Palpa, queen of the hills beautiful place for tourist

remote village of palpa

Palpa (a historical place) is in Lumbini zone, named for the birthplace of Guatama Buddha. Palpa's high hills command an impressive view of Nepal in all directions with the great Madi Valley in the west and the Kali Gandaki River along its northern border. Palpa is made up on sixty-five VDC areas  and a municipality and a population of around 240 thousand people. The district, withTansen as its headquarters, covers an area of 1,373 km². It is situated at the southern slope of the Mahabhrat range, and the Himalayas. The main religion of the people of Palpa is Hinduism followed by Buddhism. There are also Muslims and Christians in small communities. Tansen was the capital of the Palpa kingdom ruled by the Sen Dynasty, before Nepal was united,. The history of Tansen dates back to the 16th century. Prithvi Narayan Shah, who united Nepal, mother was from the Sen Family. For years the Gorkha and Palpa kingdoms were in alliance and combined them took control of western Nepal. In 1806, Prithivipal Sen, the last king of Palpa, was asked to come to Kathmandu and he was beheaded. Palpa became parted of the Kathmandu kingdom and Tansen became the administrative city for the area. Members of the Shah and Rana family have ruled the region.

view of tansen

At an elevation of about 1350-m (4430 ft) above sea level palpa experiences a pleasant climate throughout the year.

There are many places in palpa district  which are quite interesting for visitors in terms of scenary and historical importance.I would like to maintain few places which shouldn’t be missed.

Tansen is a hill town, enterprising Newar traders and craftspeople and the rich culture of the Magar people and other groups who make up the town and area's population combine to make Tansen unique in Nepal. With views of the Himalaya from Shreenagar and rich natural environment all around, Tansen is one of the most scenic places in Nepal. As a gateway to Palpa and surrounding areas, it offers access to Palpa's variety and character of rural life, small towns, religious and historical sites. Though it boasts a busy market and is a centre in Western Nepal and the headquarters of the Palpa district, Tansen is quiet and pollution free. Kathmandu Valley and Tansen are much closer in their character: Newari houses, cobbled streets, Rana buildings, pagoda temples etc. 

view from srinagar

Mul dhoka

damaged darbar after maoist atatck

An ancient hill town Tansen-1350 meters above sea level is the administrative headquarters of Palpa district. It is a typical Nepali town with numerous fairs, festivals, religious and cultural events. The name Tansen has been derived from the Magar language tansing-means the northern settlement. Magars in Palpa district and Newars in Tansen town inhabit in majority and there are also Chhetris and Brahamins and others.

panoromic view

Tansen is the best and nearest hill station of west Nepal and northern states of India due to its location and climate. There are great views of the Madi Valley from town. From the close by hill call Srinagar Danda, there are excellent views of the Himalaya Mountains. The climate of Tansen is most pleasant throughout the year. In summer it stays mild and charming-hardly exceeds 28° degree Celsius. In winter it is quite warm and sunny -the temperature does not fall near freezing. Tansen Durbar was the palace of the provincial governor built in the Rana style. It has an impressive but run-down eastern gate called ‘Baggi Dhoka’ or ‘Mul Dhoka’. Outside the gate is a public square called ‘Sitalpati’. General Pratap Shamsher built this palace in 1927 AD. It is a four-storied building with sixty-three rooms, two meeting halls, and two minarets at two sides. The main gate of this palace is known as 'Baggi Dhoka' the biggest gate in the Kingdom. The ‘Durbar’ is known as a 'Singh Durbar of Palpa". But this ‘Durbar’ and ‘Mul Dhoka’ is affected during the war with Maoists last year and is now again started to reconstruct. Other attraction of tansen is a traditional three-tiered pagoda-style temple Amar Narayan Temple   built in 1806. It is considered to be one of the most beautiful temples outside of Kathmandu Valley. The temple was built by Amar Singh Thapa, who annexed Tansen to become part of Nepal.

Bhagwati temple

Bhagawati Temple near the Tansen Durbar, was originally built in 1815 to commemorate the victory over the British at Butwal. In the area there are small temples dedicated by Ganesh, Saraswati and Siva. It was rebuilt by Col. Ujir Singh Thapa, the governor of Palpa in 1815 A.D. to commemorate the victory over British Indian troop in the battle front of Butwal.  The temple of God Ganesh called siddhi Binayak, is situated at the slope of srinagar hill just above the town. Devotees visit this temple on every Tuesday. One can have a very good view of the town from here.

amar narayan temple

‘Srinagar Danda’ is a 1600m high hill just north of Tansen, from where there are excellent views over the Kali Gandaki River of the Himalaya. We can see Annapurna and Langtang in the east. The 1650 meter high majestic ridge covered with dense pine forest in the south slope and natural vegetation with the National flower 'Rhododendron' in the North Slope is popular for naturalist. During a clear day, a magnificent view of long range of snowy mountains to the north and the vast expanse of Terai plains to the south can be seen. This provides unbroken peace and relaxation.

night view of tansen

The green view of hills around is very enchanting, beautiful and calm. The tranquil Srinagar forest is equally pleasant. A bird’s eye view of Tansen with the green and plain Madi Valley on the background can be enjoyed. It is only the place from where one can see the vast expanse of Terai plains to the south and the long range of snowy mountains to the north. The main snowy peaks seen from here are Dhaulagiri : I- 8167 mtrs., Nilgiri-7061 mtrs., Annapurna: I-8091 mtrs., Hinchuli-6441 mtrs., Machhapuchhare-6997 mtrs., Manaslu-8157 mtrs., Ganesh Himal etc.

shitalpati

Ranighat palace is built by Khadga Shamsher JBR in 1894 AD., on monument of deep love with his queen Tej Kumari. It is very nice palace with the architectural point of view. It is built above a single huge stone near by Kaligandaki river. Ranimahal is popularly pronounced as ‘Tajmahal’ of Nepal. Here is the 2nd largest suspension bridge of Nepal and ‘Alamdevi Mandir’ across the river. ‘Siddapani cave’, ‘Hattidhunga’-huge elephant shaped stone, ‘Baikunthapahar’ - water falls, are on the way form Tansen.

way to ranighat

rani mahal

view of ranimahal with kaligandaki

View of bridge in ranighat

Bhairavsthan is the most popular temple in Palpa and also throughout the nation. Situated at 5 km North-west of Tansen on the Palpa-Gulmi, this temple also has the largest ‘Trishul’- a symbol of God Shiva, of Asia.  Every year during the Dashain, the greatest festival of Hindus of Nepal, people from different places come here to worship the god- ‘Bhairav’ and show homage by paying Him the blood of five different cattle- known as ‘Panchabali.’

Trishul of bhairabsthan temple

Ridi is one of the historical places of Palpa. Situated at about 20 Km. north-west from the Palpa Headquarters – Tansen, it is also the place where the Ridi River and Kali Gandaki River meet. There is a popular Pagoda-style Rishikesh Mandir, thus contributing to the place being a pilgrimage site. In 1st Magh(15th January) every year, pilgrims from different corners of Nepal come here to take sacred bath in the river and then pay homage at the temple. Local people and businessman, some others from neighboring districts come to participate in a 3-day fair held during the same occasion. Transactions of local rugs (‘Kamlo’) brought from Jumla and Humla districts are one of the features in the fair.

Ridi

Madan Pokhara is a highly prosperous village near Tansen. This beautiful valley is also culturally rich and has many temples that pilgrims can visit. The popular temples are Kalanki Devi, Devisthan and Mandabya. Madan Pokhara is linked to sidhhartha highway.

View from madan pokhara

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Tahu is another attractive village with mixed culture and beautiful natural surroundings of mountains, forests and farmlands. One can also see beautiful views of mountains from here. There are also temples of Rambha Devi and Jalpa Devi in Tanahu. It is 32 kilometers from Tansen and can be entered from Aarya bhanjyang of

Siddhartha Highway

 

Rambha devi temple

Satyawati Lake, at 1,400 meters takes its name from Goddess Satyawati from the Hindu mythology and is a popular pilgrimage site in the area. It is equally attractive for other tourists considering that the trek is enjoyable and the destination worth visit. One can enjoy beautiful views of Himalayas on the way to the lake. The trek starts at siddhartha highway, about 19 kilometers from Tansen, from where it takes about 2-hour trek uphill to reach Lake Satyawati.It is believed that one shouldn’t stay till the morning near satyawati lake during mela pver there. One should ask the blessing with loud noise as it supposed that satyati devi can’t hear properly.

satyawati lake

Chilangdi, a typical Magar village offers cultural taste of the area. The people of Chilangdi are simple and have a charming lifestyle. Singing and dancing are the main part their lives. They speak Tibeto-Burman language. Chilangdi is situated at the southern lap of Shreenagar Hills.

Other places to see in pala are pravash lake, ramdi ghat, siddhababa cave,elephant hill(locally called hatti lek), kaudi hill(locally called kaudi lek)

View of madi phant

Palpa is popular for:



Bronze craft (Palpali Karuwa), is famous for various kinds of handicrafts and cottage industries. One of the most famous products of this district is a typical water-jug called Karuwa. It is made of bronze and available in different sizes. In Tansen, Taksar is the main area where the art of bronze crafting is still flourishing. People visiting Palpa are always eager to buy a Karuwa as a souvenir.

palpali karuwa

Palpali Dhaka, is quiet famous handloom industry and gained national and international fame. It needs skill and hard labor to weave this cloth. Similarly the Palpali Dhaka Topi (cap) has become a part or our national dress. There are several products of these clothes; Dhaka topis, shawls, purses etc. can be bought as a souvenir.

Dhaka topi

    

Chukauni: traditional spicy cusine made with curd and potato.

Palpa is a also for different festivals like gai jatra, bhagwati jatra etc.

ramdi ghat

Commonwealth Game to cick off on 3rd of october In capital city of india Delhi

Muscat Of 19th commonealth game

Commonwealth Games is an international, multi-sport event which is held every four years and features competitions involving thousands of elite athletes from members of the Commonwealth of Nations.

The Commonwealth of Nations, normally referred to as the Commonwealth and previously known as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-four independent member states. All but two of these countries were formerly part of the British Empire. The event was first held in 1930 under the title of the British Empire Games in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The event was renamed as the British Empire and Commonwealth Games in 1954, the British Commonwealth Games in 1970, and gained its current title in 1978. There are currently 54 members of the Commonwealth of Nations, and 71 teams participate in the Games. The four Home Nations of the United Kingdom  England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland – send separate teams to the Commonwealth Games, and individual teams are also sent from the British Crown dependencies of Guernsey, Jersey and the Isle of Man (unlike at the Olympic Games, where the combined "Great Britain" team represents all four home nations and the Crown dependencies).

logo

 The 2010 Commonwealth Games will be the nineteenth Commonwealth Games, and the ninth to be held under that name. The Games are scheduled to be held in New Delhi, India between 3 October and 14 October 2010. The games will be the largest multi-sport event conducted to date in Delhi and India, which has previously hosted the Asian Games in 1951 and 1982. The opening ceremony is scheduled to take place at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, the main stadium, in Delhi. It will also be the first time the Commonwealth Games is held in India and the second time the event has been held in Asia (after 1998 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia).

rehearsal of opening ceremony

The two principal bids for the 2010 Commonwealth Games were from Delhi, India and Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. A ballot of members was held in November 2003 at the Commonwealth Games Federation General Assembly in Montego Bay, Jamaica. Delhi bid won by a margin of 46 votes to 22, confirming India's first successful bid for the Games. The bid was Canada's attempt to hold the games for the fifth time bid motto was New Frontiers and Friendships. The official song of the 2010 Commonwealth Games Jiyo Utho Bado Jeeto was composed and performed by the Indian musician A. R. Rahman.The song's title is based on the slogan of the games, "Come out and play". The song is penned by Mehboob in Hindi with a sprinkling of English words. It was released on 28 August 2010.

View Of JNS

The Opening ceremony at the Commonwealth Games is one among the biggest extravaganzas of the world.

It will take place in one of the largest stadiums of Delhi, the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, which bears a capacity of more than 70,000 spectators. Prince Charles from Britain is supposed to make his presence at the launching ceremony of the Games.

The Opening Ceremony of the Commonwealth Games, 2010, has a variety of events lined up. Inauguration ceremony will be followed by the welcome ceremony where athletes of all the participating nations will be welcomed and green flags will be shown to the games. 

Outer view of JNS

The two-hour-twenty-minute extravaganza is expected to start at 7pm and continue till 9.20pm on October 3. It is divided into several segments, each specially crafted and choreographed.


Another important event of the opening ceremony will be the famous "Queen's Baton" tradition which is also the curtain raiser of the Games. Mrs. Pratibha Patil, India's president, will grace the "Queen's Baton Relay, 2010" at the launching event of the Games.

Famous sport personality from India, Abhinav Bindra will be the first baton carrier to accept the prestigious baton from the hands of the Queen.

Abhinab Bindra with Baton

One of the Commonwealth Games Opening Ceremony protocols consists of the marching event where all the participating countries will take part in a parade. The parade will be lead by a flag bearer. Australia, the host country of the Commonwealth Games, 2006 will lead the marching occasion while the current host country of the Games, 2010 i.e. India will stand at last. The two-hour-twenty-minute extravaganza is expected to start at 7pm and continue till 9.20pm on October 3. It is divided into several segments, each specially crafted and choreographed.

The national anthem of India will also be played during the occasion. The flags of three countries, the last host country, the present host country and the next host country, will fly at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium.





Pokhara, popular tourist destination of Nepal is precious gift of nature!!!

Nepal's second city, at least in tourist terms, Pokhara is the most attractive tourist destination ,one of the most picturesques spot of Nepal. Pokhara is  Situated 200-kms west of Kathmandu, Pokhara is connected by air as well or by bus from Kathmandu and Bhairahawa a border town near India. It is only 30 minutes flight The city of Pokhara is renowned for its geographic settings rather than the historical or cultural significance. It is unbelievably rich in its natural splendor. Situated at an altitude of 827m, Pokhara offers the magnificent views of Dhaulagiri, Manaslu, Machhapuchhre, five peaks of Annapurna and others. This city became the most interesting especially when explorers found that it is the only valley in the world from where one can see snowcapped mountains higher than 8000m. from below 1000 m. These mountains lie in about 25 to 35 km. Arial distance. This valley is the most famous trekking starting gateway for world famous trekking areas such as to Fishtail, Annapurna and Dhaulagiri area. The Major  attraction of Pokhara are listed below:

Reflection of mountain in fewa lake

 Phewa lake: Phewa lake  the  second largest lake of Nepal, is surrounded by a combination of monkey-filled forests and the high white peaks. The reflections in the mirror-like water in the early mornings are something you must see at least once before you die.  You can hire a boat and row yourself across the lake (or hire a local to do it for you) and can feel like you are top of the mountain watching the reflection of snowcapped mountain in lake. A small island in the middle of Phewa Lake is the residence of a beautiful temple known as ‘Barahi Temple’. This is the most significant shrine in Pokhara, designed in two-storied pagoda and is dedicated to the boar manifestation of Ajima, the protectress deity representing the female force ‘Shakti’. Lake Side.

Taal barahi temple

Begnas & Rupa lake:In the outskirt of the city around 10 km south east away from the hustle & bustle,  Begnas Tal is quiet, clean and peaceful. The walk around the  Begnas Tal is fascinating and it’s the best place for boating and see the beauty of nature which soothe your mind to the mediatation.Fishing is another attraction of Begnas lake.Unlike Fewa and begnas rupa lake is small but clean and nature has gifted a beauty to its.

Begnas lake

Rupa lake

Dipang Tal: Beautiful lake where you can find wild lotus and wild swan. It is located about fifteen minutes walk from Sisuwa, the city centre of Lekhnath municipality.

Lotus flower

World Peace Pagoda (Shanti Stupa). Built about 16 years ago atop a hill overlooking Phewa Tal, the Stupa offers a great place to see the mountains and the sunset over Pokhara. It can be accessed by hiring a boat across the lake and following a pretty good track upward, climbing up through the forest (but watch out for leeches during the monsoon)or by foot from the road that passes Devi's Fall, turning right at the end of Chhorepatan. Taxis can now drive up to within 15 minutes' walk of the Stupa - ask them to use the Chhorepatan road, which is shorter and therefore should be a little cheaper than the Kalimati road.

World peace pagoda

Sarangkot:Sarangkot, a hill top destination to view the morning sunrise. Believe me, the view is absolutely FABULOUS !! As the sunlight makes its appearance, the snow capped peaks of the Annapurna Range become GOLDEN in colour. This will be an experience you will never forget for the rest of your life. You will feel the mountains calling out to you, asking you to join them and bathe in this morning sunlight.

sun rise view from sarangkot

View of pokhara Valley from Sarangkot

International Mountaineering Museum. you have to take a trip to this place even though you're not quite enthusiastic about mountaineering or museums in the first place. The mere location of the museum provides for some stunning pictures that you will cherish life-long

Moutaineering outfit

 Mahendra Cave:Mahendra caveis a famous cave located in Batulechaur, the northern end of the Pokhara citythat provides you a wonderful picture of natural phenomenon of different rocks.

Mahendra cave

Chamare Gufa - Bat cave. It is another cave located some ten minutes away from the famous Mahendra cave. This cave is famous for the bats that can be seen hanging by the cave's walls. You should take a guide to show you the rare view of nature inside the cave you will have to crawl to complete the view.

Bat cave

Devi's fall: It is also known as David's fall  which is a lovely waterfall located about 2-Km south-west of the Pokhara Airport, on the Siddhartha Highway It is believed that a trekker (Devin, David) was washed away by the ‘Pardi Khola’ and mysteriously disappeared down into an underground passage beneath the fall, thus named ‘Devi’s fall’.

Davis Fall

Gupteshwar Cave: It is also known as the Gupteswar Gupha, holds a special religious importance and especially to the local people. The main highlight of the site is the Shivalinga, the phallic symbol of the Lord Shiva. The linga is preserved here in the condition it was discovered. The cave is 3 km long and it features several large hall-like rooms and some passages. If you want to enter here, you will have to crawl. One can see the spectacular view of water of davis fall from the core of cave.

Gupteshwor cave

Gurkha Memorial Museum: Museum dedicated to the famous soldiers from Nepal. You can observe here the various historic uniforms, their famous knifes and the different flags. 

View of pokhara

Set Gorge:Another natural wonder in Pokhara is the ‘Seti Gandaki River’ flowing right through the city, this lively river runs completely underground. The river appears hardly two meters wide at certain points. But the depth is quite beyond imagination - over 20 metres, and Mahindra bridge provides a perfect view of this river's dreadful rush and deep gorge made by its powerful flow.

Other places to watch out are bindabasini temple, lake side, K.I. Singh Bridge etc.

Seti Gorge from K.I. Singh Bridge

Drink Green tea and live Cancer free Life!!!!!

Green tea is tea made solely with the leaves of Camellia sinensis that have undergone minimal oxidation during processing. Green tea originates from China and has become associated with many cultures in Asia from Japan and South Korea to the Middle East. Recently, it has become more widespread in the West, where black tea is traditionally consumed. Many varieties of green tea have been created in countries where it is grown. These varieties can differ substantially due to variable growing conditions, processing, and harvesting time.

Over the last few decades green tea has been subjected to many scientific and medical studies to determine the extent of its long-purported health benefits, with some evidence suggesting that regular green tea drinkers have lower chances of heart disease and developing certain types of cancer.

Green tea contains salubrious polyphenols, particularly catechins, the most abundant of which is epigallocatechin gallate. Green tea also contains carotenoids, tocopherols, ascorbic acid (vitamin C), minerals such as chromium, manganese, selenium or zinc, and certain phytochemical compounds

In other hand, Prostate cancer is a form of cancer that develops in the prostate, a gland in the male reproductive system. Most prostate cancers are slow growing; however, there are cases of aggressive prostate cancers^.The cancer cells may metastasize (spread) from the prostate to other parts of the body, particularly the bones and lymph nodes. Prostate cancer may cause pain, difficulty in urinating, problems during sexual intercourse, or erectile dysfunction. Other symptoms can potentially develop during later stages of the disease.

 In Recent research, researchers have discovered that an active compound polyphenon  found in Green tea can slow the progression of prostate cancer. The study examined in 26 men between 41 to 72 years diagonised with prostate cancer were given capsule of  polyphenon E and the results suggested a significant reduction in serum markers predictive of prostate cancer progression.

Similarly, results of recent year long clinical trial conducted  Italy revealed that consumption of green tea polyphenols reduced the risk of developing prostate cancer in man. However the research are just beginning and lots of work remains to be done and I strongly feel that consumption of green tea should be encouraged and the chances of cancer cure should be explored.

Khagendra thapa magar of Nepal will be crowned new shortest person of the world very soon

Khagendra Thapa magar  (born October 14, 1992), son of Rup Bahadur and Dhana Maya Thapa Magar, will be crowned shortest teenager in the world, measuring 0.56 m (1 ft 10 in). Magar is expected to take the title of shortest man from Edward Nino Hernandez when he turns 18 in October 14, 2010.

Khagendra has become quite  a sensation in  Nepal and even India and even his country’s politicians are fighting to see him recognized as the world’s smallest man. He travels Nepal as part of a dancing group only to let people know he will soon be in the record books.

Otherwise a very healthy individual, Khagendra has a malfunctioning pituitary gland that caused him to grow very slowly. His parents admit they were ashamed to be seen with him in the beginning, but now they feel proud to be the parents of the shortest man in the world. Khagendra Thapa Magar measures just 22 inches.

Khagendra  doesn't go to school; he stopped going to school after his classmates
started pulling and pushing him around

 Khagendra was just appointed as a good will ambassador of Nepal tourism year along with miss Nepal Sadikshya shrestha.