Bhedetar!!

Just above Dharan on the hill is a place called Bhedetar, from here one can get a beautiful glimpse of Dharan and Terai. The winding roads that take to Bhedetar and scenary below makes this place a nice weekend gateway. Even during the hot summer, this place can be quite cool and chilly. You can view the scenic beauty of Dharan from Charles Point Bhedetar. You can visit many greenery parks like the Hariyali Park, Yalambar Park and Saptarangi park. You can see many wild animals wondering around in these parks.Tumba, a local alcoholic breverage is a famous drink of dharan.

Dharan!!

Dharan is a major city in eastern Nepal, in the Sunsari district, located between the foot of the hills and the edge of the Terai. It serves as a trading post between the hilly region and the plains of Terai region. It was once the location of a British Gurkha recruitment center, which was opened in 1953. The recruitment center closed in the last decade, and the only remaining center is in the town of Pokhara, west of Kathmandu.

Known also for the B.P. Koirala Institute of Health Sciences, south-Asia's biggest government hospital.

Dharan is a homeland of the Kiranti people (Limbu and Rai); Dharan originally was the small trading settlement of Chaubis or Miklung Kingdom of Limbuwan ( one of the ten Kingdoms of Limbuwan ), then it emerged as a bigger town. Due to immigration from the hilly region and all over Nepal, Dharan now however, has people from other ethnicities like Rai, Newar, Brahman, Chetris, Tamang, etc., can be found here, making Dharan a multi-lingual community with different languages and various dialects spoken. However, Nepali is the official and common language. Because of the multi-racial structure, Dharan has been the meeting point of different cultures, with Kirant, Hindu, Buddhist, Christian and Muslim groups all present.

Patan Durbar Square

Patan Durbar Square complex, situated in the center of Patan city, houses the residence of the former Royal family of Patan. The Square and its surroundings provide very good example of ancient Newari architecture. The palace has three main courtyards the central and the oldest is Mul Chowk. To the west of the complex are a dozen free standing temples of various sizes and styles. Krishna Temple, Bhimsen Temple, the Golden Temple of Hiranya Varna Mahavira and Sundari Chowk mark the architectural excellence of its era. The Sundari Chowk with the sunken Royal bath of Tusha Hiti, contains exquisite woodcarvings, stone, and metal sculpture. Patan Durbar Square also houses a temple of Taleju Bhawani.

A royal palace of the Malla kings can be found at Durbar Square in Patan. It is reputedly the most picturesque Durbar Square of the three Malla cities, Kathmandu, Patan, and Baktapur.



The square boasts of many famous sites and unique architecture. Krishna Mandir in the Patan Durbar Square was built to honor an incarnation of Vishnu. Krishna fought by the side of the Pandavs in the Mahabharat war to assure that truth would prevail. He was a favorite among the gopini cow girls. His temple is the best example of stone architecture in Nepal. Scenes from the Mahabharat, Asia's greatest mythological war, are carved on the temple's walls.



The Bhimsen temple which honors Bhim great wrestler, brother of the Pandavs, and a deity to Nepalese businessmen contains fine samples of metal craft. The best place, however, to see metal sculpture is the Hiranya Varna Mahabiliar, the "Golden Temple." It is a Newar monastery which contains wall paintings, fourteenth century statues, and scriptures. Its front facade is mostly covered in bronze. Note the stone gates and the figures upon them. These were built by Silakars whose descendants are active in the woodcarving industry today. Also interesting are the four metal monkeys at the corners of the temple. Monkeys have been featured in the temple decor of Nepal for several hundred years!



The Sundari Chowk contains exquisite samples of woodcarvings, stone, and metal sculpture. A huge stone platform in this chowk is the seat of a pious king who endured great penance in search of eternal bliss. It is said that he slept outside on this chilly stone platform in the bitter cold of Kathmandu winters and spent hours in the monsoon rains.

Other sites including the Mahaboudha Temple and Uku Bahal are only a few minutes walk away from the square. The streets in this area are home to inetal sculptors of the present day. Many more temples dedicated to Ganesh, the elephant headed god, Shiva, Narsingha, Taleju, and others are situated in the Patan Durbar Square.

Bhaktapur Durbar Square

This is a unique city located east of Kathmandu at 1,400m above sea level. With an area of 5sq. kms. this unique city is divided into 24 traditional localities. It was founded by King Ananda Dev in 889 A.D.

Bhaktapur in supposed to have been built in the shape of a conch shell, a scared symbol of Lord Vishnu. The world Bhaktapur means The City of Devotees.

Bhaktapur; at one time an independent city, was ruled by the Malla Kings. They were very religious and gave importance to their artistic heritage which is evident throughout the city. Some of the significant momuments here are:
The Lion Gate: Built by King Bupatindra Malla in 17 th century A.D.
Golden Gate: The main entrance to the famous 55 Window Palace and Royal Taleju.
Constructed in 1754 A.D.
The statue of King Bupatindra Malla.
55 Window Palace: This architectural structure dominates the entire Bhadgaon Durbar Square. It is worth admiring.

Pashupatinath Temple!

Pashupatinath temple (पशुपितनाथ मन्िदर ) is a Hindu temple located on the shore of the Bagmati river on the eastern part of Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal.

It is regarded as the most sacred temple of Shiva (Pashupati) in Nepal. "Shivaratri" or night of lord Shiva is the most important festival celebrated in this temple. Along the shores of the Bagmati river near the temple lies "Arya Ghat", the most widely used place of cremation for the deceased in Nepal, especially in and around the Kathmandu valley. There is also a large market in the streets surrounding the temple. Vendors sell souvenirs to tourists, but also cloth, dyes, and religious supplies. Believers of the faith Hinduism are allowed to enter the temple. Non-Hindu visitors are allowed to have a look at the temple from the other bank of Bagmati river.

The priests who perform the services at this temple are always from south India. This tradition is supposed to have started by Sage Shankaracharya in 6th century, ostensibly to stop human sacrifice which was prevalent in that temple. Another interpretation is that Indian priests are stationed at Pashupatinath because when the King passes away, the entire Nepali people are supposed to stop religious services and enter a year long period of mourning. As the Pashupatinath needs to be eternally worshipped, Indians were brought to make sure that the Pashupatinath is worshipped even at the time of official mourning. One of the best known of these priests was Raval Padmanabha Shastri Adiga (1927-2005). He started as a priest in 1955 and was promoted to Chief priest in 1967. In his time, he started a movement to use the temple funds for local development. He retired in 1993 and moved back to his home town Udupi.



The temple is of pagoda architecture. The two level roofs are of copper with gold covering. It has four main doors, all covered with silver sheets. The western door has a statue of large bull or Nandi, again covered in gold. The idol is of black stone, about 6 ft in height and about 6ft circumference.

The priests are called Bhattas and the chief priest is known as Mool Bhatt or Raval. The chief priest is answerable only to the King of Nepal and reports to him on the matters of temple on periodic basis.

East of the temple is the Vasukinath.

Manakamana!

The temple and small village of Manakamana is situated atop the 1302 metre hill that lies just north-east of the town of Mugling, some three and a half hours by bus east from Pokhara, or about the same time by bus west from Kathmandu. A cable car runs from the cable station of Cheres, just 5 kms east of Mugling to Manakamana in fifteen minutes. It is an exhilarating ride as you pass the river and up two ridges to the top. If you want, you can return by walking down the former well-used track down to its exit on the Gorkha road, just 1 km north of the town of Abu Khareini.



The cable car operates from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., stopping for lunch break from 12.00 p.m. to 13.30 p.m. On Saturdays and holidays it starts operations an hour earlier. The cost is a hefty 10 U.S. Dollars plus 14% tax for foreigners, and R250 plus tax for Nepalese citizens. This is a return fare. Single fares only apply to a sacrificial goat (R140). Hindu devotees believe that a visit to this temple will bring good luck, so expect to see many animal sacrifices at the temple entrance.

There are many simple hotels and lodges in the village, all charging about R100 to R400 per room. Some even advertise hot water in attached bathrooms, but many are run down as there was a hotel building rush a few years ago and now that the cable car operates most people do not spend the night in the village. In the quietest months most restaurants will be closed and food will consist of momos or daal bhat only.
In theory it is possible to walk from Gorkha to Manakamana, passing along the hill-top ridge through forest and paddy, although you would probably need a guide. When I tried to hire a guide for this walk two years ago, the would-be guides were concerned about swollen rivers. So probably this is a walk for the dry season, although it should be an exciting walk of about seven hours or so.

Added note: When the cable car opened in 1998 it was with the understanding that the local people would benefit. Numbers of people visiting the sacred temple have doubled but people walking up the path from Abu Khareini have dwindled to almost zero and scores of lodges and tea houses have lost almost all their business. Perhaps empowered by the Maoists' show of strength against big business, in late August 2001 people from the village stormed the cable car offices and destroyed the computers and ticketing machines. For the first time since they had started operating, the cable cars were silent for almost one week. Even though you can now buy only a return ticket on the cable car, you might like to consider walking up or down the path one way and buy a meal or stay overnight in a lodge en route to help the dwindling trade of people who built their business without the concept that a giant like a cable car industry could destroy them.

Muktinath

Muktinath, a sacred place both for Hindus as well as Buddhists, is located at an altitude of 3,710 meters at the foot of the Thorong La mountain pass (part of the Himalayas) , Mustang district, Kingdom of Nepal. The Hindus call the place Mukti Kshetra, which literally means the "place of salvation", while the Buddhists call it Chumig Gyatsa, which in Tibetan means 'Hundred Waters'. For Tibetan Buddhists Muktinath-Chumig Gyatsa is a place of Dakinis, goddesses known as Sky Dancers. It is of great importance for Buddhists that Chumig Gyatsa is one of the 24 Tantric places.



The shrine of Muktinath is considered one of the eight most sacred shrines for Hindu Vashanavites known as Svayam Vyakta Ksetras, the other seven being Srirangam, Sri Mushnam, Tirupati, Naimisaranyam, Thottadri, Pushkaram and Badrinath. The temple is very small. Muktinath is one of the most ancient Hindu temples of God Vishnu. Many people also claim the shrine to be a Buddhist shrine. The idol is of gold and is tall enough to compare with a man. The prakaram has 108 bull faces through which water is poured. It is freezing temperature. There is an Old Buddhist monk present in the temple.

Mustang

Mustang lies behind Annapurna and Dhaulagiri and geographically forms part of the Tibetan plateau. In 1992 the Government of Nepal allowed the first access.

The people of Mustang, Lobas, boast a long and proud history, their independent state dating back to the 5th Century A.D. In the 7th Century, Songtsen Gampo, most famous of all Tibetan kings, incorporated the land of Lo into his empire. Mustang only reappeared as an independent kingdom in 1430 when Gyalpo, ‘Precious Ruler’, Ame Pal founded a dynasty whose descendants survive to this day.

Mustang is an ancient kingdom with a colorful past. First mentioned in Ladakhi records in the seventh century, Mustang shared much of its history with Tibet to the North. Buddhism came to Mustang at about the same time as to the rest of Tibet. Legend says that before Padmasambhava (the founder of Tibetan Buddhism) could complete construction of Tibet's oldest monastery, Samye, he had to build the temple in Lo Ghekar in Mustang (see legend in the introduction). By the fourteenth century the great warrior Ame Pal became the ruler of Mustang and ushered in Mustang's golden age, which lasted for the next 200 years. Ame Pal built the majority of the capital city of Lo Manthang, including the palace and the four great temples in Lo Manthang. He also convinced the renowned Lama Ngorchen Kunga Sangpo, of the Sakya sect of Buddhism in Tibet, to come to Mustang numerous times in his lifetime. Lama Sangpo's attentions spawned an age of spiritual enlightenment in Mustang, resulting in the building of the many temples and monasteries that dot the Kingdom. By the fifteenth century Mustang had become a central power in Tibetan Buddhism

Rara Lake

In the western part of the country, this area is protected by the Rara National Park. At 106 sq km, it is the smallest national park of Nepal.

Rara is a good destination point for trekking in the west. The trail is very much "off the beaten path" and affords glimpses of culture and scenery very different from those in the rest of the country. The centerpiece of the park is the biggest lake of Nepal.

Along mountain paths and a series of picturesque villages, one reaches the magnificent banks of Rara lake. The park includes Trans- Himalayan valley with high ridges covered with forest and alpine pastures. Being among the local people with their distinctive culture and traditions, gives the visitor a unique experience and makes for a wonderful holiday. The primitive people give the trekker a look backward and a chance to reflect on his own modern society and development.

The great high mountains scenery enchants and fascinate as always. Like most of Nepal, Rara National Park is a naturalist's dream. Animals like the gaur, serow, musk deer, yellow-throated martin and a wide variety of birds such as the impeyan pheasant, kalij and dove are ever present.

Gosainkunda!

One of Nepal's most famous religious places of pilgrimage is Gosainkunda lake situated at an altitude of about 4360m. Surrounded by high mountains on the north and east, this lake is grand and picturesque. There are other nine famous lakes such as Saraswati, Bhairav, Sourya and Ganesh Kunda. Every year during Janai Purnima in August, thousands of Hindu pilgrims come here to lake holy bathe in the lake. The large rock in the center of the lake is said to be the remains of a Shiva shrine and it is also claimed that channel carries water from the lake directly to the tank at the Kumbheshwar Temple in Patan, 60 km to the south.
The best approach to Gosainkunda is through Dhunche, 132 kilometers north-east of Kathmandu. Dhunche is linked with Kathmandu by a motorable road. The trekking to Gosainkunda from Dhunche takes two days.
Gosainkunda Lake, a sacred lake for both the adherents of Hindu and Buddhist faiths, is also known for wonderful scenery. Ringed by high mountains on the northern and eastern sides, the lake offers a fascinating sight. In addition to its status as a place of religious importance, the Lake also offers stiff challenge to the trekkers.

Kagbeni

Kagbeni is situated in the valley of the Kali Gandaki, This river is one of three who cross the Himalayas. The Kali Gandaki was one of the major trading routes between Tibet and India. The traders brought the famous salt from Tibet and barley, spices and clothes from India. After the Chinese invasion in Tibet the trade came to an halt and many of the rich villages lost their revenue and later many people. Nowadays, there is again a some trade, but also now the income from Tourism.
Kagbeni is just a 2 hour side trek from the shortest route from Muktinath to Jomsom. But it is one of my favourite villages in the whole Annapurna region and it really a pity, if you miss it

Kagbeni means literally” bolt at the two rivers” and formerly controlled the trade. One can see this past as a fortified village, as all the houses are build in a common rectangle which a common outer wall and just three little entrance doors. The former fortress is nowadays in ruin

Phokshundo Lake

Dolpa is the largest district of Nepal is in the Mid-western part of the kingdom covers about 793230 hectors of the total land of the country. According to the census of 2001 A.D (2058 B.S) The total population of the district is 29584. about the naming of the district once there reach an English people called charka from tibet to Dho-Tarap village, by the same of the village Dho it become Dholpa later on the people used to say the same Dholpa as Dolpa. In Tibetan language Dolpa is famous as Tholbho.This district is very far from the capital of the country. Dolpa is very back from the development point of view. But Dolpa district is a natural collection of high passes, rare fauna and sweeping vistas. Which is enriched by the traditional Tibetan cultural heritage? Phoksundo the deepest lake of Nepal is also in the same district which is 650 m deep. The district Dolpa is also known as Caravan's district. The film named caravan was selected for Oscar award. words rare and valuable medical plants like panch ayule, guchhi chayu and yarshagumba are also available in this district.

Phoksundo Lake, also known as Phoksumdo Lake, is the deepest lake in Nepal.

Dolpo is an ancient Tibetan kingdom located in the north east part of Nepal. It was only opened to trekkers in 1990. The Himalayan range can be seen in all its splendor, and Phoksondo lake with the Ringmo village provide some of the most beautiful Nepalese scenery. We follow the ancient Tibetan salt caravan route, across two high passes and through the wilderness in one of Nepal’s most remote areas. In the Dolpo region the monsoon, created by the sea winds blowing from the Gulf of Bengal, is tempered by the Dhaulaghiri range and trekking is therefore also possible during the summer, a period during which flora explodes in all its splendor: orchids, edelweiss, campanules, forget-me-nots.

Phoksundo is also known as rigmo Lake. The lake is in the height of 3613m from the sea level. The total area of the lake is 6.78 square kilometer. The length of the lake is 4.8 km north to south and width of the lake is 1.6 km east to west. Phoksundo Lake is in phoksundo v.d.c except this lake there are so many other small lakes and ponds in dolpa. among them some are as follows. sundaha, khalital, sakudaha, chumkanatal etc.

Why is the phoksundo lake have an unearthly turquoise blue color?

Its located in one of Nepals many mountainous regions. It takes its colour due to the rock flour that enters it from the glaciers in the mountains. The glaciers grind the rocks to very fine particles and they create a turquoise blue colour while suspended in the water. Many glacial lakes have this characteristic.

Phewa Lake

Phewa lake is the second largest lake of Nepal and the largest lake of Pokhara Valley. IT is situated at an altitude of 784m at the western edge of Pokhara city near Baidam. It covers an area of about 4.43 sq km with an average depth of about 8.6m, maximum water depth is 19m. The maximum water capacity of the lake is estimated to be 46 million cubic meters. It lies in the valley of Harpan Khola which feeds the lake. On the southern mouth of the lake, at the crown of Pardi River, a dam is built which has nearly doubled the water level. The water of the lake is used for irrigation and electricity generation.
The lake is surrounded by Sarangkot and Kaskikot hills on the northern side. The hill running along the lake is Raniban (Queen of Forests) which is very rich in flora and fauna. Mammals like Common leopard, Bengal fox and Barking deer are common in this forest. It is a home of abundant avifauna also.
The first main attraction is the pagoda style temple in the lake which is the shrine of Barahi (Water Goddess). The next main attraction is the mirror image of mount Machhapuchhre and Annapurna range on the crystal clear water of the lake. The south - eastern side of the lake offers the best view. THere is facility of canoeing and fishing.
Phewa originally used to cover an area of 9 sq km but now has been reduced to 4.43 sq. km. Geologically the rocks of either side of Phewa are slate and quartzite and make anticline

structure along the axis of the lake.

The lake is the home of 17 species of native fish and 4 exotic species. The forest and lake is the habitat of 6 species of amphibians, 14 species of reptiles, 34 species of mammals and 104 species of birds. Out of 104 species of birds, 14 are migratory species.
The lake is linked with pitched vehicle road and boating facility is available.

Annapurna

Annapurna is a series of peaks in the Himalaya, a 55 km (34 mi)-long massif whose highest point, Annapurna I, stands at 8,091 m (26,538 ft), making it the 10th-highest summit in the world and one of the 14 "eight-thousanders". It is located east of a great gorge cut through the Himalaya by the Kali Gandaki River, which separates it from the Dhaulagiri massif. (Dhaulagiri I lies 34 km/21 mi west of Annapurna I.) Annapurna is a Sanskrit name which is translated as Goddess of the Harvests. In Hinduism, Annapurna is a goddess of fertility and agriculture and an avatar of Durga.

Annapurna I was the first 8,000-metre (26,200 ft) peak to be climbed. Maurice Herzog and Louis Lachenal, of a French expedition (including Lionel Terray, Gaston Rébuffat, Marcel Ichac, Jean Couzy, Marcel Schatz, Jacques Oudot, Francis de Noyelle), reached the summit on 3 June 1950. (See the documentary of the expedition "Victoire sur l'Annapurna" by Marcel Ichac).
The south face of Annapurna was first climbed in 1970 by Don Whillans and Dougal Haston, members of a British expedition led by Chris Bonington which included the alpinist Ian Clough, who was killed by a falling ice-pillar during the descent.

In 1978, The American Women's Annapurna Expedition, a team led by Arlene Blum, became the first American team to climb Annapurna I. The expedition was also remarkable for being composed entirely of women. Sadly, Alison Chadwick-Onyszkiewicz and Vera Watson died during this climb. (Vera Watson was the wife of computer scientist John McCarthy.)
On 3 February 1987, Polish climbers Jerzy Kukuczka and Artur Hajzer made the first winter ascent of Annapurna I. The Annapurna peaks are among the world's most dangerous mountains to climb, with a fatality rate of 40%.[1] As of 2005, only 103 successful summits have been made, for the loss of 56 lives, many to the avalanches for which the mountain is known. Climbers killed on the peak include famed Russian climber Anatoli Boukreev in 1997 and Christian Kuntner in 2005

Machhapuchhre (Fishtail) (6993m)

The shining peak of Machhapuchhre, which means "Fishtail" in Nepali, sits elegantly in the faint atmosphere of mist beyond the silhouette of a lone tree.
Machhapuchre as seen from the Pokhara region is in th center of the Annapurna Himal. It possesses a dignity and beauty which makes one forget it is not quite 7000m in elevation. Machhapuchhre exhibits the rare beauty that makes it one of the world's most famous peaks.

Mount Everest

Mount Everest, or Sagarmatha is the highest mountain on Earth, as measured by the height of its summit above sea level. The mountain, which is part of the Himalaya range in High Asia, is located on the border between Nepal and Tibet, China. By the end of the 2006 climbing season there had been 3,050 ascents to the summit by 2,062 individuals, and at least 630 more ascents in 2007.There have been more than 200 deaths on the mountain, where conditions are so difficult that most corpses have been left where they fell; some are visible from standard climbing routes.
Climbers range from experienced mountaineers to relative novices who count on their paid guides to get them to the top. This means climbers are a significant source of tourist revenue for Nepal, whose government also requires all prospective climbers to obtain an expensive permit, costing up to $25,000 (USD) per person.

Radhanath Sikdar, an Indian mathematician and surveyor from Bengal, was the first to identify Everest as the world's highest peak in 1852, using trigonometric calculations based on measurements of "Peak XV" (as it was then known) made with theodolites from 240 km (150 miles) away as part of the Great Trigonometric Survey of India. Measurement could not be made from closer due to a lack of access to Nepal. Peak XV was found to be exactly 29,000 feet (8,839 m) high, but was publicly declared to be 29,002 feet (8,840 m). The arbitrary addition of 2 feet (0.6 m) was to avoid the impression that an exact height of 29,000 feet was nothing more than a rounded estimate.
More recently, the mountain has been found to be 8,848 m (29,028 feet) high, although there is some variation in the measurements. The mountain K2 comes in second at 8,611 m (28,251 ft) high. On May 22, 2005, the People's Republic of China's Everest Expedition Team ascended to the top of the mountain. After several months' measurement and calculation, on October 9, 2005, the PRC's State Bureau of Surveying and Mapping officially announced the height of Everest as 8,844.43 m ± 0.21 m (29,017.16 ± 0.69 ft). They claimed it was the most accurate measurement to date.[9] This height is based on the actual highest point of rock and not on the snow and ice covering it. The Chinese team also measured a snow/ice depth of 3.5 m,[10] which is in agreement with a net elevation of 8,848 m. The snow and ice thickness varies over time, making a definitive height of the snow cap impossible to determine.


Everest was formed about 60 million years ago. It was named after Sir George Everest in 1865 ,the British surveyor-general of India. Once known as Peak 15. Its location is Latitude 27° 59' N.....Longitude 86° 56' E It's summit ridge seperates Nepal and Tibet. First ascent was done by May 29,1953 by Sir Edmund Hillary, NZ and Tenzing Norgay, NP, via the South Col Route. The most dangerous place is Khumbu Ice Fall-19 deaths.Highest cause of death is Avalanches-about a (2:1) ratio over falls.