Situated at 1372m. above
sea level, the ancient town of Tansen is the headquarters
of Palpa district. Ancient culture, excellent mountain
views, serene atmosphere and friendly people are the
major attractions of this area. Besides, Tansen has
also gained its popularity for historical monuments,
temples and lively handicraft industry. It is located
about seven kilometers northwest of Bartung in Siddhartha
Highway.
The moderate weather of
this pristine peace of earth offers trekking in this
region throughout the year. Dhaulagiri, Annapurna, Manaslu,
Gauri Shankar and other peaks can be seen when the days
are clear. Dhaka - the most popular hand woven cloth
of Nepal has its origin in Tansen. The Nepali topi (national
cap) is made of Dhaka and one can find weavers at work
on their looms. Visitors are offered cultural programs
such as Dohari, a local singing competition in which
the team of boys and team of girls sing one after another
to win the other group on request. Doharis are popular
songs which move every Nepali for its rich melody and
heart-touching quality. There are various places worthy
to be visited in Palpa. The major attractions are as
followes:
Balanced on the lap of
the spectacular Srinagar Danda (hill), Tansen boasts
a gorgeous panorama of the Himalayas as well as the
plains of Terai. Tansen is among a few towns outside
the capital which bears a rich legacy of the traditional
art and architecture. Situated at an elevation of 1310
meters, Tansen is a pleasant place to visit throughout
the year. The hill of Srinagar located at an elevation
of 1524m, half an hour’s walk up Tansen Bazaar,
is rare vantage point to view the contrasting manifestation
of nature. An incredibly long panorama of the mountains
encircling Kanjiroba, Dhaulagiri, Annapurna and Langtang
Himal at a stretch is visible from here on one hand,
while on the other the plains of Madi valley and the
bigger terai also comes to distinct view from the same
point. Besides, one can visit some of the beautiful
points on the Kali Gandaki river such as Ranighat Palace
and Ramdi Ghat, the dense and serene woody slopes of
Rambhapani and Satyawati lake. Tansen also provides
opportunity for studying Buddhist culture and the life
and culture of Magar tribes.
Shreenagar Hill is another
attraction of this trek. It is one of the most picturesque
spots in the whole Palpa region. Shreenagar hill is
situated in a scenic grander and magnificent natural
surroundings. A mere 30 minutes climb on foot or 10
minutes drive from the town of Tansen, can lead to the
top of the hill which commands a unique spectrum of
natural extravaganza-from the snowcapped Himalayan peaks
in the north to the lush green wide expanse of plains
of Terai in the south, and of course, the panoramic
view of the Tansen town. The impressive meadow on the
hill top is an ideal spot to view the breathtaking scenes
of majestic Dhaulagiri, Annapurna and the famed twin
peaks of Machhapuchare-the fishtail mountain.
Amar Narayan Temple is
the next attraction of this trek. Built in 1807 AD by
Amar Singh Thapa, the temple of Amar Narayan is considered
an important landmark of Tansen. It is built in typical
Nepali Pagoda style. It is famous for its historical
and architectural significance. The intricate works
of wood carvings in the temple are simply marvelous.
The temple is surrounded by one meter wide stone wall-locally
known as the ‘Great wall of Palpa’. Inside
the temple-complex there are the temple of Lord Mahadev,
ponds, parks, rest houses and a natural water spring.
Every morning and evening devotees gather in the compound
and chant ‘Bhajans’ ( holy recitals) in
chorus.
Tansen Durbar, built in
1927 AD by Pratap Shamsher Jung Bahadur Rana, is a grand
imposing palace in the heart of the town. Once the seat
of the Rana governors, the Durbar is now the district
secretariat of Palpa district.
Shitalpati (the Round
House) is another attraction of Tansen. Built by Khadga
Shamsher, the original Shitalpati is of octagonal shape.
A round house around the Shitapati has been recently
built. The historically important Shitalpati is a popular
hang out for the locals now. The ‘Baggi Dhoka’,
the biggest gate of its kind in Nepal is located in
this square. The locals often rend to compare it with
the architecture of Mugal Empire in India.
Bhagawati Temple, built
by Ujir Singh Thapa in 1814 AD to mark the victory over
colonial British-India forces, is a small structure
but holds immense religions importance. Located near
the Tansen Durbar, it is a pilgrimage of Palpalies.
It is said that the original structure was remarkably
bigger and beautiful. It has undergone many physical
adjustments, most recently after the great earthquake
of 1934. In the month of August every year, a chariot
procession of deities is taken out throughout the town
with military honor to observe the historic battle.
Amargunj Ganesh was also
built by Amar Singh Thapa. Similarly, Amar Narayan temple
was also built in 1807 A.D. by Amar Singh Thapa. Architecturally,
the temple bears the same style and character of Amar
Narayan Temple. The temple has a big artistic ‘Rest
House’ where a school has been run currently.
Suggested Itinerary :
Day 01 : Arrival
in Kathmandu (1320m.)
Upon arrival in Kathmandu, you will be received by our
representatives and will be transferred to hotel.
Day 02 : Kathmandu
After breakfast, visit Swayambhunath temple which is
said to be 2000 years old. A visit in the stupa on a
hillock offers breath-taking view of Kathmandu City.
We will then proceed towards Pasupatinath and Bouddhanath.
After lunch we'll visit Kathmandu Durbar Square, Patan
(Lalitpur) which is the oldest of the three major cities
in Kathmandu Valley . The city is famous for its Buddhist
monuments and Hindu temples.
Day 03 : Kathmandu
to Charaudi (827m.)
early morning we drive to Charaudi by tourist bus from
Kathmandu. Upon arrival at Charaudi, we get ready for
the rafting trip.Having lunch in the beach, we start
our river trip. We will do rafting for about 4 hours
and reach at the camp for overnight stay.
Day 04 : Charaudi
to Chitwan (150m-815m.)
We would have breakfast at Charaudi and go for rafting
for another half day. After finishing the rafting trip
we drive to Chitwan. Upon arrival, lunch will be served,
rooms assigned and there will be a short briefing on
the program that we would undertake. In the evening,
Tharu Cultural program would be performed on request.
Day 05 : Chitwan
Full day safari activities in Chitwan such as elephant
ride, jungle walk, Canoe ride, etc. Wake-up call will
be followed by tea or coffee, then we proceed on a Nature
Walk. Our guides will help us to identify some species
of birds, plants and other wildlife that we may encounter.
We would have breakfast and then go for elephant ride.
We would learn more about these fascinating animals
during our visit to elephant stables. In the afternoon,
we would go for taking a dip in the pool. In the afternoon,
we go for canoeing, a traditional dug-out canoe takes
us on a silent trip down the Rapti river to view aquatic
birds and the animals of the river banks. Tharu Stick
Dance would be performed in the evening before dinner.
Dinner around the campfire.
Day 06 : Chitwan
to Lumbini (600ft.)
Today we go to Lumbini from Chitwan. Upon arrival Lumbini,
we will be transferred to the hotel, check-in and then
we go walking through the Sacred Lumbini Garden where
the Buddha was born. Lumbini, the birthplace of Siddhartha
Gautam, the Shakya prince and the ultimate Buddha, the
Enlightened One, is the pilgrimage destination of the
world’s millions of people faithful to all schools
of Buddhism. UNESCO has listed this nativity site, identified
by Indian Emperor Ashoka’s commemorative pillar
as a World Heritage Site.
The main attraction at
Lumbini remains the Sacred Garden, which spread over
8sq km and possessing all the treasures of the historic
area. The Mayadevi temple is another attraction for
pilgrims and archaeologists alike. Here we find a bas
relief of Mayadevi, Buddha’s mother giving birth
to him. Standing west to the Mayadevi shrine is the
oldest monument of Nepal, the Ashoka Pillar. Emperor
Ashoka erected the pillar in 249BC to commemorate his
pilgrimage to the sacred site. To the south of the pillar,
we find the sacred pond, Puskarni, where Queen Mayadevi
had taken a bath just before giving birth to Lord Buddha.
Day 07 : Lumbini
Today we explore the city of Lumbini. After breakfast,
we begin the trip by driving away, 27km west of Lumbini;
visit the important archaeological site, Tilaurkot,
the ancient palace of King Suddodha (Siddhartha Gautam's
father), where the Buddha spent his formative years
as a Shakya Prince. The Kapilvastu Museum has the pottery,
jewelry and ornaments which would be observed during
our visit. We would pack-up Lumbini tour in Tilaurkot
by visiting the shrines, monasteries and stupa near
the sacred garden.
Day 08 : Lumbini to Tansen (1310m.)
After breakfast, we leave Lumbini and drive to Tansen
(1310m.). Balanced on the lap of the spectacular Srinagar
Danda (hill), Tansen boasts a gorgeous panorama of the
Himalayas as well as the plains of Terai. Tansen is
among a few towns outside the capital which bears a
rich legacy of the traditional art and architecture.
Situated at an elevation of 1310 meters, Tansen is a
pleasant place to visit throughout the year.
Day 09 : Tansen
We would visit Srinagar Danda , Amar Narayan temple,
Tansen Durbar, Sittalpati, Bhagawati temple, Ammar Gunj
Ganesh, etc. at Tansen. Its unique geographical location,
climate and the people spell an aura of dreamy holiday.
Tourists can make detours at ease to see and admire
the narrow zigzag streets, stream of colorful people
passing by in local attires. Typical Newari houses,
pagoda style temples, shrines and stupas are abound
here.
Day 10 : Tansen
to Pokhara (900m.)
Having breakfast at Tansen, we go to Pokhara (900m.).
Upon arrival at Pokhara, we would go to hotel. Pokhara
is an enchanting city nestled in a serene valley known
as a hub of adventure. Its natural ambience which allows
enjoying lakeside tranquility and breathtaking views
of magnificent Machhapuchre (Fish Tail) peak (6993m.)
has transformed Pokhara into a paradise of Earth. There
is hardly any place in the world which could match the
unparallel view of three above 8000m. high mountain
peaks (Mt. Dhaulagiri- 8167m, Mt. Manaslu-8163m and
Mt. Annapurna-8091m.) at the backdrop of Lake Phewa
from the luxury hotels. This resplendent and verdant
valley is a tropical destination of many scenic and
azure lakes in the foregrounds of sudden green hills
and majestic snowy mountains. The epicenter of Western
Nepal, Pokhara leads the way to Gorkha, Manakamana,
Chitwan National Park and Lumbini in the south and southwest
while the northern routes lead to the highest points
in the Himalaya and the Tibetan Plateau ia Kagbeni,
Marpha, Mukti Nath, Jomsom, Manang, Tilicho Lake- situated
at the highest eleviation in the world, Mustang, Thorung-La,
the Annapurna Circuit, the Annapurna Santuary and the
Kali Gandaki Gorge, the deepest in the world etc. We
would have panoramic Mountain views, beautiful lakes
including Phewa, Begnas and Rupa, Davi’s Fall
(Patale Chhango), International Mountain Museum, Regional
Museum, Annapurna Museum, Gorkha Memorial Museum, Barahi
Temple, Bindabasini Temple, Bhadrakali Temple, Karma
Kagyu Choekerling Tibetan Monastery, World Peace Pagoda,
Old Bazaar area (Heritage site of Pokhara), Caves, Lakeside,
Seti Gorge, Tibetan Settlements, etc.
Day 11 : Pokhara
Full day sightseeing around Pokhara.
Day 12 : Pokhara
to Kathmandu
we drive to Kathmandu from Pokhara. We would enjoy the
scenic beauty of nature on the way. Upon arrival in
Kathmandu, we check-in to hotel. Overnight in the hotel.
Day 13 : Kathmandu
explore the exotic city. Our guide will take you to
visit the World Heritage Sites of the valley and some
other historically and culturally important places of
the valley.
Day 14 : Transfer
to airport for your next destination.
|
