Nepal | Notes from a Himalayan Odyssey

My long-cherished wish of visiting the Himalayan nation of Nepal finally came true this year. The Hindu majority country that shares borders with Tibet and India has always enamoured me with its diverse geography — from plains to the world’s highest mountains — and the desire to see it only grew stronger over time.

Not wanting to have a rushed trip, I planned a 12-day itinerary to soak in the country, its people, and their culture to the extent possible. The capital city Kathmandu, Janakpur, Pokhara and Muktinath — these four places traversing from flat plains to high rugged mountains of Mustang — were on agenda, and I wanted to visit them at my own pace. I often travel with my father, who at his age is always keen to explore new communities and ways of life. And, that makes our journeys fun and memorable as we do not plan much and always leave some room for uncertainty.

As summer peaked in Bengaluru this May, we embarked on our journey towards the Himalaya. We flew to Delhi, my home for close to 15 years before I moved down South, and stayed for a day at my sister’s place. Around 4:30 pm the next day we took a Nepal Airlines flight to Kathmandu. It started raining as the plane touched down Tribhuvan International Airport with distant mountains surrounding it. But the country’s only international airport till recently (Pokhara International Airport opened last year but has no international flight service so far) has a long way to go compared to the international airports in India. As it was already dark, we took the first cab available to our hotel in the bustling tourist area of Thamel in the heart of Kathmandu. Most of the cabs running on the city roads were Maruti Suzuki Alto and the views outside were no different than what we see back home.

In Nepal, the Indian currency is accepted easily all over but the preferred denomination is Rs 100, though some stores also accept Rs 500 notes. People there say this happened after India demonetized Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes in 2016.

Taking so much cash from India is certainly an issue that further aggravates as credit or debit cards issued in India are also not valid for foreign exchange in Nepal and Bhutan. This struck me when we reached hotel but fortunately one of my cards worked there and that later helped me replenish my cash balance whenever needed through our trip.

After a rejuvenating night sleep, we went around exploring Kathmandu’s myriad hues over the next three days. As we were in the middle of Thamel, we started the morning every day with long walks on the narrow lanes teeming with foreign tourists and lined with shops selling souvenirs, hemp bags and clothes, jewellery, hiking and trekking gear, and the Nepali khukri, the iconic curved knife that symbolizes the nation’s culture and heritage. Dotted with numerous pubs, bars, and cafes all over, Thamel comes alive after dark, abuzz with hundreds of tourists.

We then headed to the ancient Swayambhunath Stupa perched on a hillock northwest of Kathmandu valley. Joining the unending stream of devotees going up and down on steep stone steps leading to the stupa, we soon reached the top where a tiered golden tower sits on a large white dome, with four faces of the Buddha looking towards four directions of the valley. Believed to be built around 2000 years ago by Lichchhavi King Manadeva, Swayambhunath is among the oldest and holiest stupas in Nepal that also has Hindu temples and deities existing alongside monasteries. The divine place offers breathtaking views of the Kathmandu valley from the top.

After a short lunch break, we headed to Budhanilkantha Temple, one of the most revered and unique holy places of Lord Vishnu in Nepal where his large form reclines on a bed of snakes in a pond. Dating to the Lichchhavi period, the 5-metre-long monolith surrounded by water left us spellbound and divinely mesmerized. Legend has it that a farmer while ploughing his land struck a rock from which blood started oozing out. He unearthed the reclining idol of Lord Vishnu after he started digging the place.

A stopover at Kopan Monastery atop a hill, once home to the royal astrologer and now abode of over 350 monks, lamas, and workers, was refreshing. I had read about this monastery and so I wanted to see it.

Our day ended with the darshan of Lord Shiva at the famed Pashupatinath Temple, one of the most revered Hindu pilgrimage places in Nepal. The Pashupatinath (protector of animals) shivalinga is unique as it has four faces of Shiva in four cardinal directions and it is believed that the fifth face (the top part of the linga) is invisible. The vast temple is spread on the banks of the revered Bagmati river and has lots of monkeys, goats and some deers. Though amid divinity, we could not hide our dismay at the sight of the stinking black waters of Bagmati, literally choked with all kinds of waste and discharge. The evening arati on the polluted river steps packed with devotees and the burning funeral pyres not far away on the opposite bank was a stark contradiction beyond comprehension. The temple is part of the Kathmandu Valley World Heritage Site of UNESCO.

In the next two days, we explored more of Kathmandu and its outskirts, starting with the ancient Kathmandu Durbar Square, home to a host of royal palaces, courtyards, and temples. The kings were once crowned at these squares from where they also ruled. Among the several temples in the complex, we were naturally drawn towards the Kumari Temple, the official abode of the living Goddess Kumari who appears and blesses the visitors at specific hours.

From the crowded durbar square in the heart of the city, we headed to the misty top of the serene Chandragiri Hills, about 15 km away. The facilities of the entire Chandragiri Hills and Resort complex, right from the parking and the modern red cable cars that take you to 2550 metres atop the hill in just about 12 minutes are testimony to the changing face of Nepal, albeit at a slow pace. As the cable car moved swiftly over the lush green forests below, we were lost in the vast expanse of the valley unfolding before our eyes. From the hilltop, the breathtaking views of the glittering Mt. Manaslu and other Himalayan peaks left us speechless. The revered Bhaleshwor Mahadev Temple at the top seems to be located amid the clouds. It is the place from where Gorkha King Prithvi Narayan Shah first had a glimpse of the Kathmandu Valley and yearned to conquer it. It is believed that with the blessings of Lord Bhaleshwor, he conquered Kathmandu from the Malla Kingdom and later unified Nepal as one state.

We spent the rest of our day at the Dakshin Kali Temple and the Patan Durbar Square in Lalitpur, one of three durbar squares in the Kathmandu Valley, the other two in Kathmandu and Bhaktapur. The Krishna Temple and the Patan Museum, apart from the royal palace of the Malla kings, courtyards, and other exquisite temples, inside the square display rich Nepali culture and heritage. Our visit to Lalitpur coincided with the Rato Machhindranath Jatra where we were thrilled to witness hundreds of roused devotees pulling chariot of the God of rain and good times, a celebration that happens once every 12 years. ?

Wrapping up our Kathmandu leg, we flew next morning to Janakpur, the legendary capital of King Janak where Sita was born and got married to Lord Ram. The 25-minute flight to Janakpur was the shortest air journey we had ever taken. Flights are convenient and faster to reach many places in Nepal where roads are not good and hours of travelling could leave you tired. The ancient town of Janakpur is in Madhesh province of Nepal and lies very close to the Nepal-Bihar border. As Janakpur in ancient times was part of Bihar’s Mithila region, the culture, language, and ways of life are very similar here.

Janakpur has few good hotels and we were staying in what is considered the best there, opposite Dasrath Lake. We had about one and half days to explore Janakpur and we started with the iconic and most revered Janaki Mandir. The three-storey opulent white temple with 60 rooms, characterized by its vibrant colours, blends the Mughal and Koiri style of architecture and was built by the Queen of Tikamgarh (India) in 1910. The revered idol of Sita in this temple was found near Ayodhya. The temple complex also has a Vivah Mandap at the same place where the wedding of Lord Ram and Sita is said to have taken place. The temple sees incessant stream of devotees through the year.

Janakpur has 70 other small and big temples and about 90 ponds. The Dhanushadham Temple, around 18km from Janakpur, is the place where one of the pieces of the bow that Lord Ram broke at Sita’s swayamvar fell. A large fossilized piece resembling a part of a bow can be seen here, which millions of devotees pay homage to.

With so much religious significance for the Hindus of both Nepal and India, Janakpur has low levels of sanitation — unclean roads and ponds. The people and the civic body here seem to be indifferent in equal measure to the prevailing situation.

As our next destination — Pokhara — was calling, we bid farewell to the divine town of Janakpur. There is no direct flight from Janakpur to Pokhara, and one must fly with a stopover in Kathmandu, from where it merely takes 25 minutes. As mentioned earlier, air travel in Nepal is convenient and faster but remains somewhat risky with recurring plane accidents. Recently, a passenger plane crashed at Kathmandu airport during take-off on July 24 this year, killing 18 onboard.

We were walking towards Pokhara’s new international terminal soon after we touched down the airport nestled amid tall, green mountains in between mist and clouds. The city known for its majestic views of the Himalaya’s Annapurna range is perhaps the most visited in Nepal after Kathmandu. Our hotel opposite the iconic Phewa Lake and on the road teeming with colourful shops and eateries was just at the right place. Pokhara, everywhere, seemed relatively much cleaner and better, with tourists of all hue and ethnicity walking across the city.

There were quite a few places in Pokhara for us to discover and experience, and we started our day with a walk around the serene Phewa Lake dotted with brightly painted boats awaiting tourists. The other side of the lake is a densely forested hill alive with different species of birds and other small animals. Boats took smiling tourists across the lake to the base of the hill from where they embark on a short trek to World Peace Pagoda which offers breathtaking views of the snow-clad mountains.

Our next stop was Gupteshwar Mahadev cave that has a huge stalagmite Shiva linga. The cave is a long damp tunnel with water seeping from its walls, soaking the visitors and leading them to the roaring waters of the Davis falls at the end. The waterfall, that has its source in Phewa Lake, is named after a Swiss woman who was swept away in it several decades ago. The cave trek could make some people feel claustrophobic and is not quite suitable for the elderly. I made a quick return to join my father who preferred to wait outside.

We then headed to the Pumdikot hill where a giant 51-feet Lord Shiva is seated facing in the direction of Mount Kailash, with a 31 feet damru and 216 small shiva lingas surrounding it. The hill, that in the ancient times housed Bhumeshwar Mahadev temple, offers mesmerizing views of the snowy Annapurna range, one of the 14 Himalayan peaks above 8000 metres. The entrance to the complex has a big golden Nandi adoring the Lord. The place leaves you longing for more and you want to keep gazing at the Himalaya for hours.

Seeking to know more about these high Himalayan mountain ranges, we decided to explore the International Mountain Museum the next day. Opened in 2004, the expansive well-maintained museum has huge galleries showcasing the indigenous mountain inhabitants, their life and culture; mountains of the world with focus on the 14 peaks above 8,000 metres; and equipment needed for climbing high mountains along with a section on the legendary Himalayan snowman Yeti. The life like mannequins of different Himalayan ethnic communities complete with their traditional attire, utensils and other daily use objects are extremely interesting. Visitors can also take a break to see a short film on the Himalaya and the life of its ethic communities.

On the way back, we visited one of the oldest and most revered temples in the city — Bindhyabasini Temple — and saw the deep Seti River gorge carved through the city.

We wanted to try Nepal’s traditional Thakali thali for our dinner and luckily found an excellent place that served it near our hotel. This is the staple food of the Thakali people, a cultural and linguistic community having origins in the Thak Khola region of Nepal’s mountainous Mustang district. The thali comprises of dal, bhaat (rice), tarkari (vegetable), Mustang aloo with timbur, spinach saag, buckwheat finger chips, pickle, and lots of ghee. The simple cuisine with its local flavour and aroma was extremely delicious and gratifying. One must try the local food of Nepal to get the essence of the country’s culture, however, there are few pure vegetarian eateries anywhere and we had a difficult time finding one.

The Phewa Lake Road is always abuzz with tourists stepping in and out of the numerous colourful shops selling all kinds of things from jackets, shawls, shoes, souvenirs, jewellery, paintings, mountain hiking gear and many more. Another interesting place to explore here is the popular Seeing Hands Clinic that also has outlets in Kathmandu. The place offers a range healing body massage by blind therapists who have a heightened sense of touch and focus on the body’s pressure points. The initiative supports these visually impaired therapists who often come from poor rural families.

With this we wrapped up our Pokhara leg. Our last destination was the revered temple of Lord Vishnu in Muktinath at an elevation of 12,000 feet amid the lofty stark mountains of lower Mustang. One needs to obtain a permit to visit Muktinath as it falls in the Annapurna Conservation Area. The place is about 185 km from Pokhara but takes not less than 9-10 hours owing to the narrow mountain roads, mostly in extremely poor condition, traversing along the Kali Gandaki River. Prone to landslides and loose rocks falling from above, the road completely disappears at certain stretches, with vehicles, mostly Scorpio SUVs, having to make way through gushing streams and giant boulders. The journey to Muktinath offers an absolute off-road experience and turns extremely risky during the monsoon. The good thing is that we did see ongoing road construction work and several stretches becoming much smoother. There are also daily flights to Jomsom (22 km from Muktinath) from Pokhara that takes just 20 minutes, but the services could get affected due to changing weather conditions.

The person who drove us in a Scorpio also runs a tour company in Pokhara. He was friendly, experienced, and knowledgeable, and kept telling us about every place we crossed on the way. One crosses several places of significance — Naya Pul (from where a cable car project to Muktinath is proposed), Kushma (popular for bungee jumping, zipline), Baglung (has one of the longest suspension bridges in Asia), Beni (Galeshwar Dham temple), Tatopani (hot water pool), Rupse (waterfall), Ghasa (permit checkpost), Lete, Marpha, Jomsom, and Kakbeni (sangam of rivers Kali and Gandaki). The entire route is breathtaking with clear blue sky, giant snowcapped Himalayan mountains and gushing river flowing along. We also stopped for an unforgettable walk on the suspended bridge over the Kali Gandaki gorge, the world’s deepest gorge at over 18,000 feet. Thin like a thread, the Kali Gandaki River, as seen from here, seems to disappear in the gorge.

As we went further up and neared Mustang, the topography completely changed with icy winds crashing at our faces. The brown tall mountains were totally bereft of vegetation and seemed like towering mud dunes. Several mountains have numerous caves one above other clearly visible from a distance. Believed to be built thousands of years ago, the mystery of these sky caves is yet to be unravelled. We finally reached Muktinath by sunset and settled in our Tibetan style hotel. It was chilly and we sipped hot tea curled up in our jackets.

The next morning, we set out for the Muktinath Temple, which was just a 10-minute walk. It seemed everybody who had come there was walking to the temple. Most of the devotees were from of India, and many from Tamil Nadu and Gujarat. A flight of about 300 stairs takes the devotees to the sacred temple considered among 108 Divya Desams of Lord Vishnu and the only one outside India. It is also one of the 51 Shakti Peethas where one of the body parts of Sati fell. The temple is equally revered by the Buddhists and Tibetans who believe it to be the abode of Avalokitesvara and where Padmasambhava, the founder of Tibetan Buddhism, meditated on way to Tibet. Also, the Gandaki river that flows down from here is the only source of Shaligrama Shila, the stone form of Lord Vishnu worshipped across Hindu homes.

The life size idol of Lord Vishnu in this small temple is made of pure gold. The temple’s outer courtyard has two holy water tanks and 108 bull face water sprouts with sacred water pouring out believed to be from the 108 Divya Desams. Devotees first take a dip in the two water tanks and then walk under the 108 bull face water sprouts before having darshan of the Lord. Their icy cold waters do not deter those thousands already soaked in divine love and faith.

For some time, we too got entranced in the fervour of the place as if time had stopped. Nearby is a large Buddha statue and Jwala Mai temple fashioned like a Tibetan style gompa. The surrounding high mountains and the clear blue sky seen from the temple complex brings out the calmer self in everybody present there.

As the sun gradually started going down behind the mountains in Muktinath, we too started on our way back, carrying with us unforgettable memories and experiences.

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