PLACES OF INTEREST

KATHMANDU VALLEY

Once upon a time, Kathmandu valley was a big lake. And, according to the legend, the Buddhist God Manjushree sliced the small hill and drained the water of the lake and made it inhabitable. No doubt, The Newars are the indigenous inhabitants of the valley and the creators of the splendid civilization of its three cities- Kathmandu, Patan and Bhaktapur. Their art and architecture are of sheer magic that one stares for hours. Consequently, UNESCO has declared a world heritage sites to Kathmandu Durbar Square, Patan Durbar Square, Bhaktapur Durbar Square, Pashupatinath Temple, Boudhanath Stupa and Swyambhunath.

The profound religious culture based on a unique amalgamation of Hinduism and Buddhism is very interesting. Multi roofed temples, exquisite monasteries, stone carvings and wooden carvings, and the age-old traditions and religious festivals have kept Kathmandu valley with immense vivacity till today.

POKHARA VALLEY
(Far from the madding crowd)

It is said " If there is a paradise on earth, it begins from north to Pokhara." Obviously, on the lap of Annapurna Himalayan Range, Pokhara is blanketed with emerald blue lakes, green forests, deep gorges and underground waterfalls, caves, hills and rills. If Kathmandu is the cultural hub- Pokhara, a place of exhilarating beauty is to refresh and relax and to discover the mysterious creation of nature. Thousand of people from different part of the world come here just to awake the sleeping beauty.

　

ADVENTURE IN WILDERNESS

If you are a wildlife lover there are many conservation areas and national parks. Among them, Royal Chitwan National Park (a world natural site declared by UNESCO) is the most popular safari destination spreading in the area of 932 sq. km. The major attractions of the park are one- horned rhinoceros, royal Bengal tiger, Leopard, spotted deer, sloth bear, four horned antelope, gangetic dolphin and crocodile. The diverse ecology is a home to around 600 plant species, 50 mammal's species, 526 bird's species and 49 species of amphibians and reptiles. Sal trees (shorea robusta) and 11m tall elephant grass dominate the jungle. One can explore the wild world by foot, jeep drive, and dugout canoe or elephant back.

NAGARKOT / DHULIKHEL

Nagarkot lies 21 km and Dhulikhel lies 32 km to the east of Kathmandu at an altitude of 1900 m. and 1,440 m. respectively. Both places offers a splendid vantage point to take in the vista of the Himalayas. From this place unobstructed mountain views especially enthrall sightseers because the icy massifs appear very close. The spectacle of a Himalayan sunrise and the sunset too is equally dramatic with the sky turning red and orange for a spellbinding moment. Another joy of Dhulikhel is its cultural heritage. Being on the ancient caravan route to Lhasa, the town has a celebrated history as a trading center. Its glorious temples and religious sites are other part of interest.

HISTORICAL CITY 'GORKHA'

Situated on a hill overlooking the snowy peaks of Manslu himalayan range is a old palace known as Gorkha Durbar. Gorkha can be reached in about 5 hours by road from Kathmandu and just 3 hours from Pokhara. It is the birthplace of King Prithvi Narayan Shah the Great, the founder of Modern Nepal. There are two attractive temples of Gorakhnath and Kali inside the Palace premises. A side trip to Manakaman (Wish fulfilling Goddess) temple can be enjoyed on the way to Gorkha

JANAKPUR

Janakpur is famous nothing but Janaki temple which is fully dedicated to the Hindu goddess Sita. Visit to this city offers an excellent opportunity for visitors to learn about Mithila culture, and the people from this terai region. Janakpur is the capital of ancient state of Mithila and the Janaki temple. The goddess Sita (wife of God Ram) was born in Janakpur. Hindu pilgrims mostly from India and Nepal visit this region to pay their respect to Ram and Sita.

The marriage anniversary of Ram and Sita is observed every year here through a festival which is also observed throughout Nepal. In the Janakpur region, one of such festival is the enactment of the wedding ceremony, decorating temples and monuments, burning of oil-lamps surrounding the temple and other historical sites in the region. Throughout the festival there are drams in theaters and in open streets remaking the marriage ceremony of Ram and Sita.

LUMBINI (The Birthplace of Lord Buddha)

Lumbini, the birth place of Siddhartha Gautam, the shakya prince and the ultimate Buddha, the enlightened one, is the pilgrimage destination of the world's millions of Buddhists. UNESCO lists the nativity site and the Ashoka's pillar as a world heritage site. Mayadevi temple, sacred garden and the sacred pond (where queen Mayadevi had taken bath just before giving birth to the Buddha) are the major attractions of Lumbini. It is approximately 280 k.m from Kathmandu.

TANSEN (Beautiful hill resort)
Tansen is the most popular hill- resort in western Nepal on account of its position and climate. Situated at an altitude of 1343m, Tansen provides the most spectaculat panaromic mountain views from Dhaulagiri from the west to Gaurishankar in the east. It is on the way from Lumbini to Pokhara.