POKHARA  LUMBINI  TANSEN

Pokhara: 

Pokhara is one of the most beautiful places for a tourist to Visit in Nepal, and is the most interesting place of Kingdom of Nepal, which is situated in the lap of the panoramic Annapurna Himal. And Pokhara has a favourable climate all the year round. It is neither too cold nor too hot. During the monsoon season , in Nepal, From June to August, Pokhara gets its fair share of the rains, but at other times it is mostly dry. This place, which has so much of natural’s bounty crammed into such a small area. Perhaps few places in the world has what Pokhara has in terms of natural heritage. most of the places of Pokhara, one can view the majestic mountains of Annapurna 11, 111 X1. And Dhaulagiri. Then, most of the hotels and restaurants situated beside Fewa lake is very scenic. 

You can entertain with the canoe known as "Dunga" is available beside the fewa Lake. Again there are other lakes named Beganas and Rupa are surrounded by hills. Don’t forger to visit to the renowned Davi’s Fall (Patale Chhango), Mahendra cave., Tibetan refugee camp as well as Sarangkot from where you can enjoy the glory of Mt. Machhapuchhre and the scenery of the town and Lake as well. 

The Light of Asia LUMBINI :

Buddha- jayanti falls in the Nepalese month Baisakh (April-May). Buddha-Jayanti, Which literally means the birthday of Lord Buddha, is on Purnima or full moon day. The unique thing is that Lord Buddha was born on full moon day, got enlightened on that day and died also one the same day. On this occasion thousands of pilgrims from the World come to Lumbini to pay homage. At the age of 31 he ran away from his palace in search of the peace and liberation from human sufferings.

The description of famous ancient pilgrims Huian Tsang and Faeihan indicate the Lumbini is indeed the birth place of Siddhartha Gautam who later became Shakyamuni Buddha. Lumbini is the symbolic place of the profounder of Buddhism, the apostle of peace, compassion and non violence. This place is a renowned holy place for the millions of Buddhists as the JERUSALEM is to Christians and Mecca is to Muslims. The biggest attraction at Lumbini is the sacred garden with Mayadevi Temple,the sacred pool, the Ashoka Pillars and pinpointing the birth place of Buddha.

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TANSEN AND PALPA : 

Tansen is situated at a height of 1731m above the sea level and it is one of the most renowned summer resorts of western Nepal. It has a unique geographical location, climate and the people who live there live a life style in traditional way. Tansen tells a story of a dreamy holiday and is the administrative headquarters of Palpa district. However, one can see an unmistakable charm of simple rural life of the locals and typical Newari houses, Pagoda style temples, shrines and stupas. The visitors from the world go to Palpa for those sights and also because Palpa is the starting point for many short treks.

Places to see in Tans SHREE NAGAR HILL:
It is one of the most picturesque spots in the whole Palpa region. While you are in this hill, you are offered scenic grandeur and magnificent natural surroundings. It is easy to reach this place only 30minutes by walking and 10 minutes drive from the town of Tansen. From the top of the hill one can observe panoramic views of the Tansen town as well as mountains like Annapurna 8091m., Fishtail, Mt. Dhaulagiri 8167m. and so on. The scenery of majestic mountains really is enjoyable to the visitors. Also some visitors start their trekking and excursion from this hill. At the top of hill, there are newly built cottages for resting and there is a recently built a huge Newer style bronze lamp stand called Twa-Dewa. I visited the place six months back and it was rainy season, so I had to wait for viewing the scenery of the majestic mountains. 

Amar Narayan Temple:
It was built in 1807 by Singh Thapa who was a warrior of medieval Nepal. The Temple of Mar Noreen is considered a significance landmark of Tansen, which is built in typical Nepalese Pagoda style relating to historical architecture and philosophy. The intricate works of wood carvings in the temple are marvellous and splendid, which speak culture, architecture literature as well as the social life style of the ancient Nepal. The temple is surrounded by a one meter wide stone wall which is said to be the Great wall of Nepal. Inside the complex of temple the visitors may observe the temple of Lord Mahadev ( the god of destruction), ponds, resting house and a natural water spring. The devotees gather surrounding the temple and chant Bhajans ( holy song or recitals) in chorus. 

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Tansen Durbar:
It was erected in 1927 AD by Pratap Sham Ser Jung Bahadur Rana. The Durbar is situated in the heart of Tansen, which is very interesting and exciting to look. Now the Palace is the district secretariat of Palpa district. During the Rana regime the Palace was the place from where Rana chiefs performed their official tasks .

Shitalpati(The Round House):
It was constructed by Khadga Sham Ser. The original Shitalpati was of octagonal shape. A round house around Shitapati has been built recently, which is a renowned hangout for the visitors as well as the locals. In the complex of Round house, there is the biggest gate of this area known as the Baggi Dhoka. People of the region often compare it with the architecture of Mugal Empire in India. 

Bhagawati Temple(goddess temple):
It was built in 1814 AD to mark the victory over British India forces by Ujir Singh Thapa. The temple which is made in the Pagoda style structure is located beside the Tansen Durbar. However, the temple holds immense religious importance and is a pilgrimage of Palpalies. It is said that the original temple was remarkably bigger, the present temple was reconstructed after the great earthquake of 1934. Every year in the month of August, a chariot is taken out to the town with the military to observe the historic battle.

Amar Jung Ganesh(Elephant headed god):
Amar Singh Thapa had constructed this temple before building Amar Narayan Temple in1807. The temple has the same style and character of Amar Narayan Temple. Beside the temple a school has been established recently.

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Anand Vihar Shrine:
It is one of the earliest Buddhist shrines of Palpa/ Tansen region, which was built in 1806 AD. and the stupa was erected by Sundar Banja.

Mahachaitya Vihar shrine:
It is located at Taksar Tole. This vihar was built between 1930-40 AD, and it has intricate brass and bronze works. Mahabodhi Vihar shrine: This recently built vicar has relatively modern facilities for prayers and meditation. Buddhists preaching and meditation are often held here. 

Parileyak Ban (jungle):
Ban is situated at the eastern part of Shree Nagar Hill. As the local legend goes, while Lord Buddha went for three months of meditation in the jungle a monkey and an elephant were regularly serving Lord Buddha as guards. Hence, beside the Lord Buddha's shrine, there are many stone images of elephants and monkeys inside the pleasant forest. This is an ideal place of the mediation to the visitors. Rose Garden: Garden locally known as the Birendra Park is a ideal place for the rose lovers. There are 150 varieties of roses in the park. 

Parvas Lake:
It is located some 8 km south of Tansen. It takes 20min to go there by a bus from Tansen. There is a small pond with white lotus foyers along the Palpa Tansen Highway. The lake is surrounded by well terraced trees with a beautiful landscape.

Potters at work:
Kumale means potters in the local dialect. The potters of this region are specially known for their skills in making earthen pots. It is really exciting and interesting to observe them at work at Gorbanda - Kharbari village.

Other Places of Interest in Palpa:
Chadi Bhanjyang: which is located about 200m above Tansen city connected by a fascinating trail along the spur of a hill is one of the most lovely spots of Palpa from where one can view the majestic mountain scenery. There is a temple of Bhairav (god of terror) on the hill, which is one of the famous pilgrimages and picnic spots of Tansen . Tourist can reach there by walking. 

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Ridhi - Rishikeshab:
It is situated at an altitude of about 700m on the sacred Kali Gandaki river. From Tansen going there takes 3hrs by bus and 6hrs on foot. And there is a shrine of Rishikeshab, which is one of the renowned pilgrimage sites of Nepal. As the place lies in a tropical river valley the pleasant season to visit there is Oct -Mar. Bhairabsthan(god of terror): It lies some 9km west of Tansen city, where one can reach after a 2hrs trek or a 30minutes drive from Tansen city. The tourists can observe the largest golden trident in front of the temple which is situated on the hill. From here the visitors catch sight of Himalayan ranges to the north and a beautiful scenery of the hills and mountains. 

Ranighat:
At Ranighat, there is a famous Palace called Taj Mahal that was built by Khadka Shamsher in memory of his beloved wife, Tej Kumari . We can reach this place after a 2hrs trek to the north of Tansen. The Palace which is situated in a green woods is built on a huge hard rock on the bank of the sacred Kali Gandaki river. It is very interesting to look at. The 7km trek from Tansen to Ranighat is very exciting and wonderful. The trail goes through the scenic gorge and monition brook called Barangdi Khola (river). And there is Baikuntha Pahad nearby. Hatti Dhunga(Elephant rock) is an adventurous site to the coming visitors. The tourist can buy tea, local drinks and food by the hamlet. On the occasion of Visit Nepal 98 His Majesty's Govt. of Nepal is reconstructing this old monument. 

Ramdi:
North of Tansen along the Sunauli Pokhara Highway, Ramdi is situated. It takes an hour to go there from Tansen and two and half hours by walking. Regular bus service is available for going to Ramdi, which isa holy place for Hindus. The visitors may observe many small and big caves around Ramdi. The illustrious and the biggest cave is the "Soon Gupha"(Golden cave).

Satyawati Lake:
It is 30km away from Tansen. There is a lake which is very beautiful, it bears its name from Satyawati, Hindu goddess. On the full moon day in Oct or Nov, the festival of Satyawati is observed at night. During the festival, folk songs and dances are performed.

Gifts of Tansen:
Palpa is a renowned place for manufacturing souvenirs made by the local people. They manufacture beautiful bronze water jars known as 'Palpali Karuwa' available in different sizes. Another special item is the Palpali Dhaka Topi made of hand woven cotton cloth known as Palpali Dhaka. This is also widely used to make wallet, dolls, handbags as well hankies. Palpa is also famous for bronze lamp stands.

Accommodation:
Tansen is situated in Palpa district in western Nepal, about 303km west of Kathmandu and is connected with Pokhara and Bhairahawa by air and land. From Bhairahawa and Pokhara there is daily bus services to Tansen. There are tourist and budget class accommodations in Tansen. In addition there is a resort which offers you typical Nepalese Gurung style accommodation.