My Visit to Nepal 2nd to 9th November 2011 Prof R.R.Mahitcha

The Kingdom of Nepal is a landlocked country situated between India and China's Tibetan Autonomous region. The Himalayas fall within the country's boundaries, thus Nepal is well known for its mountainous and hilly topography. Nepal is home to the magnificent Mount Everest, the world's tallest mountain. - enchanting Kanchenjunga peak awesome Dhaulagiri range and breath taking Annapurna The fascinating geography of Nepal contributes greatly to the country's wonder and touristic appeal.

MOUNT EVERST

Seven of the world's above eight thousand meter peaks are in Nepal or on its border with China: Lhotse, Makalu, Cho Oyu, Kanchenjunga, Dhaulagiri, Annapurna and Manaslu.

INTRODUCTION Nepal is one of the richest countries in the world in terms of bio- diversity due to its unique geographical position and altitudinal variations .The elevation of the country ranges from 60m above sea level to the highest point in the earth, Mt Everest at 8,848m

NEPAL INFORMATION Location: Situated between Tibetan Autonomous Region of the Peoples Republic of China in the north and India in the South, East and West. Capital: Kathmandu Population: 23.1 million People: Nepal has more than 101 ethnic groups and 92 spoken languages Language: Nepali is the official language of Nepal. However, English is understood and spoken by majority of people in Kathmandu valley and other major cities. Time: 5 hours 45 minutes ahead of GMT and 15 minutes ahead of Indian Standard Time Religion: Main religion in Nepal is Hinduism. However Buddhism, Islam and Christian religions are followed by some people. All religions even in minority have co-existed amicably in Nepal for ages. Climate ranges from Tropical in the lowlands to arctic higher altitudes Monsoon: June to August. However, most of the northern belts of Trans-Himalayan Zones are in the rain-shadow which provides rain free trekking. Topography: From the worlds deepest gorge Kaligandaki to Mt. Everest, the highest point on earth.

NEPAL From the highest mountain in the world to dense forests that are home to a rich and wide variety of wildlife and fauna, within this spectacular geography is also one of the richest cultural landscapes anywhere.

NEPAL Nepal is also home to a rich cultural heritage and it offers an astonishing diversity of sightseeing attractions and adventure opportunities like trekking and mountaineering found nowhere else on earth.

What is Nepal ? Nepal's acronym of Never Ending Peace And Love, does well to characterize this small nation of good natured and accommodating people Land of majestic Himalayan scenery comprising eight of the world's ten highest mountains, including Mt Everest. Country filled with many different ethnic groups, customs and traditions reflected in a wonderfully diverse geography.

What is special about Nepal ? the world (Everest-8848m) The highest mountain peak in The deepest river gorge in the world (Kali Gandaki River) The birthplace of Lord Buddha (Lumbini) The Living Goddess (Kumari) who is worshipped and taken in a chariot procession annually Tradition of goat sacrifice is still continued The non-rectangular flag. The best place in the world to study Tibetan Buddhism The largest selection of books on the Himalayas Largest museum of mountaineering Kathmandu the capital city with as many idols as men and as many temples as houses A hotel in Everest National park at an altitude of 3870m, claimed to be the highest hotel in the world (Hotel Everest View)

What is special about Nepal ? Is also one of the worlds great trekking paradise and probably the finest country in the world for mountaineering Contains one of the ten best rivers in the world for rafting It has such a concentration of art, culture and tradition in the Kathmandu valley which cannot be found anywhere else in the world Is one of the few countries of the world where you can see one horned Rhinos Great elephant breeding centre

Wonderful Nepal ! Nepal-occupying only 0.1% of the earth is home to 2% of all the flowering plants in the world. 8% of the worlds population of birds (more than 848 species) 4% of mammals on earth 11 of the worlds 15 families of butterflies (more than 500 species) 600 indigenous plant families 319 species of exotic orchids

Seasons in Nepal Nepal has four major seasons Winter ( December February) Spring ( March May) Summer (June August) Autumn (September November)

Kathmandu Kathmandu is the capital and, with close to one million inhabitants, the largest metropolitan city of Nepal. The city is the urban core of the Kathmandu Valley in the Himalayas, which contains two sister cities: Lalitpur (Patan)and Bhaktapur

Kathmandu The city stands at an elevation of approximately 1,400 meters (4,600 ft) in the bowl-shaped valley in central Nepal surrounded Kathmandu, as the gateway to Nepal Tourism, is the nerve centre of the countrys economy. With the most advanced infrastructure among urban areas in Nepal, Kathmandu's economy is tourism centric accounting for 3.8% of the GDP in 1995 96

Kathmandu Kathmandu was ruled by Licchavis and Mallas. The city grew largely during this time. Most of the historic temples, monasteries and buildings were built during this era. The city served as an important transit point in the trans-Himalayan trade between India and China

BHAKTAPUR Durbar Square Bhaktapur Durbar Square is a conglomeration of pagoda and shikhara-style temples grouped around a fifty-five window palace of brick and wood. The square is one of the most charming architectural showpieces of the Valley as it highlights the ancient arts of Nepal. The golden effigies of the kings perched on the top of stone monoliths, the guardian deities looking out from their sanctuaries, the wood carvings in every place struts, lintels, uprights, tympanums, gateways and windows all seem to form a well-orchestrated symphony. The main items of interest in the Durbar Square are:

BHAKTAPUR The Golden Gate: The Golden Gate is said to be the most beautiful and richly molded specimen of its kind in the entire world. The door is surmounted by a figure of the goddess Kali and Garuda (mythical man-bird) and attended by two heavenly nymphs. It is also embellished with monsters and other mythical creatures of marvellous intricacy. In the words of Percy Brown, an eminent English art critic and historian, the Golden Gate is "the most lovely piece of art in the whole Kingdom; it is placed like a jewel, flashing innumerable facets in the handsome setting of its surroundings." The gate was erected by King Ranjit Malla and is the entrance to the main courtyard of the palace of fifty-five windows.

BHAKTAPUR The Lion Gate: Dating as far back as 1696 A.D., this gate is guarded on either side by two huge statues of lions. Alongside there are two stone images of Bhairav (the dreadful aspect of Shiva) and Ugrachandi (the consort of Shiva in her fearful manifestation).[2]

BHAKTAPUR The Palace of Fifty-five Windows: This magnificent Palace was built during the reign of King Yaksha Malla in 1427 A.D., and was subsequently remodelled by King Bhupatindra Malla in the seventeenth century. Among the brick walls, with their gracious setting and sculptural design, is a balcony of fifty-five windows, considered to be a unique masterpiece of woodcarving.[2] The Picture Gallery: The Picture Gallery is of considerable value which contains ancient paintings belonging to the Hindu and Buddhist Tantrism of various periods and descriptions. This gallery is open everyday except Tuesday.[2]

BHAKTAPUR The Statue of King Bhupatindra Malla: This statue showing King Bhupatindra Maila in the act of worship, can be seen placed on a column facing the palace. Of the square's many statues, this is considered to be the most magnificent.[2] Batsala Temple: The stone temple of Batsala Devi depicts many intricate carvings; however, it is most famous for its bronze bell, known to local residents as "the bell-of barking dogs," as when it is rung, all dogs in the vicinity begin barking and howling! The colossal bell was hung by King Ranjit Malla in 1737 A.D. and was used to sound the daily curfew. It is nowadays rung every morning when goddess Taleju is worshipped.[2] The Pashupati Temple: This temple is a replica of the famous temple by the Bagmati river in Kathmandu and is widely noted for the erotic carvings on its struts. 11 was built by King Yakshya Malla.[2]

PASHUPATINATH Pashupatinath Temple is one of the most sacred Hindu temples of Lord Shiva in the world, located on the banks of the Baghmati River in the eastern part of Kathmandu, The temple is served as the seat of the national deity, Lord Pashupatinath, Nepal is a secular Hindu country . The temple is listed in UNESCO World Heritage Sites list. The temple is one of the 275 Paadal Petra Thalamus Hindus alone are allowed to enter the temple premises. Non-Hindu visitors are allowed to have a look at the temple from the other bank of Bagmati river.

PASHUPATINATH Pashupati Temple stands in the center of the town of Deopatan, in the middle of an open courtyard. It is a square, two-tiered pagoda temple built on a single-tier plinth, and it stands 23.6 meters above the ground. Richly ornamented gilt and silver-plated doors are on all sides. On both sides of each door are niches of various sizes containing gold-painted images of guardian deities. Inside the temple itself is a narrow ambulatory around the sanctum. The sanctum contains a one-meter high linga with four faces (chaturmukha) representing Pashupati, as well as images of Vishnu, Surya, Devi and Ganesh.

PASHUPATINATH TEMPLE

PASHUPATINATH TEMPLE The Bagmati River, which runs next to Pashaputinath Temple, has highly sacred RIVER. The river banks are lined with many ghats for use by pilgrims 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 The separate bathing spot for women is the Gauri Ghat.

Swayambhunath The Swayambhunath complex consists of a stupa, a variety of shrines and temples, some dating back to the Licchavi period. A Tibetan monastery, museum and library are more recent additions. The stupa has Buddha's eyes and eyebrows painted on. Between them, there is something painted which looks like the nose - but is the Nepali symbol of 'unity. There are also shops, restaurants and hostels. The site has two access points: a long stairway, claimed to have 365 steps, leading directly to the main platform of the temple, which is from the top of the hill to the east

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LUMBIMI Lumbin is a Buddhist pilgrimage site in Nepal. It is the place where Queen Mayadevi gave birth to Siddhartha Gautama, who as the Buddha Gautama founded the Baudh Dharma. The Buddha lived between roughly 563 and 483 BCE. Lumbini is one of four magnets for pilgrimage that sprang up in places pivotal to the life of the Buddha, the others being at Kushinagar, Bodh Gaya, and Sarnath.

LUMBIMI Lumbini is located 25 km east of Kapilavastu, in Nepal; where the Buddha lived until the age of 29. Lumbini has a number of temples, including the Mayadevi temple, Also located here 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, as well as the remains of Kapilvastu palace.

Pokhra Pokhara is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Nepal. Three out of the ten highest mountains in the world are situated within 50 miles (linear distance) of the city so that the northern skyline of the city offers a very close view of the Himalayas. Due to its proximity to the Annapurna mountain range the city is also a base for trekkers undertaking the Annapurna Circuit

Pokhra Pokhara is quite a modern city, however, many medieval era temples and old newari houses are still a part of the The modern commercial city centres at Chipledhunga (slippery stone, which is still there) and Mahendrapul (recently renamed as Bhimsen Chowk).

Vindhyavasini Temple On the way from Pokhra to Kathmandu beautiful temple called Vindhyavasini is situated There are caves also around the temples

MANAKAMNADEVI Since the 17th century Manakamana Devi has been widely venerated all over the Nepal because of the belief that she fulfills all wishes. Manakamana is one of the most popular temples in Nepal for animal sacrifices. The ruling goddess, Bhagwati, is believed to grant wishes in exchange for prayer and animal sacrifices.

Cable car system The temple can be visited by Cable car system which is the longest in Asia. It takes 15 minutes to reach atop. The ride in cable car is very exhilarating to enjoy beautiful mountains and river Trisuli below The return fare of cable car is 250 Rs.

MANAKAMANA DEVI

Mountaineering Museum One of the largest mountaineering museum of the world is situated near Pokhra Let us look at the museum The museum is dedicated to those mountaineers who lost their lives while exploring the mysteries of nature

Chitvan National Park Chitwan National Park is the first national park in Nepal. Formerly called Royal Chitwan National Park it was established in 1973 and granted the status of a World Heritage Site in 1984. It covers an area of 932 km2 and is located in the subtropical Inner Terai lowlands of south-central Nepal in the Chitwan District.