HAPPY AND PROSPEROUS 2016 TO ALL

Get More New Year Greetings

INDIAN NEIGHBOURS: NEPAL IV

In this last segment of my series on Nepal , I would be focusing on the natural beauty of this erstwhile Himalayan kingdom. Besides its famous Buddhist and Hindu sites , Nepal is famous for Mount Everest-The highest peak in the world. No wonder Nepal attracts a lot of adventurers and mountaineers who brave an attempt to this highest and ever challenging peak in the world.Not only adventurers and climbers, normal tourists also thrive to have a glimpse of the world’s highest mountain peak .

Everest

Aerial view of everest

Everest in sunlight

Nagarkot , which is located 32 kms, east of Kathmandu is known for its unrestricted view of the mountain range from Annapurna in the west to the mighty Everest in the East. It’s the closest place from Kathmandu from where one can have a glimpse of Everest. However, to be lucky to have a limpse of Everest, one needs a clear sky.        Other peaks of Annapurna however can be seen anytime and are a treat to the eye.

Nagarkot: waiting for siunrise

Nagarkot: sun about to rise

Historically, Nagarkot was a place for the royals of Nepal to escape the scorching heat of summer and a hectic city life. Today, people from all over World, from different walks of life, travel to Nagarkot, to enjoy the picturesque rural scenery of terraced rice fields, green pastures, the sunrise and sunsets and ofcourse to have a breath-taking view of the mighty Annapurna ranges and a glimpse of Everest.

Panoramic view of Annapurna range 

Pokhara is the second largest city of Nepal after Kathmandu. Three out of the ten highest mountains in the world —Dhaulagiri, Annapurna 1 and Mansalu  — are within a linear distance of 50 km from the city. The Macchapuchare (Fishtail) with an elevation of 6,993 m is the closest to the city. Due to its proximity to the Annapurna mountain range, the city is also a base for trekkers undertaking the Annapurna circuit. In this region the mountains rise very quickly and within 30 km, the elevation rises from 1,000 m to over 7,500 m. As a result of this sharp rise in altitude the area of Pokhara has one of the highest precipitation rates in Nepal.

Phewa lake , Pokhra

Phewa lake

Barahi temple in the middle of Phewa lake

The Seti Gandaki  or the white river ,is the main river flowing through the city. The Seti Gandaki, and its tributaries have created several gorges and canyons in and around the whole city which gives intriguingly long sections of terrace features to the city and surrounding areas. These long sections of terraces are interrupted by gorges which are hundreds of meters deep. The Seti gorge runs through the whole city from north to south and then west to east and at places these gorges are only a few metres wide.

View of  Dhaulagiri from Pokhra

Phewa lake at sunset

Pokhra is also called the city of lakes. In the south the city borders on  Phewa Tal at an elevation of about 827 m above sea level while in the north  at Lumle the city touches the base of the Annapurna mountain range. Pehwa lake is freshwater lake. There are many sightseeing spots in Pokhra .Phewa lake is the most popular and the most happening place in Pokhra. A good lake for boating. The boat ride to the Tal Barahi temple situated at the centre of the lake is an experience in itself. Tal Barahi is the most important religious monument of Pokhara. This two-storied pagoda is believed to be dedicated to Lord Vishnu. Mostly it gets crowded on weekends. Boating in Pehwa lake and the visit to this temple is a must in Pokhra.

Nepalese folk dance 

Baidam is the eastern bank of Phewa lake and is also known as Lakeside. This part contains endless strip of hotels, lodges, restaurants, bookshops and souvenir shops. This side is one of the best known tourist area of nepal. It is also the starting point of the tour to Pokhara. There are lot of activities taking place and one can see a lot of foreign tourist roaming around. There are variety of restaurants serving local Nepali and Indian foods besides Thai, continental and fast foods. The restaurants are nicely decorated and offer local dance and music during the night.

A view of the market at Pokhra

Davis fall: Davis Falls is a waterfall located in Pokhra and a majot tourist attraction of the region.The water forms an underground tunnel after reaching the bottom. This tunnel is approximately 500 feet and runs 100 feet below ground level. In 1961, a Swiss couple Davi went swimming but the woman drowned in a pit because of the overflow. Her body was recovered 3 days later in river Phusre. Her father wished to name it "Davi's falls" after her. Its Nepali name is Patale Chango, which means "underworld waterfall".After exiting the tunnel, the water passes through a cave called Gupteshwor Mahadev or "cave beneath the ground".

Davis fall

Gupteshwar cave:  This cave is the significant cave of Pokhara and a major tourist attraction. The cave is divided into 2 parts -the first one is 40metre long.it is the main natural cave .Here we can see the temple of lord shiva.The second part of this cave is longer and dark too .This part goes downside part of Davis fall and one can view the fall too.

Inside Gupteswar cave

Mahendra cave and the Bat cave: Mahendra cave is also one of the major tourist attraction in Pokhara. It is located at Batulechaur, just a few kilometers away from the Pokhra town As, the name suggests, it is named after the name of the Late king Mahendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev. The cave itself is amazing and we can see the various natural shapes and images of the various hindu god and goddess on the stone made of the lime. Here, for the safety measures, electricity is provided through out the cave and additional torch and emergency lights can be taken for the convinence. The area is surrounded by the community forest at the hillside and at the end of road there flows the small river called the Kali Khola.

Inside view of bat cave

Just a ten minutes walk from the Mahendra Cave, there lies a another cave named the Bat Cave. In Nepali language, it is also called Chameri Gufa. As the name suggests, it is named after the bats as there is the prevalence or the habitats of the bats over the cave's wall and the ceilings. The cave is made of up the limestone and there is the provision of the torch and the emergency lights for the view of the cave. Also, there is the provision of the guides for the assistance. Apart from it's attraction, it is also rich in greenery as the surroundings of  the cave is covered by the forest.

Bindhyabasini temple: Standing atop a hill, this temple is the most popular and most visited place in Pokhra.The white pagoda style temple gives a good view of the town as well as the Annapurna and Macchipucchare ranges. The temple is located in the busy old Bazar area .The temple is dedicated to goddess Durga who appears in the form of Saligram here. The temple dates back to 1845 AD.

 

Bindhyavasini temple at Pokhra

Sarangkot: Sarangkot is a village near Pokhra and famous for sunrise and sun set views. The village is located on a mountainside ridge at an altitude of 1600m with panoramic Himalayan views. From Sarangkot, on the northern direction we can see Dhawalagiri in the far west . Annapurna range is visible when the weather is clear on the same side. On the southern direction the village overlooks the city of Pokhara and its lake on the north-western outskirts of the city. Sarangkot can be reached easily by 45 minutes by a car ride to the top from Pokhara and then 45 minutes hike up to the main view point. Many tourists come to Sarangkot for sunrise view and go back after few hours but it will be good if tourist stay there for one night and enjoy the view and city light of Pokhara from Sarangkot. Paragliding can also be done from Sarangkot

INDIAN NEIGHBOURS:NEPAL III

Hindu Pilgrimage sites in Nepal

Nepal was the only Hindu kingdom in the world till the establishment of democracy in Nepal. The country has innumerable Hindu temples .Similar to four Dhams –the holiest sites of Hinduism in India, Nepal too has holy places termed as kshetras , which are to be found at four locations in Nepal. These are the Pashupat Kshetra, Mukti Kshetra, Ruru Kshetra and Baraha Kshetra.

Pashupat Kshetra is the place of the famous temple of Lord Pashupatinath in Kathmandu. Mukti Kshetra in Mustang has the famous Vishnu temple, also revered by Tibetan speaking Buddhists as Avalokiteshwar. This place, from where the river Kali Gandaki originates, is also well known for the shaligram, a kind of fossil revered by the Hindus as the manifestation of Lord Vishnu in stone form. Ruru Kshetra is located at Ridi near Tansen in the western hills where the Kali Gandaki River flowing north-south changes its course of flow in the easterly direction. Baraha Kshetra is situated in Sunsari district in the east where the mighty Sapta Kosi River emerges from its mountainous journey to make its descent into the plains.

Besides Buddha, Nepal is the birthplace of Sita, the consort of Ram of the epic Ramayana, in Janakpur, and Ved Vyas, the great sage and author of the epic Mahabharata, in Tanahu district on the banks of the Madi River.

Some of the most famous and holy Hindu sites worth visiting in Nepal , which I was fortunate to visit except Janakpur  are described below. Although , I didnt have time to visit Janakpur, I mention it also due to its importance . Ofcourse the source of information about Janakpur is internet.

Pashupatinath, or Pashupati, is a Hindu temple on the banks of the Bagmati River in Deopatan, a village 3 km northwest of Kathmandu. It is dedicated to a manifestation of Shiva called Pashupati (Lord of Animals). It attracts thousands of pilgrims each year and has become well known far beyond the Kathmandu Valley. The temple is barred to non-Hindus, but a good view of the temple can be had from the opposite bank of the river. It is not known for certain when Pashupatinath was founded. Tradition says it was constructed by Pashupreksha of the Somadeva Dynasty in the 3rd century BC, but the first historical records date from the 13th century. The ascetic Pashupata sect was likely related to its foundation.

According to a legend recorded in local texts, especially the Nepalamahatmya and the Himavatkhanda, the Hindu god Shiva once fled from the other gods in Varanasi to Mrigasthali, the forest on the opposite bank of the Bagmati River from the temple. There, in the form of a gazelle, he slept with his consort Parvati. When the gods discovered him there and tried to bring him back to Varanasi, he leapt across the river to the opposite bank, where one of his horns broke into four pieces. After this, Shiva became manifest as Pashupati (Lord of Animals) in a four-face (chaturmukha) linga.

Pashaputi Temple's extensive grounds include many other old and important temples, shrines and statues. South of the temple, for instance, is Chadeshvar, an inscribed Licchavi linga from the 7th century, and north of the temple is a 9th-century temple of Brahma. On the south side of Pashupati temple is the Dharmashila, a stone where sacred oaths are taken, and pillars with statues of various Shah kings.

The Bagmati River, which runs next to Pashaputinath Temple, has highly sacred properties. Thus the banks are lined with many ghats (bathing spots) for use by pilgrims. Renovating or furnishing these sites has always been regarded as meritorious. Arya Ghat, dating from the early 1900s, is of special importance because it is the only place where lustral water for Pashupatinath Temple can be obtained and it is where members of the royal family are cremated. The main cremation site is Bhasmeshvar Ghat, which is the most-used cremation site in the Kathmandu Valley. We could see the burning corpse and the sight was very depressing .

Budhanilkantha temple is one of the famous Hindu pilgrimages of Nepal. Budhanilkantha means “old blue throat” and Ananta has 11 hooded heads. This temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu. In this temple a deity of Lord Vishnu who is also known as Narayan is located on Jalasayana which means sitting on an Ananta Sea. It is said that deity of Lord Vishnu which is situated in the temple is about 1000 years old. The deity of Lord Vishnu is so fascinating as the deity is 17ft i.e. is 5m long which is located on the tank that is 43ft i.e. 13 m long the deity is looked like it is floating with the crossed leg of Lord Vishnu. The eye catching deity has four hands holding four symbols one is conch-shell, chakra the disc, club and lotus flower. In the Licchavi Period in 7th and 8th century this deity was carved in this temple.

 Along with this deity three more images were carved in this temple during same time period. One image is at famous Budhanilkantha which is original and important, next is at Balaju Gardens and last one is at famous Royal Place in Kathmandu. At Budhanilkantha temple Hindu’s used to step down to touch the feet of Lord Vishnu Deity, but foreigners cannot. It is believed that if the Nepal King sees the deity at Budhanilkantha then he will die immediately this is the reason the deity which is located at Budhanilkantha is not seen by Nepal King but he can see other two famous deities.

Guheshwari Devi temple is dedicated to Adi Shakti and is one of the Shakti Peetha . It is believed that this temple is the Shakti peeth of Pasupatinath Temple. The goddess is also called Guhyekali and is also an important pilgrimage destination for Tantric worshipers besides being an important Shakti peeth for hindus.

The temple name originates from the Sanskrit words Guhya (Secret) and Ishwari (Goddess). In Lalitha Sahasranama mentions  ‘Guhyarupini’-the form of Goddess that is beyond human perception and hence is a secret. 

The origin of Shakti peeth lies in the mythology where when Shiva was insulted by his father in law, Sati Devi was so angry that she jumped into flames of yagya ( fire worship), an event which gave rise to the practice of Sati, or self-immolation. Shiva was grief-stricken and picked up her corpse and began to wander about as her body parts fell to the earth. The temple marks the spot where her yoni fell; guhya means vagina and ishwari means goddess. The goddess is worshipped at the centre of the temple in a kalasha (water jar) that is covered with a layer of silver and gold. The temple stands at the centre of a courtyard and is topped with four gilded snakes that support the finial roof. Shakti Peethas are places that are believed to have enshrined with the presence of Shakti due to the falling of body parts of the corpse of Sati Devi, when Lord Shiva carried it and wandered throughout Aryavartha in sorrow. This temple is also revered by Tantric practitioners and Tantric rites are performed in this temple. The temple is also mentioned in the Kali tantra, Chandi tantra, Shiva tantra Rahasya as one of the most important places for gaing the power of tantra.

Manakamana temple is suited in Gorkha District of Nepal ans is  94 kilometers from Pokhara and 106 kilometers from Kathmandu. Couple of years before it took 5 hours trek to reach the Manakamana Temple. But now a days Cable car is operating. The temple is dedicated to Godess Bhagwati-the incarnation of Parvati. The temple is located on a distinguished ridge 1,302 metres (4,272 ft) above sea level and overlooks the river valleys of Trisuli in the south and Marsyangdi in the west. The spectacular views of the Manaslu- Himachali and Annapurna ranges can be seen to the north of the temple

Changu Narayan temple: Perched atop a narrow ridge due north of Bhaktapur, the beautiful and historic temple of Changu Narayan is a living museum of carvings from the Licchavi period. The temple is a Unesco World Heritage Site and rightly so, because the statues, and the temple itself, are genuine works of art. The temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu and is the oldest temple in Nepal. The pagoda style temple has several masterpieces of 5th and 12th century Nepalese art. According to legends Changu Narayan temple existed as early as 325 A.D. in the time of King Licchavi King Hari Datta Verma and it is one of Nepal's richest structures historically as well as artistically. In the grounds there is a stone pillar inscription of great importance recording the military exploits of King Man Deva who reigned from 496 A.D. to 524 A.D. The first epigraphic evidence of Nepalese history found in the temple premises during the reign of the Licchavi King Mandeva dating back to 464 A.D. shows that Changu had already been established as a sacred site in the 3rd century A.D. It is the earliest inscription known in Nepal.

Janaki Mandir is dedicated to Sita –the consort of Lord Rama and is located in Janakpur and believed to be the site where Sita was born. The temple was constructed in 1874 and is a blend of Mughal and local architecture. The temple is a three-storey building and has 60 rooms, making it the largest temple in Nepal. The temple houses an idol of Sita which was found near Ayodhya, the kingdom of Ram. The marriage anniversary of Lord Rama and Sita is celebrated in Janakpur every year on Vivah Panchami day which falls in December.

In the southwest corner of Janaki Mandir is the Vivah Mandap, which has been built at the site where the marriage of Ram and Sita is said to have been taken place. Another well-known temple in the vicinity is Ram Mandir, built in pagoda style, and hence is different from the other temples in Janakpur which generally bear resemblance to Mughal architecture. It houses a female statue, said to be of Yogamaya, which has the reputation of being one of the most beautiful images of female forms in Nepal. Other holy sites of interest include the Laxman Temple, Sankat Mochan Temple and Hanuman Temple.

Dhanushdham is situated  18 km north-east of Janakpur and  is believed to be the place where the broken remains of the divine Shiva bow fell after Ram broke it to obtain Sita's hand in marriage. A fossilized fragment of the broken piece is still believed to be present here. Every Sunday in the month of Magh (January/ February), a Makar Mela (fair) takes place - a tradition that has not been broken since Vedic times - and tens of thousands devotees from Nepal and India flock here to pay homage to this place.

Indian Neighbours: Nepai II

Buddhist sites

Lumbini: Lumbinī , which means ‘ the lovely’ in sanskrit is the Buddhist pilgrimage site in the Rupandehi District of Nepal. It is the place where, according to Buddhist tradition, Queen Mayadevi gave birth to Siddhartha Gautama(the Buddha) in 623 BC. It is a world heritage site now.

I was very excited about the visit having visited Sarnath earlier and Kapilvastu was in my itinerary. Visit to Bodhgaya and Kushinagar will complete the famous ‘Buddhist Circuit”.  I was a bit disappointed to see the underdeveloped state of this town which gave to the world Buddha and Buddhism. A local rickshaw puller told that the place was till a couple of years back was a small ruin amidst the agriculture fields with cows roaming around. However, with lot of international initiatives the place now is undergoing massive construction activities and in a couple of years from now, I am sure this holy place will get the look that it truly deserves.

Lumbini currently has a number of temples, including the Mayadevi Temple and several others which are still under construction. Many monuments, monasteries and a museum — the Lumbini International Research Institute — are also located within the holy site. Also located there is the Puskarini or Holy Pond where the Buddha's mother took the ritual dip prior to his birth and where he, too, had his first bath. At other sites near Lumbini, earlier Buddhas were, according to tradition, born, achieved ultimate Enlightenment and finally relinquished their earthly forms.

Mayadevi Temple

Maya Devi temple is the major attraction being the birth place of Buddha. The Lumbini Temple marks the exact spot of the Buddha's birth. It sits over a slab of stone on which his mother grasped a branch of a tree during the birth. Coincidentally, the other three sacred sites mark an occurrence in Buddha's life that also happened under a tree.

Birth spot of Buddha

Asokan Pillar

A pillar now marks the spot of Ashoka's visit to Lumbiní. According to an inscription on the pillar, it was placed there by the people then in charge of the park to commemorate Ashoka's visit and gifts.The park was previously known as Rummindei, .In the Sutta Nipáta (vs. 683) it is stated that the Buddha was born in a village of the Sákyans in the Lumbineyya Janapada and  stayed in Lumbinívana during his visit to Devadaha and there preached the Devadaha Sutta.

This Bodhi tree is located opposite the Mayadevi pond in Lumbini. "Bodhi Tree", which is also known as Bo, is actually a term used for the very old fig tree where The Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama, is said to have sat under when he achived spiritual enlightenment in India. Such a stage of enlightenment is known as Bodhi.

Today the term Bodhi Tree has been given to several important trees in Buddhism. It is said that the term Bo Gaha in Sinhalese means "Tree of Wisdom". The Bodhi tree in Lumbini is often confused with a Sal or Ashokan tree that Queen Mayadevi is said to have given birth to the Buddha under.

Next to this temple is a sacred pool where Maya Devi is said to have bathed before the birth. The newborn Buddha also reputedly had his purification bath in this pool. The pool is fed by the Ol River, and it was on the banks of the river that Furher found what he called a "flawless stone" placed there by Ashoka to mark the exact spot of the birth. The stone is now under the current temple, and a sacred bodhi tree grows next to the pool

Boudhanath or Bodnath Stupa is the largest stupa in Nepal and is the holiest Tibetan Buddhist temple outside Tibet. It is the center of Tibetan culture in Kathmandu and rich in Buddhist symbolism. The Stupa was probably was probably built in the 14th century after the Mughal invasions. After the arrival of thousands of Tibetans following the 1959 Chinese invasion, the temple has become one of the most important centers of Tibetan Buddhism. Today it remains an important place of pilgrimage and meditation for Tibetan Buddhists and local Nepalis, as well as a popular tourist site.

From above, the Stupa looks like a giant mandala, or diagram of the Buddhist cosmos. And as in all Tibetan mandalas, four of the Dhyani Buddhas mark the cardinal points, with the fifth, Vairocana, enshrined in the center of the stupa. The five Buddhas also personify the five elements namely the earth, water, fire, air and ether, which are represented in the stupa's architecture. The nine levels of Stupa also represent the mythical Mt. Meru - the center of the cosmos; and the 13 rings from the base to the pinnacle symbolize the path to enlightenment, or "Bodhi" — hence the stupa's name.

At the bottom, the stupa is surrounded by an irregular 16-sided wall, with beautiful frescoes. In addition to the Five Dhyani Buddhas, Boudhanath Stupa is closely associated with the Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara (Padmapani), whose 108 forms are depicted in sculptures around the base. The mantra of Avalokiteshvara - Om Mani Padme Hum - is carved on the prayer wheels beside the images of Avalokiteshvara around the base of the stupa.

Swayambunath Stupa : The stupa is located atop a hill on the western edge of the Kathmandu Valley. It is also known to the tourists as  the Monkey Temple.The sleepy, all-seeing Buddha eyes that stare out from the top have become the quintessential symbol of Nepal. When this temple was founded about 2,000 years ago, Kathmandu Valley was filled with a great lake. According to Buddhist legend, a single perfect lotus grew in the center of the lake. When the bodhisattva Manjusri drained the lake with a slash of his sword, the lotus flower settled on top of the hill and magically transformed into the stupa. Thus it is known as the Self-Created (swayambhu) Stupa.The earliest written record of the Swayambunath Stupa's existence is a 5th-century stone inscription and thus Swayambunath is one of Nepal's oldest Buddhist temples.

The primary approach to the temple is from the eastern side, where 365 ancient steps lead up the steep forested hillside. The base is about a 20-minute walk from the center of Kathmandu. This staircase is the only route pilgrims would consider and is the most memorable way for any visitor to experience the stupa. However, an alternative is to drive or take a taxi to the west side, where there are only a few steps to climb to the top. The staircase is presided over by three painted Buddha statues from the 17th century near the base; another group further up are from the early 20th century.

Strewn along the staircase are numerous mani stones, inscribed with the Tibetan mantra Om mani padme hum ("Hail to the jewel in the lotus"). Merchants sell smaller versions of the stones to tourists. The stairs run through a beautiful forest, which is populated with the hundreds of monkeys that give the temple its nickname.

The central buildings and decorations of Swayambhunath are rich with Buddhist symbolism. The whitewashed dome of the main stupa represents the womb of creation, with a phallic complement in the square tower. Rising from the tower is a spire made of 13 golden disks, representing the steps to enlightenment. The umbrella on top symbolizes enlightenment itself.  It is also believed that it contains a bowl of precious stones.

The famous Buddha eyes gazing out sleepily from each side of the tower (oriented to the four cardinal directions) are those of the all-seeing Primordial Buddha. Between each of the pairs of eyes is a symbol that looks like a question mark - this is the Nepali number "1" and represents the unity of all things. Gold plaques rising above the eyes like a crown depict the Five Dhyani Buddhas, celestial buddhas who are associated with the five senses, the four cardinal directions plus the center, and many other symbolic groups of five.

Northwest of the main stupa is another important shrine, associated with a fascinating legend. Shantipur is a small, plain, box-shaped temple said to contain a great treasure - a living holy man who has been meditating in there for 1500 years. Legend has it that Shanti Shri, who lived in the 5th century, locked himself in a vault beneath the temple, vowing to remain there until the Kathmandu Valley needed him. Entering a mystic state, he has achieved immortality and remains there to help the local people when needed.

In 1658, King Pratap Mella descended into the chamber alone to seek Shanti Shri's help with a drought. The king reported making his way through several underground rooms, each more frightening than the last. The first contained large bats and hawks, the second was home to hungry ghosts that clutched at him in agony, and the third was full of snakes that chased him until he pacified them with milk. The king found the saint in the last room, skinny as a skeleton but still alive and meditating. Shanti Shri presented the king with a mandala, which brought the needed rain.