has been called Hanuman Dhoka
. Taleju Temple , a pagoda temple was built by Raja
Mahendra Malla in 1549 A.D. This temple is very
high and is built in the form of a Jantra (charm
or Amulet). This temple is reckoned as one of the
best temples in Nepal . A pagoda having three storied
is constructed on a big platform with staircases
around it . Taleju Bhabani is housed inside the
temple.
Basantpur Durbar or Nautalle Durbar :- This
palace was built by King Prithivi Narayan Shah in
1770 A.D . This is a nine storied pagoda of the
palace full of intricate carving and mouldings.
The pagodas rising on the three other corners of
the palace represent the old Patan, Bhadgaon and
Kritipur style of architecture.
 TEMPLE
OF LIVING GODDESS
Near the Durbar square lies the temple of living Goddess
(Vestal Virgin) with profusely carved wooden balconies
and windows. This temple presents the gorgeous style
of Napalese architecture.
SWAYAMBHUNATH
One of the oldest stupa in Nepal, it is reputed to
be 2,000 years old. This glorious example of Buddhist
chaitya is situated in hillock two miles west of Kathmandu
amidst lovely surrounding. Its main feature are the
hemispherical solid dome the conical construction
painted with the all seeing eyes of compassion , and
the 15 ring bronze spire topped off by an umbrella.
PASUPATI
NATH TEMPLE
 Pasupati
Nath Temple is the most glorious pagoda styled temple
and one of the most famous places of Hindu pilgrimage
in the world. It preserves the gorgeous original style
of pagoda architecture of times before the 6th century.
The temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva the guardian
deity of Nepal. This holy place is a picturesque collection
pf temples and shrines. The temple of Pasupatinath
is a handsome pagoda style with a golden gilt roof
and large richly carved silver gates. On the eastern
side of the river is a hill covered with thick wood
known as the Mrigasthali . All the dyings are brought
to Pasupati Nath for cremation . Only , the Hindus
are allowed to go inside the court of the temple.
PHARPING
AND DAKSHIN KALI
Both these places are famous for Hindu pilgrimage
. Pharping has a beautiful shrine of Shekha Narayan.
There are also ponds with different kinds of fish.
The temple of Dakshin Kali is also famous for architecture
and landscape. The sacrifice of duck, goat, cock,
egg and buffalo can be seen easily.
KIRTIPUR
This ancient township is situated on the top of the
plateau. This is a very ancient town of Nepal with
many kinds of typical attractions. People are seen
here in their age -old costumes, old lanes and houses
etc. The
campus of Tribhuwan University lies at the base of
this town , adding a modern touch to the surroundings.
The panorama of Kathmandu valley can be seen form
this town with snowy peaks in the background.
TEMPLE
OF BAGH BHAIRAB, KIRTIPUR
King Sadasiva Deva founded a town near Kantipur and
Lalitpur at the south-west part of the valley ,
on the hills and it was named Kirtipur. The children
of the cowherds of this town used to carry their
sheep to the forest to feed them and advise themselves
for making a clay figure of a tiger. On fourth nday,
the children erected the clay figure of a tiger
and went to the forest to pluck a leaf to make tongue
in the figure . Whole returning , they saw their
sheep killed by a real tiger and an image of Bhairav
in their clay model. The King then, erected the
temple of Bagh Bhairav in the same place to please
the God.
CHOVAR
This place is famous for its gorge from where river
Bagmati flows out towards the plain. This is situated
4 miles south-east of Kathmandu. It is said that once
kathmandu valley was a lake and MANJUSHREE made a
sword cut to drain out Kathmandu valley . On the hill
top, there is a small pagoda temple of Adinath. Magnificient
views of snow clad peaks are seen from here on clear
days. This place is really marvelous after the monsoon
rains.
KAKANI
kakani is situated 12 miles north-west of Kathmandu
at an altitude of about 6,500 ft. above sea-level.
It stands between the Kathmandu valley in the south-east
and Trisuli river valley in the north-west. It overlooks
the western Himalayan rtanges of Annapurna(26492ft)
, manasalu (26760 ft) , Himchuli(25492 ft), Ganesh
himal(23771 ft), Gosainthan(26289 ft), Dorja Lakpa
(22926 ft), Choba Bhamare(10550 ft), Gauri Shanker
(23442 ft) etc. The four majestic peaks of Ganesh
Himalayasa is just opposite to it. There is a small
tamang settlement and an appleorchard. there is kakani
rest house here and accomodation can be booked through
Department of Tourism. This is also a hill resort
with a sylvan beauty.This place offers natural nbeauty
of supreme grandeur.
DAMAN
Another interesting spot to visit is Daman. Daman
is situated 50 miles south-west of Kathmandu.
Situated at an altitude of nearly 8,000 feet.
Daman can be reached by a picturesque highway
linking Kathmandu with the Indian border . This
highway is full of natural scene and scenery.
This is a winding scenic driveway. Daman is
located near Simbhanjyang , the highest point
on the highway(9,200ft) in a beautiful setting
dotted with many alpine and rhododendron trees.
It commands an excellent views of Mt. Sagarmatha
(Mt. Everest) and the other high snowcapped
Himalayan peaks. The atmosphere here is one
of beauty. The drive to Daman is full of thrilling
experiences. The majestic scenery can be enjoyed
from the car or bus window. There is a view tower
and Everest point Motel &
Restaurent for accomodation and food.
PATAN
 The ancient name of the city is Lalitpur, the city
of beauty . The city is circular in shape and is situated
about 3 miles south-east of Kathmandu , a short distance
from the southern bank of the river Bagmati. The main
Durbar Square is situated in the center of the city
. It is a city full of Buddhist monuments, Shiva temples
with fine bronze gateways, deities and endless carvings.
Here are craftsmen, carpenters, stone and metal workers.
It is an older town having been built in the reign
of Raja Beer Deva in 299 A.D .
KUMBSHORE
TEMPLE
The temple of Lord Shiva is a pagoda style temple.
Inside the courtyard , there is a natural spring .
Mela ia held in Janai Purnima day. This temple was
built by King Jayasthiti Malla in 1422 A.D .
KRISHNA
MANDIR
The temple was built by King Siddhi Narsingh Malla
in 16th century . One night , he saw Radha Krishna
in his dream in front of Durbar Square and on the
same spot he built this beautiful temple made of stone
. Scenes from Epic Ramayana and Mahabharat are engraved
on the temple.
DURBAR SQAURE
(Mangle Bazaar) This is an ancient royal residential
quarter of Malla Kings. Durbar Square is full of interesting
objects such as old palace , golden window , temple
of Taleju , Tushahity or ancient royal bath etc. There
are many beautiful temples at the courtyard of palace
. The golden image of Aryavalokiteswara , producing
Brahma and other gods . Tushahiti or Royal bath was
made by Raja Siddhi Narsingh Malla on 1647 A.D .
GODAVARI
It is situated six miles south of Patan. It is a good
picnic spot amidst dense jungle. Here is fish hatchery
, marble mine , St Xavier's School , Agricultural
farm. There is also Royal Botanical Garden. Godavari
is one of the holiest places in Nepal to have a holy
bath. There are several temple and tanks picturesquely
situated at the foot of the hills.
PHULCHOWHI
This is the name of a hill surrounding the Kathmandu.It
is said to be 9,720 ft high and is very steep.
It is thickly wooded with fine trees. Rhododendrons
bloom at the top in varying colours . This place
is good for hiking and camping . There is a small
shrine at the top of the mountain .
BHADGAON
Bhadgaon is also known as Bhaktpur . "city of
devotee". It is the home of medieval art and
architecture . It is regarded as the oldest city
of the valley . It has its origin in the time of
the Lichhavi rulers. Later in 889 A.D . It was extended
and shaped as a conch by Raja Annanda Deva . The
city has as altitude of 4600 feet above the sea
. It is 9 miles east of the Kathmandu.
THIMI
(En route to Bhaktapur) is famous for its manufacture
of pottery and temple of Balkumari . Papiers Machae
Mask of various types are made here . This place is
also know as "Kitchen Garden" of Nepal.
DURBAR SQUARE
The ancient royal residential square consists of the
following :-
(a) Golden Gate:- This golden gate dates from the
reign of Raja Ranjit Malla in 1786 A>D>. It
is famous as the richest piece of art in the whole
Kingdom.
(b) A place of 55 windows :- The old palace is remarkable
for its carved balcony with 55 windows. This palace
was built by Raja Yasksha Malla in 1427 A>D>
(c) The Lion Gate :- It was built in 1696 A>D>
The gate is adorned with the lovely stone figures
of Hanuman. Bhairawa and Narashingha.
(d) Statue of Bhupatindra Malla :- This statue is
very famous for its arts in column. It is erected
by Raja Yaksha Malla in 1427 A.D.
(e) This is the biggest bell in the whole Kingdom.
NYATAPOLA
TEMPLE
 This temple is erected in the time of Raja Bhupatindra
Malla in 1,708 A.D. This five storied temple stands
on a five tiered platform with figures of men.,
elephants, lions, griffins and dieties perched on
each other. This is the best specimen of pagoda architecture
in Nepal.
BHAIRAB TEMPLE-:is temple magnificently
contructed non a gigantic scale. It was first erected
in one storied type pagoda temple at the time of
Raja Jagat Jyoti Malla and later elevated by Raja
Bhuptindra Malla in 1718 A.D. and placed Bhairav
for the protection of the country.
DATTATRAYA TEMPLE ;-
Raja Biswa Malla built a three storied temple for
Dattatraya . This temple for Dattatraya in Bhaktapur
is said to have been built out of the trunk of a
single tree. Raja Biswa Malla renovated it in 1458
A.D. and created a trust for conducting the daily
worship of the God. He appointed Sannyasis as priests
of this temple. He also made Maha Bihar for the
residence of the Sannyasis. This temple is very
famous for its wood carvings and other works of
arts. Near the temple of Dattatraya, there is a
narrow place with profusely carved peacock windows.
The famous peacock window was carved at the time
of King Biswa Malla in 1458 A.D. The carving represents
a peacock in full pride which is hold and well-executed.
CHANGU
NARAYAN ;-
 This is believed to be the oldest pagoda temple of
the valley., artistic heritage of the Lichhavian era.
It is an ancient historical place situated at an altitude
of 5500 ft. above sea level. It is situated on the
hill named Kileswara and there is a xomposite image
representing Lokeswar upon Vishnu, Garud and a lion.
This temple was built by Vishnu Gupta and later improved
by Hari Datta. The temple is richly decorated with
sculpture and carvings.
NAGARKOT ;-
 This
is situated 18 miles east of Kathmandu and 9 miles
of Bhadgoan. Nagarkot is a pretty hill resort situated
at an altitude of 7,133 ft.above sea level. This
lovely hill resort of Nagarkot stands between Kathmandu
valley in the west and the Indravati river valley
in the east.The climate of this resort is salubrious
and the scenery is magnificent . From here the major
peaks of the mass of the eastern Nepal Himalaya
can be seen. They include Dhaulagiri (26,795ft.)
Machhapuchhare (22,942 ft) Himalchuli (25,895 ft)Manaslu
(26,760 ft)Gossain Than (26,492 ft) Dhorge Lokpa
(22,442 ft) Choba Bhamare (19,550 ft) Gauri Shanker
( 23,442 ft) Cho oyu ( 26,750 ft ) Everest (29,028
ft) Lhotse (27,890 ft ) Makalu (27,807 ft ) Kanchanjunga (28,168
ft )and Number (22,817 ft ) Annapurna (26,492 ft
)can be seen from here.
LUMBINI GARDEN ;-
This place is the sacred place for the Buddhist and
the sacred Buddhist pilgrimage site. Lumbini lies
in a very old place called Rupandehi, which is the
birth place of Lord Gautam Buddha, the prince of
peace. The old monastery, the artistic stone image
of Maya Devi, the mother of Gautam Buddha are important
relies that are worth seeing at Lumbini Garden.
Near Lumbini , there is Bhairawa airfield which
is linked with Kathmandu by air. Lumbini is also served
with 21 miles long motorable road from Nowgarh a
railway station of the Nowgarh of the North East
Railway of India.
HELAMBU ;-
A scenic paradise and trekker's best selected
place Helambu, is about thirty two miles north east
of Kathmandu. It is a sherpa village. It is at least
3days trek from Kathmandu via Sundureijal . The
lovely Himalayan scenery and solubrious climate
make it a health resort. There are two important
villages of Helambu , namely Tarke Ghyang and Melemchi.
There are many monasteries in that region. The famous
lake of Gosainkund is in this region. This is really
a lake district of Nepal houses are built here with
flat stones as in Alpine villages in Europe. Helambu
is situated on the top of Pongsi Himalaya . Tarke
Ghyang is a beautiful sherpa settlement on 1000
ft high from the sea level.
NAMCHE
BAZAR ;-
It is situated on the foot of Sagarmatha (Mt.Everest).
This place is the base camp for mountaineering and
other expeditions. Located in the lap of Mahalangoor
Himalaya. Namche Bazar is considered to be one of
the most beautifully alluring scenic sports on earth.
One can have the most beautiful panoramic view of
Mt. Everest and other sister peaks from the camp area.
Namche Bazar is the homeland of the world famous sherpas.
Namche Bazar is situated 12,250 ft. above the sea
level is on a bowl shaped land. Thyangboche and its
famous monastery is situated in Solo Khumbu, amidst
beautiful natural scenery on the lap of Mahalangoor
Himal.Solo Khumbu is known for famous monastry. One
has to trek 15days from Kathmandu to reach Namche
Bazar and 15 days more to return to Kathmandu. It
is about 14,000 ft. on flat land about 6 miles away
from Namche.
GORKHA ;-
This city was the old capital and is the ancestral
home of the Shah dynasty. The Great King Prithivi
Narayan Shah was the King of Gorkha. He started the
great integration campaign and finally succeeded in
consolidating the country into a single nation. There
are two very famous temple of Gorakhnath and Kalika.
The most famous pilgrimage spot of Manakamana is very
near from here. Every Nepali is very ambitious to
make a pilgrim trip to Manakamana . The most beautiful
spot of orkha is Bar Pak and one can view the water
fall at Namche Danda falling down 700 ft.
MINI-TREKS IN KATHMANDU VALLEY
Since practically all the hills surrounding Kathmandu
Valley are linked with each other by trails and
tracks, an infinity of "mini-treks" can
be undertaken without need for detailed maps, special
equipment ,guides or loads of food. And none of
these treks is strenuous or even difficult. Among
the most interesting ones, the following deserve
to be mentioned : _ To Shivpuri (8,980 f. _2,713
m.) From Kathmandu, by car to Budanilkantha. Leave
the sanctuary itself on your left hand side as well
as the main road leading to the British Budanilkantha
School Campus, a complex of red brick houses visible
from far away. Proceed along the narrow village
street straight on and pass over the first small
saddle -back bridge. Immediately after having crossed
, descent on your right-hand side the few stone
steps and follow the lane along the farmer's houses
and the fields, always keeping on to your left.
After approx , half an hour , start ascending and
try to reach the trail which climbs up, partly steep
and zig-zaging, along a barren ridge. A motorable
road and high brick wall cut across the footpath.
Local people may show you how to reach the two isolated
houses which you will have spotted from far below.
They are old and the new buildings of the Buddhist-Lamaist
convent of NAGE-GYANG that lies about mid-way between
Budanilkantha and the top of Shivapuri . Only a
few elderly nuns are permanently living this "gonpa",.
Now , behind the higher of the two buildings, follow
the trail that climbs up , lined with prayer flag
poles. It is advisable , whenever there is a passer
-by , to make certain that you are on the "Shivpuri
jane ma mulbaato" (the main - track to Shivpuri
). The trail leads through a magnificent forest
that has but few clearances, but many forks. Since
there are no signboards , the best guess is to
follow the steepest track. From the convent to
the summit it should not take more than one and
a half - hour. On top of Shivpuri stand several
sanctuaries and man-made stone platforms.
If you are lucky , you may meet the "sadhu"whose
abode he chose up there. This "holy man"
lives in seclusion, praying, meditating, reciting
mantras and performing "pujas" (offerings)
. But he does not stay there all year round. During
the winter months (October to April ), the panorama
of the Himalaya range , as seen from the top Shivpuri
, is breath-taking. In front of you , the massive
four summits of Ganesh Himal , followed, towards your
left, by the peaks of Manasulu, Himal-Chuli and Lamjung,
Clear weather is needed to
spot the Annapurnas in a far distance. There are two
itineraries to walk back to Kathmandu . The shorter
consists in following roughly the same track as the
one you took to go up. Budanilkantha is to be seen
clearly from everywhere and shortcuts are many. .
The longer road leads more to the East - South-East
, first along the ridge, then down towards Boudnath
Stupa which is also to be seen from the top. This
would take a little over 2 hours.
- To Phulchowki---This is the highest of all
the hills surrounding Kathmandu (7,188 f. = 2,800
m.)
- A motor -road leads right to the top, but
it is far more sportive to follow the footpath which
branches off main road,near Godavari College, south
of Patan and cuts across the winding motor-road at
many places.
- It takes approx . 2 to 3 hours to reach the top
, through a beautiful forest where rhododendrons are
plenty. They are in full bloom in April-May. About
half-way up, there is a now abandoned iron-ore mine.
- On the top itself, the buildings, antennae and other
sophisticated equipment are part of the modern radio-communication
system of Nepal which has been set up to the greatest
part thanks to Australian assistance.
- While the view from Shivpuri is oriented towards
Central and Western Nepal , it is the Eastern Himalayas
that are visible from Phulchowki, including , in very
clear weather, Mount Everest in the far distance,
to the right. Gaurishankar, with it white traingular
cap, is easy to identify.
To Banepa,Panauti and Namo Buddha
Banepa:- This " mini-trek" may
take more than one day, depending on whether some
stages are to be made by car or all of them on foot.
From Kathmandu to reach the first target, the town
of Banepa, (some 17 miles -27 km.) in the eastern
direction, the easiest way is to take a public bus
or a car. For a short while in the 15th century Banepa
was ruled by RANA MALLA as an independent kingdom.
In this typical Newar town , two relatively old pagodas
built in the two-storey Nepalese style are worth visiting.
They date back to 1752 and are both dedicated to NARAYAN.
An intresting nearby village in NALA , located a few
miles north of Banepa.
- Nala shelters two interesting pagodas ; one of the
only two fourtier pagodas which still subsist in the
valley (the other one is located in Harisiddhi, a
village south of Patan) and a very old Buddhist temple
dedicated to Avalokiteshvara. This temple is not built
in the traditional architectural Nepalese style but
looks rather like a little more elaborated rich man's
residence. But there is the shrine which protects
the image of the deity, a three foot high statue dressed
in silk clothes and crowned with a silver head-gear
and feather- like ornaments.
- Both the Banepa Narayani and the Lokeshwor temples
at Nala are decorated with quantities of kitchen utensils
and vessels made of copper , brass or wood. They are
offerings made to the divinities ,mostly by young
married couples, to propitiate their new homes. Or
they symbolize the untensils deceased may need once
they will have reached "the other side ".
Panauti :- Once in Banepa, the visitor should
not fail to continue hiking (either by car or on bicycle)
down to Panauti which is another Newar town rightly
proud of its treasures of decorated houses, beautiful
wood-carved windows and many temples. One of them
is particularly remarkable for it shelters two huge
statues of Bhairav inside and -like the Shiva Parvati
temple on Durbar Square in Kathmandu-hanuman figure
looking out of the first floor windows . One of the
temples dates back to to the 15th. century.
A good occasion to visit Panauti is the time of
the "Makar Shankranti" festival which
takes place on the first day of the month of Magh.(around
mid-January)
The festival consists mainly in collective bathing
at the confluence of the three rivers. Here lies
the religious importance of Panauti for such geographical
points are always considered as especially auspicious
. Therefore many festivals are performed at Panauti,
the most spectaculate being this collective bathing
which is supposed to wash away all sins.
Every 12
years , a famous, "mela" (fair)
takes place at Panauti which lasts for the whole
month of Magh. The next one is scheduled in January
1986.
Namo-Buddha
The final stage of the mini-trek is the ancent of
NAMO BUDDHA hill. The best is to start very early
in the morning from Banepa and visit first the very
picturesque town of Panauti. A 45 min, walk will
then lead you on top of the hill overlooking Panauti.
The small temple there is dedicated to Goraknath.
It should not take more than 4 hours from Panauti
to the top of NAMO BUDDHA hill. The trail climbs
through shrubs and a forest up to the final staircase.
A magnificant, albeit small stupa, decorated, as
to be expected, with the "all seeing-eyes of
Lord Buddha"
stands near the top. This stupa is visited by thousands
of devotees on a yearly pilgrimage that takes place
in early spring. Above the stupa, on the topmost
point of the hill, in the shadow of a century-old
tree, you will spot the massive and very ancient
stone-slab which illustrates the legend of this
place. First the name :"Namo-Buddha" means "Hail
to Buddha", where the world "Namo"-
related to "namaste" or "namaskar"-
is a salute of respectful deference. Then the
legend . This place of worship dating back many
centuries (nobody knows exactly the date of its
creation,) it is not surprising to find several
versions. The two most frequently told are the
following :
" Once upon a time " says the -story teller,
, Buddha happened to walk in this part of the country
and heard that a tigress had been killed by a hunter
on top of a nearby hill. So Buddha went in search
of the beast and found it at the very place where
today the engraved stones slab stands. Here lay the
tigress , surrounded by its four or five hungry whining
cubs. Buddha felt such compassion for these innocent
animals that he tore his own body to pieces and gave
his entrails to the cubs to devour. The cubs went
on feeding themselves greedily. They grew up and became
strong animals which, ultimately, took revenge on
the hunter who had killed their mother.
The other version is slightly different : Here,
it was not Buddha, but one prince of the then ruling
family who found the tigress. But she was very much
alive, surrounded by her cubs. She told the Prince
that she was
unable to provide enough milk for all her small ones
and implored his help. The Prince took his sword
(a modern version would certainly refer to his "khukri"!)
and cut slices of his own body , thus giving the
tiger cubs fresh meat for food . Wanting her share
too, the tigress assaulted the Prince and was about
to maul him to pieces. The Prince had just the time
and the strength to ask the tigress why she was
attacking him so viciously , although he had shown
so much compassion for her cubs. The tigress replied
that he should neither be sad nor angry but, to
the contrary, he should rejoice about his fate :
thanks to his good deed , he would die as a martyr
and be reborn as a buddha , reaching straight the
ultimate blissful goal of all human beings: Nirvana
. Coming back to NAMO BUDDHA: Once you have enjoyed
being on this peaceful and historical place, with
the glittering Himalayas in the background , it
may be time to think of going back. Instead of returning
to Panauti , a more interesting trail would be to
follow the one leading to Dhulikhel and the "Chinese
Road" , where it is always
easy to find regular bus services or other means
of transport to drive you back either to Banepa
or even all the way to Kathmandu . It will be remembered
that Dhulikhel is one of the spots from where the
mountain range of the Himalayas is best to be seen,
either at sunrise or at sunset.
To Nargarjun (7.600 f. = 2.316 m.)
This is another worth -while walk, which can hardly
be called ''mini-trek''. Not more than three hours
are needed to reach the top of this hill and go
down again. Nargarjun lies roughly half-way between
Budanilkantha and Swayambhunath. It can easily be
reached the road to TRISULI, entering the main gate
on the left side of the road. Nagarjun is completely
surrounded by a brickwall, for, in the course of
1976,it has become a ''Wild-life sanctuary ''. In
the thick pine forest covering the hill, there are
indeed various species of deer, many varieties of
birds, fowl, wild cats, marters and even leopards,
but not many! On top of the hill, a modest Buddhist
stupa is quite interesting, be it only as a foreground
for a picture of the surrounding landscape. The
panoramic view is best on a winter morning, when
the valley is still covered with a layer of silvery
mist.
OUT SIDE THE VALLEY
The ''Chines Road''
The road was built with the financial technical assistance
of the people's Republic of China by Chinese and
Nepalese engineers. It links Kathmandu with the
Chinese border and, beyond that, it continues up
to LHASSA, the capital of the Autonomous Region
of Tibet. The road starts near Kathmandu airport,
where a fork permits by -passing Bhadgaon before
reaching Banepa . Beyond, the road starts climbing
towards a pass, from where one road branches off
towards Dhulikhel, before going down-hill with bends
and turns until reaching the bridge across the river
Indrawaty. This part is probably the most spectacular
of the whole excursion. A few miles after the bridge
there is the picturesque small village of Lamosangu
(the starting point of the trek to the Everest region)
soon followed by a larger village, barabise, locted
on the other side of a second bridge. It is in the
vicinity of barabise,that the hydro-electric power
station, built with Chinese assistance is visible
on the right hand side . From here on, the road
follows the narrowing valley of the Sun Kosi . It
is difficult to get even a glimpse of mountains
towering on both sides, for the valley is deep and
its slopes are covered with forests. The border
is defined by a wide bridge, where taking photographs
is strictly prohibited. On the chinese end of the
bridge stands a chinese- style sentrybox while on
the nepalese side there is a nepalese- style one.
Much more noteworthy than the bridge or the sentry
-boxes is the fact that this border point is located
at a mere 5,900ft. (1,798 m.)! Decidely, the Himalayas
are not an ''impassable barrier'')
Pokhara and its Valley 125 miles (200km.) west of
kathmandu, i.e 35 minutes by plane or 6 to 7
hours by bus along a very picturesque road,
lies the magnificent valley ofpokhara. (When
travelling there, be it by air or by land, foreigners
are requested to carry their passports with
them ) The
plane land on a some what rough strip and stops
near an impressive tree whose heart-shaped leaves
flutter in the air stirred up by the plane's
engines. When you deplane , you are stunned
by a stupendous view : The whole range of the
Annapurnas (there are 5 summits bearing the
same name !) with Machha Puchhar's steep pyramid
right in their centre.Pokhara , rightly called
the " gate to Annapurna " is a place
which is not only a beautiful spot where a
few days rest are most rewarding but also the
starting point for many unforgettable treks
: towards the North-West ( Dhaulagiri range),
to the North (Annapurna and Machha Puchhare
areas ), to the North-East (Lamjung massif)
or to follow the traditional "highway" in
the direction of Tibet, i.e.along the Kali
Gandaki Valley through these places with the
romantic names as Tatopani (hot water), Sikha,Dana,Tukuche,
Jomsom, Muktinath and Lo Manthang. With the
exception of the last one mentioned, all these
points have been reopened for tourists in
June 1976 . (They had been "off-limits"
for two years).
Coming back to the view one enjoys from the air port
: Machha Puchare mean "fish tail" ; for
this mountain , when seen from the West-after two
or three days' walk from Pokhara towards the North-West,
presents two slightly separated ends. Of its two
summits the highest reaches 22,960ft. (6,997 m)
Neither of them has ever been scaled. The only
attempt ever made was in the spring of 1957 by a
British Expedition led by Col.J.O.M.Roberts. The
Sherpas who accompanied the team are said to have
refused to climb any higher, once they had reached
a point just approximately 165 ft. below the summit,
in order "not to disturb
the goddess whose abode in this very peak".
(From the radionalist's point of view , this story
is difficult to accept : if really this mountain
was supposed to be the "abode of a divinity",
isn't it surprising that a more religious name has
not been given to the mountain, calling it instead
, so prosaically : "fishtail"'while
so many other Himalayan peak are actually named after
gods and goddesses , such as Annapurna to begin
with, Ganesh Himal, Gauri Shankar and many others.)
Coming back to the panaroma as seen from Pokhara,
it must be pointed out that the range that looks
so close, is, in fact, much further away. In the
Himalayas, distances have this disconcerting propensity
of "expanding into space" much
more than in other countries, so it seems ! Pokhara
airfield lies approx 17 miles (27 km.)- as the crow
flies - from the foot of Machhe Puchhare and approx.
24 miles (38 Km.) from its summit! Visitors would
, of course, like to identify the peak of Annapurna
1, the first summit " above 8,000 m."(26,247
f.) ever climbed by mountaineers (Maurice Herzog
and Louis Lachenal, in June 1950).Now, the only
- and easiest- way to spot the peak is to get up
in the early morning and to watch carefully which
one of the many humps will receive the very first
pink touch by the rising sun. Pokhara owes its
reputation as a tourist resort more to its exceptional
situation than to its attractions in itself, for
its bazar, though colorful, has few monuments to
offer for sight - seeing. The town lies about 3
miles north-west from the airport but its hotels
: Fish-Tail Lodge , New Crystal, Blue Bird, Sangrila
and others are at a very short distance from the
air strip. Where does this strange but melodious
bell-ringing come from ? It gets louder and louder,
One mule, two mules, a whole caravan of mules moves slowly
down the road from the village .Each mules wears
on its head a huge red Yak tail fly-Whisk, and
an embroidered triangular piece of cloth on its
forehead. The caravan-driver, who is usually a
Thak or a Tibetan, is wrapped in his typical "chuba",
,the long -sleeved red-brown garment of all those
who live in the upper valleys and the high plateaux.
The caravan is likely come from Jomosom or Tukuche
and part of its load certainly consists of salt
from the Tibetan dry lakes and another part of
raw yak-wool. In one or two days 'time, the caravan
will start its return journey northward , carrying
this time, to be delivered in Tibet, manufactured
goods of all kind and , may be, some bags of rice
or barley if the local harvest has left a surplus
. There are two sits that deserve to be visited
as " a must",in Pokhara :
the surprisingly deep canon of the Seti river, just
across the airfield (watch out for possible planes
landing or taking-off !). The bridge across this
canon is hardly any longer than 30 feet (9m) where
was the water level is at least 100 feet (30 m.)
below !. The other sightseeing spot is "Fadke",
also called "Devin's Fall" : a facinating
geological curiosity. It is named after a "European
girl"
who is said to have been swept away by the rushing
torrent and plunged in the 100 feet deep vortex
while
"taking a romantic bath " with her boy-friend.
Nothing more reveals this legend ! The gorge ends
up in what is likely to be a subterranean chasm
where the stream disappears. So far , it has never
been completely explored. In addition to these two
natural sites, it is recommended to visit the large
compound , close to both airport and the city's
heart,where the ethnographic museum is located.
This area will graduially be developed into a cultural
center , where examples of local architectures,
folklore programmes etc..will be presented. It also
serves as a public recreation park, with typical
indigenous trees shurbs, flower -beds etc.. Many
pleasant walks may be undertaken in the Pokhara
immediate surroundings : About one and half hour
walk towards the North- West will lead the tourist
to the interesting Tibetan village of Tashi-Palkhel
located on the top of a low cliff. Originally this
used to be a "refugee camp" for those
Tibetans who had followed their spiritual leader,
the Dalai Lama into exile through Sikkim to India.
Some of them preferred to settle down in Nepal,
whereas others came straight from Tibet to Pokhara,
crossing the border between Kyirung and Rasaua Ghari.
It can no longer be considered as a "camp" for
everyone is free to leave it if he so wishes ,and,
furthermore, it has developed into an almost prosperous
community, thanks to the carpet industry for which
almost all the inhabitants contribute somehow. Tashi
Palkhel has also its own school and even a "gonpa".
At one day's walking distance , a pleasant excursion
consists in climbing up -hill to the old fortress
of Sarangkot, following the trail that leads up from
Pokhara's the main temple called the Bindu Basani
temple.
Still further along lies another magnificent scenic
point , a village called Naudanda from where a beautiful
panoramic view covers the whole range of the Annapurna
and Lamjung massifs. By car,the most picturesque excursion
excursion is the one that leads to the two twin lakes,
Begnas and Rupa , on the left side of the main Pokhara-
Kathmandu road , about 5 miles away to the North.
Chitwan National Park
This Wild-life Preservation Park lies in the Terai,
very near to the Nepali-Indian border. The best
season to visit this beautiful spot that offers
so many exciting features to the tourist, extends
from October through to the end of April,beginning
of May .There is no rain then morning and evening
are pleasantly cool, though never cold, while during
the day it is never too warm .Only between December
and February is warm clothing to be recommended .
Monsoon begins to make itself felt in May-June by
occasional downpours and plenty humidity. The two
kinds of animals for whose preservation this National
Sanctuary was mainly created are:
(a) the tiger, which have been spotted and which are
said to be increasing progressively in numbers, now
that hunting and poaching have been eradicated.
(b) the one-horned rhinoceros that exists no longer
anywhere else in the world. In addition, the park
is the protected homeland of many species of deer
and antelopes, monkeys , leopard, wild boars on the
ground, hundreds of varieties of birds in the air
and crocodiles (gharials and muggars) as well as riverdolphins
in the waters.
Phaplu
Roughly half-way between Kathmandu and the range
of Mount Everest lies the picturesque Sherpa village
of Phaplu. Little known yet, the Phalpu area deserves
a visit. Here begins the Himalaya, with its dense
pine forests, the slopes covered with giant rhdodendrons
which are in full bloom in March and April, nature,
beauty and warm hospitality Everywhere. Sir Edmund
Hillary, the conqueror of ''the third pole'', was
one of first to fall in love with this region. He
set up simultaneously a hospital, a school an airfield
and built the bridges in the upper Khumbu area of
Lukhla. At Khumjung and kunde, he started taking
care of the Sherpas. A hospital was erected there,
named by doctors from his native New Zealand. Later
he set up a hospital at Phap as as well. In immediate
neighbourhood of Phaplu, there are some very interesting
spots to visit: - Chiwong Gonpa, an authentic Buddhist-Lamaist
monastery, located at an - altitude of 9,400 feet,
only a half-day walk from phaplu. It is one of the
largest
- monasteries in Eastern Nepal. It contains
many precious manuscripts, painted
- scrolls (''thang-kas'') .Visitors are welcome to
attend the always fascinating daily
- rites and ceremonies. Should you reach CHIWONG during
October and November,
- which are the best months to visit this area, you
may witness the ''Mani Rimdu''
- Festival, a Sherpa religious event in which all
monks dressedin their silk robes and wearing their
ritual masks , perform dances for two days.- -Ratnage
Danda, at 10,000 feet, is a hill nearby. From there,
at sunrise or sunset,
- you will enjoy a magnificent view of the whole Everest
range . It is an easy three
- hours walk from Phaplu, through a dense pine forest.
- Dudh kund , in other words, ''milky lake'' lies
a little higher up , at around
- 15,000 feet. A more peaceful spot is hard to find
anywhere in the world. It
- is worth while to trek there although is takes about
4 to 5 days back and forth.
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