Lumbini - Birth Place of Buddha

About Lumbini


Lumbini is located in the south-central Terai of Nepal, situated in the foothills of the Himalayas. For millions of Buddhists the world over, it evokes a kind of holy sentiment akin to the significance of Jerusalem to Christians and Mecca to Muslims. Lumbini is the place where Lord Buddha - the apostle of peace, and the Light of Asia - was born in 623 B.C. In historical terms, the region is an exquisite treasure-trove of ancient ruins and antiquities, dating back to the pre-Christian era. The site (Lumbini Grove) was described as a beautiful garden in the Buddha's time and still retains its legendary charm and beauty. Both the Shakyas and Kolias Clans owned the garden and its tranquil environs at the time of Lord Buddha's birth. King Suddhodana, father of Buddha was of the Shakya Dynasty belonging to the Kshatriya or Warrior Caste.

For centuries, Buddhists the world over knew that the general area of Lumbini was where the Lord was born. In the words of those famous Chinese pilgrims of antiquity, Huian Tsang and Faeihan, 'Lumbini -where the Lord was born - is a piece of Heaven on Earth, where one could see the snowy mountains amidst a splendid garden, embedded with stupas and monasteries!' However, the exact location remained uncertain and obscure until 1 December 1886 when a wandering German archaeologist Dr. Alois A. Fuhrer came across a stone pillar and ascertained beyond doubt it was indeed the birthplace of Lord Buddha. Since that day it has become a focal point for hundreds of thousands of pilgrims.

Lumbini is the fourth largest tourist destination in Nepal. Nearly 20,000 tourists visit the area every year (Source: Nepal Tourism Board). Recently, UNESCO has declared it a World Heritage Site. It has great potential to grow as the major tourist destination in years to come.

The significance of Lumbini
Many of the places that were of importance to the Lord Buddha during his life retain a potent significance to Buddhists of today. Unsurprisingly, nowhere has a greater significance than the site of his birth. In the words of Buddha himself: "O-Bhikshus', after my death when people and members of a new generation come and ask you, then tell them that here the Buddha was born, here he attained the full enlightenment, here he turned the wheel of Dharma twelve times, and here finally the Buddha entered into Parinirvana". Hundreds of years have gone by, but the architectural splendours of that era are still standing and serve as a vivid reminder of the origins of Buddhist philosophy and doctrines. As a complement to the temples and shrines, our aim is to create a living environment in which Buddha would have felt at home during his life.

Royal Chitwan National Park

Royal Chitwan National Park

Introduction:

Royal Chitwan National Park stands today as a successful testimony of nature conservation in South Asia. This is the first national park of Nepal established in 1973 to preserve a unique ecosystem significantly valuable to the whole world. The park covering a pristine area of 932 sq. km is situated in the subtropical inner Terai lowlands of southern central part of Nepal. The park has gained much wider recognition in the world when UNESCO included this area on the list of World Heritage Site in 1984.

Formerly, the Chitwan valley was well known for big game and was exclusively managed as a hunting reserve for the Rana Prime Ministers and their guests until 1950. In 1963, the area south of Rapti was demarcated as a rhinoceros sanctuary. In 1970, His late Majesty King Mahendra had approved in principle the creation of Royal Chitwan National Park.

The park consists of churia hills, ox-bow lakes, flood plains of Rapti, Reu and Narayani rivers. The Churia hill rises gradually towards the east from 150 m to over 800 m. The lower but most rugged Someshwor hills occupy most of the western portion of the park. The flood plains of Chitwan are rich alluvial. The park boundaries have been delineated by the Narayani and Rapti rivers in the north and west, and the Reu river and Someshwor hills in the south and south-west. It shares its eastern border with Parsa Wildlife Reserve.

Vegetation and Animals:

* The Chitwan valley is characterized by tropical to subtropical forest. 70% of park vegetation is predominantly Sal ( Shorea robusta ) forest, a moist deciduous climax vegetation type of the Terai region. The remaining vegetation types include grassland (20%), riverine forest (7%) and Sal with Chirpine ( Pinus roxburghii ) (3%), the latter occurring at the top of the Churia range. The riverine forests mainly consists of khair, sissoo and simal. The simal is with spiny bark when young and develops buttress at the bottom in older stage. The grasslands form a diverse and complex community with over 50 species. The Sacchrum species, often called elephant-grass can reach 8 m in height. The shorter grasses such as Imperata is useful for thatch roofs.
* There are more than 43 species of mammals in the park. The park is specially renowned for the protection of the endangered one-horned rhinoceros, tiger, gharial crocodile along with many other common species of wild animals. The estimated population of endangered species of animals such as gaur, wild elephant, four horned antelope, striped hyena, pangolin, gangetic dolphin, monitor lizard and python, etc.
* Some of the other animals found in the park are samber, chital, hog deer, barking deer, sloth bear, common leopard, ratel, palm civet, wild dog, langur, rhesus monkey, etc.
* There are over 450 species of birds in the park. Among the endangered birds found in the park are Bengal florican, giant hornbill, lesser florican, black stork and white stork, Few of the common birds seen are peafowl, red jungle fowl, and different species of egrets, herons, kingfishers, flycatchers and woodpeckers. The best time for bird watching is March and December.
* More than 45 species of amphibians and reptiles occur in the park and some of which are marsh mugger crocodile, cobra, green pit viper and various species of frogs and tortoises.
* The park is actively engaged in the scientific studies of several species of wild flora and fauna.

Seasons:

* The park is under the tropical monsoon climate with relatively high humidity. The winter, spring and monsoon are the three main seasons. The cool winter season occurs from October to February. The spring begins in March and is soon followed by summer that ends in early June. The summer days are typically hot with 30 C on average day temperature. The monsoon usually begins at the end of June and continues until September. The mean annual rainfall is about 2150 mm and during this time of the year rivers are flooded and most of the roads are virtually closed.

How to Get There:

* The park is accessible by car or bus on the Kathmandu-Mugling-Narayanghat Highway and or through Mahendra Rajmarg Highway from Hetauda. It is about 6 hour's drive from Kathmandu to Narayanghat. Local buses are available to Tadi Bazar which is about an hour drive form Narayanghat. A 6 km walk or bullockcart ride brings the visitors to Sauraha, the park entrance. Also air services from Kathmandu to Meghauli for US$82 each way and Bharatpur US$65 each way are available. Local buses are available form Narayanghat to Park HQ. Kasara.

Park Facilities:

* Display Center, Kasara
* Library at Kasara Sauraha
* Visitor Center, Sauraha
* Machans (View tower)

Activities:

* Elephant ride
* Canoeing
* Guided jungle walk
* Terai culture
* Wildlife breeding projects
* 4WD safaris

Enrty fees into Royal Chitwan National Park:

* National Park entry fee per person per day:
* For Nepali Nationals Rs 20
* For SAARC NAtionals Rs 200
* For Foreign Nationals Rs 500
* Children under 10 years Free
* Elephant ride for about 2 hrs. - Rs 550 - (Nepali's Rs 100)
* Fishing permit - Rs 300 - (Nepali's Rs 20)
* Camping per night per person - Rs 300 - (Nepali's Rs 20)
* Guided jungle walk - Rs 250/400 for half day/full day - (Nepali's Rs 20)
* Canoeing - Rs 230 per person
* 4WD safari - Rs 650 per person
* Gharial crocodile breeding centre - included in the park entrance fee
* Elephant breeding centre - included in the park entrance fee
* Lodges offer all-inclusive packages for 2 to 4 days for those who want everything pre- organised by the lodge guides.

Nepal Bungy Jumping

Bungy Jumping If you thought bungy jumping was restricted to some places in Europe, New Zealand and America, it's time you got and update. The sport has finally found a natural home in the highest mountain range in the world. The ultimate thrill of a bungy jump can now be experienced in Nepal at perhaps the best site in the world.

Nepal's first bungy jumping site is situated 160m over the wild Bhote Kosi river, and located close to the Nepal-Tibet border, a three-hour bus ride from Kathmandu. As can be arranged on arrival in Kathmandu. As of now, there is only one agency offering this sport.

The jump, at 160m, was designed by one of New Zealand's leading bungy consultants, and is operated by some of the most experienced jump masters in the business. It's mishap-proof. The agency takes safety "very, very seriously".LocationLess than 3 hours outside Kathmandu by Ultimate Bungy Shuttle.

You will travel the Arniko (Kathmandu/Lhasa) Highway to within 12km of the Tibet Border and the famous Friendship Bridge.The GorgeUltimate Bungy Nepal takes place on a 166m wide steel suspension bridge over the Bhoti Kosi River.The BridgeSwiss designed, specially for bungy jumping with a 4x saftey factor. The bridge has a loading factor of 250kg per running meter.

This means that the bridge will hold 250 x 166 = 41,500kg or 4.5 tonnes. And... those are Swiss measurements! * Over 6000 meters of steel wire was used to build the bridge * Longest suspension bridge in Nepal * The bridge joins two sides of a great valley. Before its construction, locals walked five hours to cross this river gorge.

Pokhara

About Pokhara:

Pokhara valley occupies the central location in Nepal and is dominated by the peaks of Annapurna range. Its unique setting may be judged from the fact that the town of Pokhara (91 3 metres), is only fifty kilometres from Annapurna 1 (8,091 metres), clearly seen from the valley.

There is a decline of six thousand metres in altitude within a short distance of only twenty-nine

kilometres; thus the region provides a dramatic contrast in landscape. The northern horizon is defined by a seventy kilometres long wall of snow and ice with numerous peaks.

The prominent peaks from east to west are Annapurna South (7,21 9 metres), Fang (7,647 metres), Annapurna 1 (8,091 metres), Rock Noir (7,454 metres), Glacier Dome (7,193 metres), Gangapurna (7,455 metres), Annapurna Ill (7,555 metres), Machhapuchhre (6,997 metres), Annapurna IV (7,525 metres), Annapurna 11 (7,937 metres) and Lamjung Himal (6,983 metres).

In addition to these, Dhaulagiri 1 to the north-west and Manaslu-Himalchuli peaks to the north-east are also visible.Lakes: Pokhara valley abounds in lakes. Phewa, Rupa and Begnas are the most famous ones while Khaste, Dipang and Mardi are some other smaller lakes situated further away.

Sporting activities like canoeing and swimming are conducted on Phewa Lake, together with angling of carp fish. On a small island is a temple dedicated to Varahi, and in contrast to the gaiety of holiday makers, devotees go about their worship undisturbed by the goings-on in the water as well as occasional barbeques on the banks of the lake. Apart from the lakes, the floor of the valley is made up of a layer of gravel, cut into intricate terraces and deep canyons by various tributaries of the Seti river.People:Similar to the contrast between the level plain and the rugged hills, there are sizeable variations in the cultural pattern of the area. The tropical plain and low hills are the home of mainly

Newars, Brahmans, Chhetris and other Hindu castes, while the temperate highlands are mainly inhabited by tribal Gurungs and Magars. Above the highest villages at 1,900 metres, there are extensive temperate forests with alpine pastures further beyond.There are also two Tibetan settlements near Pokhara where one can see women weaving exquisite carpets using traditional designs and methods handed down to them for generations. Both these settlements are famous for traditional Tibetan handicrafts and souvenirs.

Places to see: Pokhara is full of interesting places to visit such as the Seti River Gorge which flows some ninety-one metres below ground level, Davis's Fall called Flatie Chhango in Nepaii where the cascading water vanishes underground, and Mahendra Cave where one can see stalactite and stalagmite formations.Mini Treks: Although a base for all treks to the Annapurna region, several mini treks can also be organised from Pokhara, notably to Sarangkot. The four-hour trek to the top of this hill offers a spectacular birds-eye-view of Phewa Lake, the entire Annapurna range, the river Seti and the village of Hyangza. A one night trek to Naudanda and Ghachowk can also be made.

On the way to Naudanda, one passes the village of Hyangza while from Naudanda, the twin peaks of Machhapuchhre, the Fish Tail Mountain can be seen.Climate: The prevailing climate of Pokhara valley is humid sub- tropical with heavy rains during the summer.

Spring, autumn and winter are ideal seasons for visiting and trekking around Pokhara valley.Pokhara is connected by daily flights with Kathmandu and also by highway from Kathrnandu and Siddharthanagar (Bhairawa). The town has good hotel facilities, and for trekkers, provisions and porters can be easily arranged.