NEPAL
Nepal – what does this country remind one about? The birth places of Buddha, the gurkhas the monks or the land that belongs of Tibetans. Actually Nepal is simply a place of beauty and legend where Buddha was born, famous for gurkhas, home of Mount Everest, and Himalayas. Close to India, Bangladesh and other Asian countries, Nepal’s land is known for eternal bliss along the heights of milky white Himalayas. Culturally and physically rich environments offer visitors a wide panorama of experiences and surprisingly being famous spiritual/ pilgrimage place it has some world’s greatest outdoor activities. This is just possible because of towering mountains meant for adventurous trek, Spectacular Mountain biking, rafting in the river waters running down the mountains and bungee jumping into the Himalayan gorge. The greatest advantage of these outdoor activities is that Nepal’s not as expensive as the other international tourist spots, so if you are still continuing your studying and not employed then this excursion would be done with your pocket money. The country is synonym to a fairy tale that takes you to a world still accustomed to old practices and traditions with spirituality oozing all over the country. No more on the silver screen but in Nepal take a close look at serene monks in monasteries. Located between India and china, this country has dynamic history with combination of Hinduism and Buddhism to only leave one amazed at the stunning shrines and monuments all over the Himalayan peaks. Janakpur, famous as a city where Ram won Sita as life partner (character from Hindu mythology/ epic RAMAYAN) is located in Nepal and Lumbini other popular city as a birthplace of Buddha is part of the great Nepal. There’s lot to speak about the country but the people of Nepal are also equally friendly, kind and generous. Though the tourism of Nepal was opened to rest of the world officially in 1951 most of its beauty is untouched and still retains its ancient simplicity.
CULTURE
Straddling between India and Tibet, the culture of Nepali’s is diverse. Nepali’s are known for their spiritualism, caste and cultural concepts. The land where notions of Karma are taught is dominated by rituals and the belief in God. To view different ethnic groups in one place then the best is Kathmandu with Rai, Newar, Sherpa, Limbu, Tamang and Gurung groups. Having said that history reveals that Nepal is the place where Indo-Aryan and Tibeto-Burmese met. Whatever the ethnic group may be it has its own style of living and techniques of agriculture. The main language being Nepali is among one of the several other tongues that are spoken here, out of which only 24 fall under the main category the others just being dialects. The major religion followed is Hinduism and Buddhism; also surprisingly some people belong to Muslim religion. With distinct ethnic society Nepal becomes a country where multi ethnicity prevails and also can be witnessed from the cultural sites like the Kathmandu Durbar Square, Swayambhunath, Bouddhanath, Pashupatinath and the Bhaktapur Durbar Square.
GEOGRAPHY
It may be small in size but covers an area of around 147,181 sq km and also home to great population. Known for greatest or say highest mountains in world Nepal’s eighty percent land is covered by mountains. Hence this makes it clear that Nepal is a landlocked country bordering china, Tibet and India. The mountainous region is categorized into the towering Himalayan mountain range, the cool terraces of Middle hills, and the warm Terai region. The Himalayan mountain range includes Mount Everest and other seven highest hills, while the Kathmandu valley is the part of middle hills and siwalik range is housed by the Terai region. Major population is supported by the Terai region that covers 17 percent of the total land in Nepal, also cities like Janakpur, Nepalgunj, Birgunj, Biratnagar, Bhairahawa and Biratnagar are major happening areas. Then other famous cities are Kathmandu, Pokhara, Patan, Gorkha and Jumla that fall under the middle hilly region that houses mountains like Annapurna, Mt. Everest, Gaurishankar and Machhapuchre. There are rivers that flow and join the River Ganges in India; river Karnali is the longest river in Nepal and the Rara Lake is the largest lake here.
WHEN TO VISIT
The peak months of tourism start from late September and last till November end. This is the time when the Terai region is cool and the mountains give you a clear view. But being the peak time trekkers have to wait their turn for getting the trekking permit. The coldest months are from December to February when snow becomes an obstacle for trekking. If you can’t make during the peak season don’t worry there’s the warmer season starting from end of February to April. The weather at this time gets warmer making trekking spots not so arduous.
TOP ATTRACTIONS
Nepal a poor country by economy has lot to offer when it comes to tourism. Overflowing with cultural and religious places to visit it also gives us chance to explore the great Himalayan range across its borders. Though small in size its jam packed with its population but still welcomes a good number of tourists. UNESCO for the convenience of tourists has listed some of the popular heritage sites, they are the Chitwan, Sagarmatha, Patan Durbar Square, Pashupati, Bouddhanath, Lumbini, Swayambhu, Bhaktapur Durbar Square, Changu Narayan and the Kathmandu Durbar square. Apart from the scenic beauty tourists can spend most of the time indulging in adventure sport with minimum investment, one can take a trip to Mahendra cave, try boating in the great lake Fewa, gupteshwor cave, also catch glimpse of the Tibetan refugee community, and walk along the Japanese Peace Camps. The most visited cities of Nepal include Kathmandu, Patan, Bhaktapur, the Terai, Kathmandu Valley, and Pokhara.
Kathmandu
The capital city and the most known in the Nepal being the arrival destination for any part of the world. This city is not only one of the best in Kathmandu but also an important site because of the heritage sites like Bouddhanath, Swayambhunath, Durbar Square and Pashupatinath. Thousands of devotes visit this place every year and the list is only infinite when it comes to tourists. To find budget accommodation check out a place called Thamel that is known for offering reasonable prices. The Durbar square epitomizes royal architecture in addition to over 50 monuments almost dating back to 800 years. Some people also call it as Hanuman Dhoka which is home to many Palaces, shrines and courtyards. All built by the kings of Nepal in the 12th and the 18th century. The old royal palace is also the main attraction that has several museums and courtyards. Much is spoken about the palace wall that has an inscription in 15 languages and the Nepalese believe that one who deciphers the whole inscription will see milk flowing from the spout below the wall. Then there’s the Kasthamandap a platform made up of single tree wood. The other attractions include the Bagmathi River, Ratna Park, and the Vishnumati River.
Pokhara
The geographical settings make it beautiful and popular city that is located to the west of Kathmandu. Visit the Barahi Temple that is situated on the small island in the middle of ‘Phewa Tal’ the second largest of all the lakes in Nepal. One of the most important shrines in Nepal this temple is home to the god Ajima representing the female force Shakti. Shop to your extent here with loads of handicrafts from age old artisans. Other sites that may attract you would be Devi’s fall; a marvelous water fall located about 2km from Pokhara airport. Then there’s Mahendra Gufa, a vast limestone cave occupied by bats. To gain understandings of the local civilization visit the Pokhara Museum, the Annapurna regional museum and the natural history museum. The famous trekking spots here are the Jomsom Trek, Annapurna Himalayan Range, Mt. Machhapuchre, Mt. Dhaulagiri, and Mt. Hinchuli.
Chitwan
Chitwan literally means ‘heart of the Jungle’, so this is a place full with lush green landscapes and forests, it falls under the Narayani zone of central Nepal. Mainly the Chitwan National Park attracts visitors that located across the lush green hills and houses some of the species that are under extinction. The tigers, boars, fresh water dolphins, deer, and one horned rhinos are all part of the Chitwan National Park. The interesting one can get this exotic jungle experience by canoe trips, nature walks, and jungle treks.
Lumbini
The birth place of Prince Siddhartha Gautama epitomizes all the serenity of the great follower of Buddhism. Lumbini is not only the birth place of Buddha but its home to the popular Ashoka Pillar, Maya Devi Temple, Monasteries, and Bodhgaya (where Buddha was enlightened under a Banyan Tree). Also most visited site in Lumbini is Senath where Siddhartha Gautama became Buddha to the people and the place where the first sermon- ‘Awakened One’ was delivered. Other than that Kusinagar is a site that is known as Buddha’s Mahaparinirvana, which means he was liberated from the cycles of rebirth and death and gained the ultimate Nirvana here. The Ashoka pillar stands here from 249 BC and erected by Emperor Ashoka, the inscriptions are witnesses to Nepal’s ingenuity and generous kingdoms. The inscriptions take to the past when Lumbini enjoyed tax-free transactions in the honor of King Siddhartha’s birth. The Japan Peace Stupa and Lumbini Museums are also worth visiting. Tourists interested in collecting information of Buddhism can check out the LIRI (Lumbini International Research Institute) where you can study Buddhism and other caste systems.
GETTING THERE
The major international departures and arrivals take place from Kathmandu-the capital city. Nepal airlines is the national airlines and other airlines that are operated here are Air China, Qatar Airlines, Biman Bangladesh, Air China, Druk Air, Sahara Airlines, Jet Airways, Pakistan International Airlines and Gulf Airways. One can also use railways if you will be visiting India or via India to Nepal. The Kakarbhitta, Sunanuli and Kodari are railway stops and from there you can go to the city by plane.
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