Nepal
Culture Treks & Tours
KATHMANDU
Kathmandu,
the capital of Nepal resembles a medieval city. It is a city
of temples and shrines and living Gods, where worship of God
and Goddesses is a legend and public part of daily life. The
Pagoda was invented here which was later exported to China
and Japan. The top attractions of Kathmandu include the Durbar
Square that is the heart of the city. The square has more
than 50 Temples and shrines within a few blocks of one another
Durbar means "King" and it was from the Royal Palace
on the square that the kings of Nepal once ruled.
BOUDHNATH
One
of the world’s largest stupa, Boudha is generally
acknowledged to be the most important Tibetan Buddhist monument
outside Tibet. Tibetans simply call it CHORTEN CHEMPO "Great
Stupa". It has now become the Mecca of Tibetan exiles
in Nepal. Walking around Boudhnath one often fins men wearing
long braids wrapped around their heads. Many of these pilgrims
carry their own prayer wheels, which they spin incessantly.
PATAN CITY
Also
known, as Lalitpur is famous for metalworkers. It is 6 Kms
Southeast of Kathmandu City across the southern bank of
River Bagmati. Patan is the ideal place to shop cast metal
figures of Buddhist and Hindu deities. Within the courtyard
of the Temple of 1000 Buddha’s there are several more
metalworkers’ shop.
PASHUPATINATH
The
temple of Pashupatinath is dedicated to Lord Shiva and is
situated 5 Kms East of Kathmandu on the banks of sacred
Bagmati River. It is a pagoda style temple with a gilt roof
and richly carved silver doors. During the festival of Shivratri,
held in the month of February or March thousand of pilgrims
from all over Nepal and India descend on Pashupatinath.
BHADGAON CITY
Bhadgaon ( Bhaktapur) is the home of medieval, art and
architecture lies 14 Kms east of Kathmandu City. It is also
known as the wood carving capital of Nepal. The main square
of the city contains innumerable temples and other architectural
showpieces like the Lion Gate the palace of 55 Windows,
the Batsala Temple.
POKHARA
Pokhara is situated 200 Kms South West of Kathmandu and
is the starting and/or finishing point for some of the popular
treks including the Annapurna Circuit and the Jomsom Trek
.It also offers a number of short treks for those who cannot
opt for long and challenging ones. The most popular among
them is Sarangkot (1592 m), a former Kaski fort lying atop
a hill five km west of the old bazaar.
The scenic valley of Pokhara is an enormous sunlit playground
covered by green forested hills, waterfalls, and terraced
fields. It s three lakes Phew,Begnas and Rupa further enhance
the beauty of the valley at 900 m. Pokhara also offers excellent
views of Dhaulagiri, Himalchuli, the five peaks of Annapurna
and Machapuchare.
There are regular flights of Royal Nepal - the national
carrier, Necon Air and Nepal Airways to Pokhara.
PLACES TO VISIT:
Devi’s Fall, Pokhara Museum, Phewa Lake, The Old Bazaar,
Gupteswar Gupha, Mahendra Gupha (Cave).
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LUMBINI
Lumbini is the birthplace of Siddhartha Gautam, the Shakya
prince, the eventual Shakyamuni and the ultimate Buddha-
the Enlightened One. At the time his birth of the prince
the city was a part of the kingdom of Kapilvastu.
The main attraction of the city is the Sacred Garden, spread
over 08 Sq. Kms and possesses all the treasures of the historic
area. In the gardens that surrounds the ruins, there is
a bo tree where Siddhartha Gautama gained enlightenment
and became Buddha.
To the west of the Mayadevi Temple, stands the Ashoka Pillar
which was erected by Emperor Ashoka in 249 BC to commemorate
his pilgrimage to the sacred site. The inscription on it
in Brahmi script proves Lumbini as the place where the Buddha
was born in 623 B.C. To the south of the Pillar one finds
the sacred pond- Puskarni – the place where Queen
Mayadevi took a bath just before giving birth to the Buddha.
GETTING THERE
The nearest airport is Bhairawa, which is 22 Kms from Kathmandu.
There are regular flights from Kathmandu.
The city is also accessible by road from major cities like
Kathmandu, Pokhara.and Gorakhpur in India.
BHUTAN