Nepal- A pilgrim’s passage to trans-Himalaya

Nepal- A pilgrim's passage to trans-Himalaya

 

Kathmandu- June, 2009

 

Pashupatinath shrine

 

I had set out on a pilgrim expedition to Nepal with a group of writers at the call of Nepal Tourism Board in 2009. Perhaps it was the fascination with the divine that I headed to Kathmandu. I stayed at Hotel Yak and Yeti in the city. Pashupatinath shrine on the banks of river Bagmati is a World Heritage site and is undoubtedly the most significant religious landmark of Kathmandu. 
 

Resting on Slesh Mantak Hill, the shrine is in the form of a pagoda that rises high with its two-tierred gold-plated roofs. The shrine has profusely carved four gold and silver plated doors at its entrance. Paying obeisance to the self-styled Lingam with four faces pointing at four directions was the highpoint of our trip. It was here that we sighted sadhus smeared with sandal paste, vermillion and ashes.

 

Boudanath Temple

 

 Another must-see destination is Boudanath, the biggest stupa in Nepal and one of the largest in South Asia. A world heritage monument, the colossal stupa belongs to 5th century AD and has praying wheels embossed with mantras. The stupa flaunts fascinating architecture with a plethora of icons of Buddha, Bodhisattvas and female deities and we came across many ancient gompas and Tibetan Lamas. 

 

Bhaktapur

 

Around 12 km from Kathmandu is Bhaktapur or the “City of Devotees” that dates back to 12th century and a visit to the city took us back to the age-old world. The city has been the brainchild of King Anand Dev Malla and is an art gallery replete with monuments, palaces, exotic pagoda-shaped temples and monasteries and its bylanes are inhabited by Newari tribes.

 

Vatsala Temple, Bhaktapur

 

The Bhaktapur Durbar Square is a World Heritage site and one can explore the architectural wonders of 17th century Vatsala temple, Chyasalin Mandap and the Lion Gate.

 

Palace of 55 Windows, Bhaktapur

 

We explored the Palace of 55 Windows that is the prime attraction of Bhaktapur. It is a medieval palace flaunting architectural wonders with innumerable ornamented windows and was set up by King Yaksha Malla. 

 

Nyatapole Temple, Bhaktapur

We explored the Taumadhi Square that has 17th century, five-storied Nyatapole temple in the shape of a pagoda rising to a height of 35 metres that is devoted to the tantric deity of Siddha Lakshmi.

Changu Narayan

Changu Narayan, Bhaktapur

 

For those bitten by travel bug and if heritage tourism is your forte, Changu Narayan in Bhaktapur district of Nepal, the earliest pilgrim destination in Kathmandu valley is the place to be. It was our stroke of luck that we had to scrap off our trip to the historical town of Patan owing to Maoist agitation and made our last-minute visit to Changu Narayan. Lying about 6 km from Bhaktapur and around 18 km from Kathmandu, Changu Narayan lies at a height of about 1,541 metres above sea level and traces back to 3rd century AD. The monument is a religious and historical landmark and serves as the best example of Nepalese architecture. The word “Changu” is derived from Newari and connotes Champa flowers and was a metropolitan city in medieval times.

The shrine complex is a store-house of prominent sculptures and we first sighted Garuda, the flight vehicle of Lord Vishnu and the famed historical stone pillar with inscriptions in pro-Licchivi script. The shrine of Chinnamasta is the most interesting monument at the south-east of Changu Narayan complex and is the oldest structure. The shrine of Changu Narayan in the form of pagoda soaring 45 metres high is dedicated to Lord Vishnu. It came up sometime in 17th century and attracts both Hindu and Buddhist pilgrims. We gaped at the huge gold-plated doors with highly carved Hindu pantheons at the entrance of the shrine. We dropped into the nearby Changu Museum housed in a private residence that has preserved an impressive collection of relics from bygone era including musical instruments, weapons, earthen wares, metal works and coins belonging to royal dynasties of Nepal right from king Tribhuvan to Mahendra and Birendra to Gyanendra.

Pokhra

 

The “City of Lakes” is the second largest tourist getaway in Nepal and is dominated by the snow-capped, fish-tailed mountain- Machhapucchre soaring at a height of 6,977 metres. The city is the base camp for trekking expeditions to Jomsom region and Annapurna. Viewing Machhapucchre and Annapurna range comprising Annapurna I to IV offered a feeling of divine bliss. We had halted at Pokhra Grande. We travelled to Vindhyabasini temple in the shape of white dome and the ancient, dark, limestone cave of Gupteshwar Mahadev believed to be one of the largest caves in South Asia that was well worth our effort. I recall the arduous trek stretching 40-metre downward that one has to undertake to reach the cow shade and the much-revered shrine honouring Lingam. We had to negotiate through shallow, steep steps leading 500 feet below to a stunning Devi’s Fall, locally known as Patale Chhango.

For those interested to know about lesser-known facts relating to the Himalayas, the ethnic Himalayan tribes and the whereabouts of Yeti- the abominable snowman, step in to International Mountain Museum that was established in 2004. At the museum, we visited the various galleries including Mountain People gallery, Mountain gallery, Mountain activities and Periodic gallery.

Cruising the Phewa Lake, the largest in Pokhra is a magical experience. The lake harbours 22 species of fishes and we had a glimpse of the two-storied island shrine, Barahi temple.

 

Muktinath

 

We were all set to travel to trans-Himalayan region of Nepal and took an 18-seater Yeti Airlines flight from Pokhra and flew down to remote Jomsom in the Mustang valley. It was an exciting flight journey with views of Begnas Lake and up-close views of majestic Himalayan peaks like Machhapucchre and Annapurna. Once we alighted at Jomsom, the cold weather was piercing our skin and we quickly tucked ourselves with warm woollens. At Jomsom, we stayed at Hotel Alka Marco Polo, the only decent accommodation option.

The Himalayan town of Jomsom at a height of 2,720 metres from the ground is a part of Annapurna Conservation Area Project and is the starting point for high-altitude trek to Upper Mustang Valley. We could get close views of lofty Himalayan peaks from our hotel like Tilicho and Nilgiri. We checked into the Tourist Information Centre to receive the valid entry permit for our high-altitude trek to Muktinath. Once we started off, we came near the banks of river Kali Gandaki, the deepest gorge in the world. In the meantime, we could get grand views of Dhaulagiri range that appeared every now and then.

We reached the Army School of Mountain Warfare at Jomsom and hired a jeep to reach Muktinath. It was one-a-half hour bone-jarring journey through rocky trekking trail where we had unforgettable glimpses of black waters of Kali Gandaki winding its way through the terrain dotted with tiny Tibetan hamlets like Kagbeni, Khinga and Jharkot that are populated by indigenous Himalayan tribes like Thakalis and Gurungs of Tibetan origin. There are numerous Buddhist flags dominating the hamlets. One gets to view the changing landscape from Jomsom onwards and the biodiversity gets richer. For the first time, we passed through barren Himalayan landscape comprising the Plateau of Tibet and canyons that are similar to Ladakh. We braved the gutsy winds in our trekking route and came near the Muktinath check post and began our half-an-hour uphill trek to reach the shrine.

Muktinath Shrine

 

The cold weather was biting us and we managed to reach the ancient, holy shrine where time stands still. Resting at 3,800 metres height, Muktinath shrine is in the shape of pagoda and is revered to Lord Vishnu flanked by Goddess Saraswati and Lakshmi on either side. We sprinkled ice-cold water from Vishnu Kund and entered the shrine adorned with copper and silver works and watched the puja performed at an unhurried pace. There are 108 spots for devouts to take bath in the shrine complex. At a distance of 100 metres from Muktinath is the shrine of Jwala Devi where the divine flame goes on burning for ages. Once back from the shrine, our hunger pangs had started beating and we sat down for a filling Tibetan lunch at Bob Marley restaurant in Muktinath. We could get an authentic experience of Tibetan culture in Mustang valley.