Other Travel Sojourns 

Nepal नेपाल

 

Nepal (English: /nɪˈpɔːl/;Nepali: नेपाल [nepal]), officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal

(Nepali: सङ्घीय लोकतान्त्रिक गणतन्त्र नेपाल), is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is mainly situated in the Himalayas, but also includes parts of the Indo-Gangetic Plain. It borders the Tibet Autonomous Region of China to the north, and India in the south, east, and west, while it is narrowly separated from Bangladesh by the Siliguri Corridor, and from Bhutan by the Indian state of Sikkim.

 

Nepal has a diverse geography, including fertile plains, subalpine forested hills, and eight of the world's ten tallest mountains, including Mount Everest, the highest point on Earth. Kathmandu is the nation's capital and the largest city. Nepal is a multi-ethnic, multi-lingual, multi-religious and multi-cultural state, with Nepali as the official language.

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The name "Nepal" is first recorded in texts from the Vedic period of the Indian subcontinent, the era in ancient Nepal when Hinduism was founded, the predominant religion of the country. In the middle of the first millennium BC, Gautama Buddha, the founder of Buddhism, was born in Lumbini in southern Nepal. Parts of northern Nepal were intertwined with the culture of Tibet. The centrally located Kathmandu Valley is intertwined with the culture of Indo-Aryans, and was the seat of the prosperous Newar confederacy known as Nepal Mandala.

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The Himalayan branch of the ancient Silk Road was dominated by the valley's traders. The cosmopolitan region developed distinct traditional art and architecture. By the 18th century, the Gorkha Kingdom achieved the unification of Nepal. The Shah dynasty established the Kingdom of Nepal and later formed an alliance with the British Empire, under its Rana dynasty of premiers.

 

The country was never colonised but served as a buffer state between Imperial China and British India. Parliamentary democracy was introduced in 1951 but was twice suspended by Nepalese monarchs, in 1960 and 2005. The Nepalese Civil War in the 1990s and early 2000s resulted in the establishment of a secular republic in 2008, ending the world's last Hindu monarchy.

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Ref: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nepal

 

"On Top of the World" 

 

Nepal Tourism

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A hub for the adventure-lovers and home to Mt. Everest, the world's tallest peak, Nepal is a Himalayan country sandwiched between India and China. The mighty snow-capped mountains here such as Annapurna, Mount Everest, Manaslu, and Kanchenjunga are home to some of the best trekking trails in the world.

 

Nepal is also a major religious hub with its many pilgrimage sites for the followers of Buddhism and Hinduism like the Pashupatinath Temple and the Boudhanath Stupa. Lumbini, a small Buddhist hub in Nepal is the birthplace of Lord Buddha. To make things better, the crime rates are very low, making it a very safe travel destination.

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Ref: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nepal

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Kathmandu काठमाडौँ

 

Kathmandu, officially Kathmandu Metropolitan City, is the capital and most populous city of Nepal with 845,767 inhabitants living in 105,649 households in 2021 and 2.9 million people in its urban agglomeration. It is located in the Kathmandu Valley, a large valley in the high plateaus in central Nepal, at an altitude of 1,400 metres (4,600 feet).

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The city is one of the oldest continuously inhabited places in the world, founded in the 2nd century AD. The valley was historically called the "Nepal Mandala" and has been the home of the Newar people, a cosmopolitan urban civilization in the Himalayan foothills. The city was the royal capital of the Kingdom of Nepal and hosts palaces, mansions and gardens built by the Nepali aristocracy. It has been home to the headquarters of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) since 1985. Today, it is the seat of government of the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, established in 2008, and is part of Bagmati Province.

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Kathmandu is and has been for many years the centre of Nepal's history, art, culture, and economy. It has a multi-ethnic population within a Hindu and Buddhist majority. Religious and cultural festivities form a major part of the lives of people residing in Kathmandu. Tourism is an important part of the economy in the city. In 2013, Kathmandu was ranked third among the top ten upcoming travel destinations in the world by TripAdvisor, and ranked first in Asia.

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The city is considered the gateway to the Nepal Himalayas and is home to several World Heritage Sites: The Durbar Square, Swayambhu Mahachaitya, Bouddha and Pashupatinath. Kathmandu valley is growing at 4 percent per year according to the World Bank in 2010, making it one of the fastest-growing metropolitan areas in South Asia, and the first region in Nepal to face the unprecedented challenges of rapid urbanization and modernization at a metropolitan scale.[4] It is the largest metropolitan area located in the Himalayas.

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Ref: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kathmandu

 

"The City of Peace"

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Kathmandu Tourism

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Sprawled over its namesake valley surrounded by Himalayan mountains, Kathmandu is Nepal’s capital and most-visited destination, full of ancient temples, golden pagodas, natural beauty and fascinating villages. At an elevation of 4,344 feet, Kathmandu marks the confluence of the Bagmati and Vishnumati rivers.

 

One can find excellent trekking options of the world’s tallest peaks, stunning Indo-Tibetan and Newari craftsmanship, UNESCO-listed heritage landmarks and delicious food here.

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Kathmandu is the gateway to exploring Nepal’s essence. Amidst the old city’s maze-like alleyways is the 1627-built Durbar Square, where locals frolic during Indra Jatra masked dance festival.

 

Swayambhunath Stupa, Pashupatinath Temple, Monkey Temple and Boudha Stupa are some more eminent religious establishments. Outdoor enthusiasts flock to Nagarkot, Rani Pokhari Lake and Champadevi Hill for hiking, bungee jumping, rafting and mountain climbing.

 

Learning about Buddhism at Kopan Monastery, buying pashmina shawls and trinkets at Indra Chowk and Thamel’s markets and digging into steaming momos are great ways to enhance the experience.

From courtyards of drying chillies and rice, incense wafting out of shrines, national museums, and contemporary Nepali art galleries to hobbit-sized workshops, bustling bazaars, rickshaws, Thukpa and Everest beer, Kathmandu offers something unique for every tourist, devotee, backpacker, history buff, foodie and shopaholic.

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Pokhara पोखरा

 

Pokhara, the 'Tourist Capital of Nepal,' is the second-largest city in this Himalayan country, after Kathmandu. At an altitude of more than 900m, it is one of the highest cities, making it the base for many world-famous treks.

 

The highlight of the town is its Lakeside, which is a boating paradise flanked with charming shops, dreamy cafés, restaurants and pubs that make up this postcard-perfect town.

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For adventure enthusiasts, Pokhara is a popular starting point for many treks in the Annapurna Range as well as many paragliding and river rafting opportunities. You can take solo or tandem rides, depending on your expertise. River rafting and white-water rafting are offered on Seti Gandaki and her tributaries.

The city is a beautiful contrast of the bustling Lakeside Pokhara and Old Pokhara, which is home to many beautiful historical temples and is also the city's commercial hub. Phewa Lake (or Phewa Tal), a spectacular lake that borders Lakeside Pokhara and Old Pokhara, it flawlessly reflects the mountains that border it, making it a breathtaking photo-op.

 

The old city houses shops where you can buy famous handicrafts, woodwork and woolwork.

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Ref: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pokhara

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SOS Childrens Village Pokhara Nepal SOS बाल गाउँ पोखरा नेपाल

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Thousands of poor families live on the margins of society in Nepal, which means that their children are born into a life of disadvantage, where they do not have the same opportunities to develop their full potential as other children. When parents are struggling just to provide for their children’s most basic needs such as food and shelter, the children’s emotional, educational and psychological needs are often neglected.

The SOS Social Centre in Pokhara reaches out to struggling families in the neighbouring communities and provides a family strengthening programme for underprivileged families from Tibet, autonomous region of China. One of the main pillars of the programme is to ensure that children can attend school.

 

Many parents cannot afford to send their children to school as the costs for tuition, school uniforms and books are too high for them. By granting such children a “Hermann Gmeiner Scholarship”, which covers all costs associated with attending school, we enable children to study, thus providing the basis for them to go on to higher education or vocational training. Their chances later in life are therefore greatly improved.

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SOS Children’s Villages began its work in Pokhara with the construction of a home for Tibetan children in 1975 due to the great number of children who were without parental care. An SOS Children’s Village was then opened in the village of Chhorepatan near Pokhara in 1978 in order to give children a more permanent home.

Care in SOS families: Today, children from Tibet, autonomous region of China who have lost or been separated from their parents can find a loving home in one of 15 SOS families. The children live with their brothers and sisters, affectionately cared for by their SOS mother.

Next to the children’s village is the Tashi-ling Tibetan Refugee Camp, and there are lots of joint celebrations to keep social and cultural traditions alive. The children from the refugee camp also attend our kindergarten and schools.

Education: Together with Nepali and Tibetan children from the neighbourhood, the children from SOS families attend the SOS Kindergarten and the SOS primary and secondary schools, which provide a solid educational foundation. The SOS Vocational Training Centre in Pokhara offers courses in different crafts and trades so that the young people can make a living. It also includes dormitories for male and for female students.

Support for young people: Young people from SOS families who are ready to move out of home in order to study or receive vocational training can join the SOS Youth Programme, where they live together, supervised and guided by a professional counsellor as they make the transition into independent adulthood.

Emergency Programme: In 2015, after the strong earthquake caused widespread damage and suffering, SOS Children’s Villages co-workers from SOS Children’s Village Pokhara offered emergency help - in the form of food, first aid, water and shelter - to local families in need. We also set up two Child Friendly Spaces. These provided day care and food to children from families who had been affected by the natural disaster.

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Ref: https://www.sos-childrensvillages.org/where-we-help/asia/nepal/pokhara