Narayanhiti Palace ................................. #CS

Narayanhiti Palace

Narayanhiti Palace, or Narayanhiti Durbar (Nepali: नारायणहिटी दरवार) is a palace in Kathmandu,which long served as residence and principal workplace of the reigning Monarch of the Kingdom of Nepal, Located in the capital city of Kathmandu, the palace was often the centre of state occasions and royal hospitality. The palace complex is located towards east of the Kaiser Mahal next to Thamel,is incorporated in an impressive and vast array of courtyards, gardens and buildings.The current Narayanhiti Durbar was built by King Mahendra in 1961.

The name, ''Narayanhiti'' is made up of two words ‘Narayana’ and ‘Hiti’. Narayana is the Hindu god Vishnu, whose temple is located opposite to the palace. ‘Hiti’ means “water spout” in Newar language, which is also located to the east of main entrance in the precincts of the palace, a landmark that features prominently in local legends.

During the early Shah period, the site of the future Narayanhiti Palace was occupied by Dhokal singh Bashnet's house. Ownership of the site changed hands many times;after Dhokal singh Bashnet the site was occupied by Chautariya Fateh Jung Shah ( 6thPrime Minister of Nepal), his father courtier Choutaria Pran Shah and family.  During Kot massacre of 19 September 1846 both Prime Minister Chautariya Fateh Jang Shah along with his father Choutaria Pran Shah and brothers were killed or send in exile out of Kathmandu.After this massacre Narayanhiti Palace was taken over by Jung Bahadur Rana's brother future Prime Minister then colonel Ranodip Singh Kunwar. Colonel Ranodip Singh ordered minor renovation of the old palace of Choutaria Pran Shah and used it as his private residence.After ascending the throne of Prime Minister Maharaja in 1877, Narayanhit Durbar was again renovated, but this time much lavish and was extended into multi-wing palace On 22 November 1885 during a coup d'état Prime Minister Maharaja Ranodip Singh Kunwar was assassinated by his nephews,The Sumsher brothers(Khadga Shumsher, Chandra Shumsher, and Dumber Shumsher) somewhere in the southern wing of this palace.

After the death of Prime Minister Maharaja Ranodip Singh Kunwar, on 22 November 1885 Bir Shumsher JBR assessed the throne of Prime Ministership and took over the Narayanhiti palace of Ranodip Singh.In 1886 Bir Shumsher uprooted the whole Narayanhiti palace and build a new palace under the master Nepalese architect Jogbir Sthapit for his Son-in-law Maharajadhiraj King Prithvi Bir Bikram Shah.Thus moving the Royal residence of reigning Monarch of Kingdom of Nepal from Hanuman Dhoka Durbar to Narayanhiti Durbar.

In 1961 King Mahendra ordered the demolition of old palace and construction of new palace. The new palace was built in Nepalese architecture style under the design of Californian architect Benjamin Polk. Decade-long construction of the palace ended in 1970. The Griha Praves in the new palace was done on the occasion of the Hindu wedding ceremony of Prince Birendra the then-heir apparent to the throne on 27 February 1970.

Annapurna Base Camp ......................... #CS

Mount Everest

Annapurna Base Camp Trek is an amazing way to experience the beauty of the Annapurna region complete with high mountains, lush hills, rich local culture and a variety of flora and fauna. Mt. Annapurna (8091m) is the 10th highest mountain in the world and the journey to its base camp is one of the most popular treks on earth. Like any other trip in the Annapurna region, our Annapurna Base Camp Trek also begins in Pokhara, widely known as the ‘Lake City’ and passes through cascading waterfalls, beautiful villages, terraced farmlands, lush rhododendron forests, and amazing mountain vistas before reaching the base of the mighty Annapurna.

Annapurna Base Camp Trek is simply a walk to base camp of tenth highest Annapurna Mountain. This walk defines nature, landscapes, Himalayas and local cultures at its best. Starting and ending point is beautiful Pokhara city and everything done, seen and been between those days can’t simply be explained in words. You must see it to believe it.

In just around two weeks of this Annapurna Sanctuary hiking adventure, get a chance to view excellent panoramic views of Annapurnas, Machhapuchre, Dhaulagiri, Himchuli, Nilgiri and other nearby snow capped Himalayas. In the similar passion, we also get deep insights into local Gurung communities at beautiful Gurung villages. This Annapurna Trek is also an opportunity to spot various flora and fauna like Himalayan Thar, leopards, honey bee, different species of birds, rhododendron and other floras.

Annapurna Base Camp Trek Alternative Routes:

There are few other routes at lower altitudes from Pokhara to connect at Chommrong. Depending on which time and interest suits you best, you can choose either to hike from Dhampus-> Ghandruk or Nayapul -> Tikhedunga. The trail is however same from Chomrung onwards.  Poon hill is a vantage point for the view of Annapurna plus other peaks for sunrise and sunset. And we have included it in our standard itinerary via Nayapul ->Tikhedhunga.

ABC Trek is most popular hence well developed teahouse trekking where we stay overnight at various locally owned teahouses. It also connects us with local inhabitants. We interact with them and know their side of the story, their lifestyle, cultures etc.

Another attraction along this ABC route is natural hot spring at Jhinu danda. If we spent overnight there, we will walk few minutes down at hot spring and dip ourselves for a bath. Its relaxing! Best time being the autumn and spring seasons, anyone with moderate fitness can be part of our next Annapurna Base Camp trek adventure. See you soon at heart of Himalayas.

Machhapuchhre

Bhimsen Tower (DHARAHARA) .................................. #CS

Dharahara

Dharahara (Nepali: धरहरा), also called Bhimsen Tower, was a nine-storey, 61.88-metre-tall (203.0 ft) tower at the center of Sundhara in Kathmandu.  It was built in 1832 by Mukhtiyar (equivalent to Prime Minister) Bhimsen Thapa under the commission of Queen Lalit Tripura Sundari and was a part of the architecture of Kathmandu recognized by UNESCO.

The tower had a spiral staircase containing 213 steps. The eighth floor held a circular balcony for observers that provided a panoramic view of the Kathmandu valley. It also had a 5.2-metre (17 ft) bronze mast on the roof.

Most of the tower collapsed in the 25 April 2015 Nepal earthquake, but the base remains. Sixty bodies were found in the rubble.  Reconstruction of the tower is to commence in November 2017.

Dharahara in Kathmandu was the tallest building in Nepal and the second such tower built by Bhimsen Thapa. The first tower was built eight years earlier in 1824 and was 11 stories high, two stories taller than the Dharahara. Dharahara is said to be built for Queen Lalit Tripura Sundari, who was the niece of Bhimsen Thapa.

During the earthquake of 1834, both towers survived, but the first Bhimsen's tower suffered severe damage. A century later, on 15 January 1934, another earthquake completely destroyed the first tower, and only two of the 9 stories of the second tower remained. The then Prime Minister of Nepal, Juddha Shumsher, subsequently carried out renovation work of the Dharahara tower to fully restore it. After the original Bhimsen Tower was destroyed, Queen Lalit Tripura Sundari's tower became known as 'Bhimsen Stambha' or 'Bhimsen Tower'.

Dharahara was constructed for military use as a watchtower. When incidents of national importance occurred, bugles were blown from the top floor of the tower. This was the signal for soldiers to assemble. This tradition of bugle trumpeting continued until the collapse of the tower.

On 25 April 2015, another earthquake, with an estimated magnitude of 7.9 (M_w), hit the region, leading to the collapse of the tower. The earthquake's epicenter was approximately 29 kilometres (18 mi) east-southeast of Lamjung, Nepal. The structure collapsed and only its base survived.

In February 2016, the government decided to rebuild the tower, and Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Sharma Oli and his cabinet ministers contributed one month's salary to the rebuilding. A fund called I will construct Dharahara was also established to collect money for the reconstruction. According to Sushil Gyawali, a civil engineer who heads the National Reconstruction Agency, the new tower will be earthquake-resistant.  The foundation stone of the new tower is to be laid down on 24 April 2016.

The architecture of Dharahara was designed in both Mughal and European style. It resembled an Islamic minaret. The statue of Hindu deity Shiva was placed on the top of the tower.

Bhaktapur Durbar Square ..................................... #CS

Bhaktapur Durbar Square

Bhaktapur Durbar Square is the plaza in front of the royal palace of the old Bhaktapur Kingdom, 1400m above sea level. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The Bhaktapur Durbar Square is located in the current town of Bhaktapur, also known as Bhadgaon,  which lies 13 km east of Kathmandu. While the complex consists of at least four distinct squares (Durbar Square, Taumadhi Square, Dattatreya Square and Pottery Square), the whole area is informally known as the Bhakapur Durbar Square and is a highly visited site in the Kathmandu Valley.

The Durbar Square proper houses the 55-window Palace which was constructed by King Jitamitra Malla and was home to royalty until 1769. It is now a national gallery. Close by is the Golden Gate which leads into Mulchok Court which is home to the Taleju Temple. This temple, like others in the main towns of the Kathmandu Valley, is dedicated to the goddess Taleju Bhawani and includes shrines to both the Taleju Bhawani and Kumari. Entrance to the temple is restricted and the living goddess strictly cannot be photographed.

The Durbar square is surrounded by spectacular architecture and vividly showcases the skills of the Newari artists and craftsmen over several centuries. The royal palace was originally situated at Dattaraya square and was only later moved to the Durbar square location.

The Durbar square at Bhaktapur was severely damaged by an earthquake in 1934 and hence appears more spacious than the others, in Kathmandu and Patan.

Originally, there were 99 courtyards attached to this place, but now only 6 remain. Before the 1934 earthquake, there were 3 separate groups of temples. Currently, the square is surrounded by buildings that survived the quake.

On 25 April 2015, another major earthquake damaged many buildings in the square. The main temple in Bhaktapur's square lost its roof, while the Vatsala Devi temple, famous for its sandstone walls and gold-topped pagodas, was demolished by the quake.

Chandragiri Hill ...................................... #CS

Chandragiri Hill

Chandragiri Hill, seven kilometres from Thankot, lies on the South-West of Kathmandu Valley and is 2551 metres from sea level. Soaring peaks and breath taking views of whole Kathmandu Valley covered with lush green blanket of flora makes Chandragiri truly a great bountiful and pristine landscape. The panoramic views of Kathmandu Valley & Himalayan ranges from Annapurna to Everest makes any one feel like seeing whole Nepal from this hill.

Chandragiri hills carry historical significance as well. It was from these hills that King Prithivi Narayan Shah caught the first glimpse of a much scenic and prosperous Kathmandu valley, which in fact instilled in the king’s mind an idea of annexing the valley into his kingdom. According to folklore, Prithivi Narayan Shah is believed to have amassed spiritual powers for unification process after undergoing rigorous ‘sadhana’ or meditation at these very hills. The Gorkhali King disguised himself while ascending the hills in order to avoid being recognized by the Malla Kings of Kathmandu Valley.

In his ‘Divyopadesh’ (Divine Preaching), it has been mentioned that King Prithivi Narayan Shah was determined to first annex and then make Kathmandu the capital of unified Nepal. He apparently first saw the valley while on his way back to his kingdom in Gorkha from his in-law’s realm in Makwanpur. Astrologers Bhanu Aryal and Kulananda Dhakal who accompanied the king during that trip had made a prediction that their king’s wish to takeover Kathmandu would definitely come true. As per popular belief, pleased with his perseverance and Sadhana, it was Bhaleshwor Mahadev that granted King Prithivi Narayan Shah his wishes.

Budhanilkantha Temple ............................ #CS

Budhanilkantha Temple

Budhanilkantha Temple, located in Budhanilkantha, Nepal, (Nepali: बुढानीलकंठ मन्दिर) (literal: "Old Blue Throat") is a Hindu open air temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu. Budhanilkantha Temple is situated below the Shivapuri Hill at the northern end of the kathmandu valley and can be identified by a large reclining statue of Lord Vishnu. The temple's main statue of Budhanilkantha is considered the largest stone carving in Nepal.

Budhanilkantha temple, also known as the Narayanthan Temple, is situated in kathmandu. Though the temple is named Budhanilkantha, its name does not come from the Buddha; Budhanilkantha stands instead for “Old Blue Throat”. The statue symbolizes Lord Vishnu, who is regarded as one of the 'Trimurtis', along with Brahma and Shiva.

According to one story, a farmer and his wife once struck a figure while plowing the field, which caused it to start soaking blood into the ground. This turned out to be the figure of lost deity of Budhanilkantha, which was recovered and placed in its present position.

Another legend states that the statue was sculpted and brought to its current location in Kathmandu during the reign of the seventh-century monarch Vishnu Gupta, who controlled the Kathmandu Valley under the Lichchhavi king Bhimarjuna Dev.

The main statue is a black stone structure carved from a single block of black basalt. The statue stands 5 meters tall (around 16.4 feet) and is positioned in the middle of a recessed pool of water, which is 13 meters (42.65 feet) long. It depicts the deity reclining on the coils of the cosmic serpent Shesha.

Basantapur Darbar Square ................................... #CS

Basantapur Durbar Square

Kathmandu Durbar Square (Basantapur Darbar Kshetra) in front of the old royal palace of the former Kathmandu Kingdom is one of three Durbar (royal palace) Squares in the Kathmandu Valley in Nepal, all of which are UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Several buildings in the Square collapsed due to a major earthquake on 25 April 2015. Durbar Square was surrounded with spectacular architecture and vividly showcases the skills of the Newar artists and craftsmen over several centuries. The Royal Palace was originally at Dattaraya square and was later moved to the Durbar square.

The Kathmandu Durbar Square held the palaces of the Malla and Shah kings who ruled over the city. Along with these palaces, the square surrounds quadrangles, revealing courtyards and temples. It is known as Hanuman Dhoka Durbar Square, a name derived from a statue of Hanuman, the monkey devotee of Lord Ram, at the entrance of the palace.

In the time of Pratap Malla, son of Laksminar Simha, the square was extensively developed. He was an intellectual, a pious devotee, and especially interested in arts. He called himself a Kavindra, king of poets, and boasted that he was learned in fifteen different languages. A passionate builder, following his coronation as a king, he immediately began enlargements to his royal palace, and rebuilt some old temples and constructed new temples, shrines and stupas around his kingdom.

Kathmandu's Durbar Square is the site of the Hanuman Dhoka Palace Complex, which was the royal Nepalese residence until the 19th century and where important ceremonies, such as the coronation of the Nepalese monarch, took place. The palace is decorated with elaborately-carved wooden windows and panels and houses the King Tribhuwan Memorial Museum and the Mahendra Museum. It is possible to visit the state rooms inside the palace.

Time and again the temples and the palaces in the square have gone through reconstruction after being damaged by natural causes or neglect. Presently there are less than ten quadrangles in the square. The temples are being preserved as national heritage sites and the palace is being used as a museum. Only a few parts of the palace are open for visitors and the Taleju temples are only open for people of Hindu and Buddhist faiths.

At the southern end of Durbar Square is one of the most curious attractions in Nepal, the Kumari Chok. This gilded cage contains the Raj Kumari, a girl chosen through an ancient and mystical selection process to become the human incarnation of the Hindu mother goddess, Durga. She is worshiped during religious festivals and makes public appearances at other times for a fee paid to her guards.

Patan Durbar Square .................................. #CS

Patan Durbar Square

Patan Durbar Square is situated at the centre of the city of Lalitpur in Nepal. It is one of the three Durbar Squares in the Kathmandu Valley, all of which are UNESCO World Heritage Sites. One of its attraction is the ancient royal palace where the Malla Kings of Lalitpur resided.

The Durbar Square is a marvel of Newa architecture. The Square floor is tiled with red bricks. There are many temples and idols in the area. The main temples are aligned opposite of the western face of the palace. The entrance of the temples faces east, towards the palace. There is also a bell situated in the alignment beside the main temples. The Square also holds old Newari residential houses. There are various other temples and structures in and around Patan Durbar Square built by the Newa People.

Patan is one of the oldest known Buddhist cities. It is a center of both Hinduism and Buddhism with 136 bahals or courtyards and 55 major temples. Most of these structures are in the vicinity of the Durbar Square.

Krishna Mandir :

Krishna temple is the most important temple in Patan Durbar Square.  It is built in the Shikhara style imported from India although it is unique in its own way. The stone carvings along the bean above the first and second floor pillar is most notable. The first floor pillar carvings narrate the events of the Mahabharata, while on the second floor there are visual carvings from Ramayana.

The temple was built in 1637 by King Siddhinarasimh Malla. It is said that one night the King saw the Lord Krishna and his consort Srimati Radha standing in front of the royal palace. He ordered a temple to be built on the same spot. There are 21 golden pinnacles in the temple. Below the pinnacles are 3 stories. The first floor holds the main shrine of Lord Krishna with shrines of Radha and Rukmini at each side. The second floor is dedicated to Lord Shiva and the third to Lokeshwor(Lord Buddha).