Places to visit in Bagmati Province

Bagmati Province

Bagmati Province is one of the seven provinces of Nepal, located in the central part of the country. It was formed in 2015 after the adoption of the new constitution of Nepal. The province is named after the Bagmati River, which flows through the province and is considered a holy river in Hinduism.

The province covers an area of 20,300 square kilometers and has a population of over 5 million people, according to the 2021 census. The province has its capital in Hetauda and is divided into 13 districts, including Kathmandu, Lalitpur, and Bhaktapur, which are collectively known as the Kathmandu Valley.

The province is known for its rich cultural heritage, including several UNESCO World Heritage sites such as the Pashupatinath Temple and the Boudhanath Stupa. It is also home to several national parks and conservation areas, including the Chitwan National Park, Langtang National Park, and Shivapuri National Park, which are popular destinations for trekking and wildlife watching.

The economy of the province is mainly driven by agriculture, tourism, and industry. The province is rich in natural resources such as water, forests, and minerals, which are used for hydropower generation, timber production, and mining. The province is also a major center for trade and commerce, with Kathmandu serving as the main commercial hub.

Kailashnath Mahadev Statue

The Kailashnath Mahadev Statue is a giant statue of Lord Shiva located in Sanga about 20 km from Kathmandu, Nepal. It is considered one of the tallest statues of Lord Shiva in the world, standing at a height of 143 feet (43.5 meters) tall, including the base.

The construction of the statue began in 2003 and was completed in 2010. It was built using copper, zinc, concrete, and steel. The statue depicts Lord Shiva in a meditative pose with his trident, drum, and snake. The statue is situated on a hill overlooking the Sunkoshi river valley and offers a panoramic view of the surrounding landscape.

The Kailashnath Mahadev Statue is a popular destination for tourists and pilgrims from all over the world, especially during the annual festival of Maha Shivaratri. The statue is considered a symbol of the Hindu religion and is revered by millions of devotees worldwide.

Doleshwar Mahadev Temple

Doleshwar Mahadev Temple lies in Bhatapur District, is 20 km from the capital city of Kathmandu; 30 min. Drive from Kathmandu. For the all Shiva Devotees, it is believed that the trip to Kedarnath is incomplete without visiting Doleshwar Mahadev and Pashupatinath temple. The visit to all these three holy places is believed to wash off all the sins of one’s lifetime and an opportunity of receiving holy blessing from lord Shiva.

On Aug. 22, 2009, the Doleshwar Mahadev was officially declared as the head of Kedarnath, one of the Char Dham Yatra, by Shree 1008 Jagat Guru Bheemashaankarling Shivacharya, the head priest of Kedarnath. The relation between Kedarnath and Doleshwar was unknown to the general public for the last 4,000 years.

Looking back at the history of Doleshwar Mahadev, it is believed that Pandav brothers, after the Mahabharata of Kurushetra, left for the Himalayas in search of forgiveness from Lord Shiva for the killing of many people during the war. But as Lord Shiva was not willing to forgive them he disguised in the form of bull. Having known about Lord Shiva’s disguise as the bull that was about to flee, Pandavas caught the tail of the bull and in this time, the head of bull got separated from the rest of the body. It is believed that the remaining body is in Kedarnath in the Uttharkhand of India, and that people have been searching for the head part since then.

In the year 2013, after the devastating flood hit the temple of Kedarnath, situated in Uttarkhand, the regular prayers that were interrupted were carried out in Doleshwar Temple. The head priest of Kedarnath Temple requested regular prayers that used to be held in the Kedarnath Temple to be held in the Doleshwar Mahadev Temple.

Namo Buddha

Altitude: 1750m

Namo Buddha Monastery is a Buddhist monastery located in the Kavre District of Nepal, about 40 kilometers southeast of the capital city of Kathmandu. It is named after the nearby sacred site of Namo Buddha, which is believed to be the place where the Buddha, in a previous life, offered his body to a starving tigress and her cubs.

The monastery was founded in 1978 by Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche, a prominent Tibetan Buddhist lama. It is home to a community of monks and nuns who study and practice the teachings of the Buddha, as well as a school that provides education to children from the local area.

The monastery is known for its beautiful architecture, which combines traditional Tibetan and Nepalese styles. It also contains many precious Buddhist relics, including statues, thangkas (religious paintings), and manuscripts. Visitors to the monastery can participate in meditation retreats, receive teachings from the resident lamas, and explore the surrounding countryside, which is known for its natural beauty and peaceful atmosphere. From the Buddhist point of view, Namo Buddha is one of the most important religious sites in Nepal. There are three major Buddhist pilgrimage sites: Boudha Stupa, Swayambhunath Stupa and Namo Buddha.

Narayanhiti Royal Palace Museum

The Narayanhiti Royal Palace Museum is a museum located in Kathmandu, Nepal. It was once the main residence of the Nepalese monarchy and served as the seat of the government until the abolition of the monarchy in 2008. The palace was converted into a museum after the monarchy was abolished, and it is now open to the public.

The museum contains various artifacts related to the Nepalese monarchy, including the throne room, where the former kings were crowned, and the royal bedrooms. Visitors can also see the royal crown, scepter, and other regalia used by the former monarchs.

One of the most significant exhibits in the museum is the room where King Birendra and most of his family members were assassinated in 2001. This event marked a turning point in Nepalese history and ultimately led to the abolition of the monarchy.

The Narayanhiti Royal Palace Museum is an important cultural and historical landmark in Nepal, attracting both domestic and international tourists. It provides visitors with a glimpse into the country's rich history and the former royal lifestyle.

Budhanilkantha temple

Budhanilkantha Temple is located at the base of Shivapuri Hill within the Kathmandu valley on the northern side. It is also known as mystical Budhanilkantha temple or Narayanthan temple .Budhanilkantha literally means “Old Blue Throat”. It is only nine kilometer away from the main city. It is a deity of Lord Vishnu; Lord Vishnu is also known as Narayan. It is called Vishnu (Narayan) Jalasayan lying on Ananta Sesa, in the cosmic ocean. The deity is about thousand years old. The Lord Vishnu is about five meter (Seventeen fits) long and lying in a thirteen meter (forty three fits) long tank, as if floating with his legs crossed with his sleeping body resting on the coils of Ananta and his 11 hooded head. His four hands hold the four symbols of Vishnu, the Shankha as conch shell, and Chakra as disc, Gadha as club and Padma as lotus flower. It is believe that the deity was carved in the seventh or eighth century during the Licchavi period. Hindus can walk down the steps and touch his feet, but foreigners cannot walk and touch. It is with the sacredness of this particular god that a deep-seated belief was created by King' Pratap Malla through a prophetic dream. It was his strong belief and fear that should the King of Nepal visit the Budhanilkantha temple, death would be threatening immediately to fall upon his departure. The two other images of the deity which were carved during the same time lie at two particular destination, the Balaju Garden were public viewing can take place and the beautiful Royal Palace in Kathmandu. It is here at Budhanilkantha temple, however that public is not permitted.

The basic festival of the year is when Lord Vishnu who sleeps on the cosmic ocean during Chaturmasya periods wakes up on the Haribodhini Ekadashi day in late October or early November period. Many thousands of Hindu people come their day to celebrate their festival.

The deity of Budhanilkantha was last for a while and later re-discovered by a farmer. It is believe that the farmer struck the buried deity with his plough and that blood comes out from ground. The morning puja between Nine and ten am is interesting and enjoyable .The last deity of Budhanilkantha was recovered and place in its rightful position. It is common practice for the Hindus to walk down to Vishnu’s feet to touch them but it is restricted for out of Hindu visitors to do the same.

Dakshinkali temple

Dakshinkali Temple is one of the most famous temples in Nepal. This temple is dedicated to Kali, the fearful form of Lord Shiva’s wife. Dakshin is known as south and Kali is derived from Hindu goddess Kali which is mention above so that it basically mean the goddess Kali of the south. This Dakshinkali temple is located southwest part of the Kathmandu which is forty five minutes drive by vehicle from Kathmandu. The sanctuary and its surrounding are dedicated to goddess Kali, the deity who claims at two times a week i.e. Tuesday and Saturday a good portion of fresh animal blood. Saturday is the main day and animals there are sacrifices on Tuesday. So lots of devotees gather in a large mass especially on Tuesday and Saturday where they usually sacrifices cocks and male goats. The Dashain festival in the month of October is major festival here.

On the way, the sight of narrow way between mountains is attracted and it is worthwhile to walk down and across the old suspension bridge, throwing a glance down into the very narrow and deep gap. In the middle part of village of Pharping lies, the pleasant spot is known as Sheka Narayan. There is a pond filled with clear water and many gold fish types fishes swimming around. After few minutes of driving from Pharping you will finally reach to the destination of the Dakshinkali where you have to move downhill as goddess is situated at the bottom of the hill. The view is just spectacular with all the green vegetable around and the weather is just too awesome around there. In this place, non-Hindus cannot enter the building where the deity as Kali is located. Pictures can be taken from outside. Some people can also make a picnic spot in this place. Since this place is quite far away from the valley and there is less noise, crowd and other types of pollution. People can also be enjoying with friends and families in this place. This place is essential with more entertainment as well as holy place. People believe that if we pray to the goddess and offer sacrifice our enemies will demise and we will be victories in our way, and many other people do make their wishes to goddess.

Nagarkot

Distance:Â 32 km from Kathmandu.

Altitude:Â 2195 meter from sea level

Nagarkot, located 32 kilometres east of Kathmandu, is one of the most scenic spots in Bhaktapur district and is renowned for its spectacular sunrise view of the Himalaya when the weather is clear. Visitors often travel to Nagarkot from Kathmandu to spend the night so that they can be there for the breathtaking sunrise. Nagarkot has become famous as one of the best spots to view Mount Everest as well as other snow-topped peaks of the Himalayan range of eastern Nepal. It also offers an excellent view of the Indrawati river valley to the east. With an elevation of 2,195 meters, Nagarkot also offers a panoramic view of the Valley and is described by visitors as a place whose beauty endures year round.

See

Nagarkot is surrounded by thickly forested hills of pine trees which give you an idyllic escape- with only the wind and the sound of rustling leaves to disturb you.

From Nagarkot, one see the breathtaking views of the major Himalayan peaks of Nepal like Manaslu, Ganesh, Langtang, dorje Lakpa, sisa pagma, Choyu, Gauri Shankar, etc. On a clear crystal day, one can even see the top of Mt. Everest (8848 m) from here. Many tourists go to Nagarkot at afternoon, stay at one of the resorts to view early morning sunrise over the mountains.

Dhulikhel & Panauti

Dhulikhel:Â

Altitude: 1550m (5085 ft)

Distance:Â 30 km from Kathmandu

Dhulikhel is the scenic and ancient town situated 30 Kilometers east of Kathmandu at Araniko Highway. From here one can see the Panoramic View of the whole Himalayan range from Langtang Lirung (7227m) in the west, through Dorje Lakpa (6966m) to the huge bulk of Gauri Shankar (7134m) and nearby Melungtse (7181m), and as far as Numbur (5945m) in the east. From the main town, a short walk to Namobuddha, an old Buddhist monastery is highly recommended. Now a days, You can experince one of the best adventure activity "Zip Line " in Dhulikhel.

Panauti:

Distance: 32 km from Kathmandu

Altitude: 1440m (4397 ft)

Panauti is a municipality in Kavrepalanchok District in Bagmati Pradesh of Nepal located 32 km Southeast of the capital Kathmandu. The town is currently listed as a UNESCO tentative site since 1996. A few hours trek or a short drive takes you to Panauti, another Newar settlement and interesting rural village. The temple complex here sits on the conflux of three rivers, one of which is mystical. The rambling overgrown temples are interesting places to explore.Â

Bungmati & Khokana village

Bungmati is a small Newari village still abiding its tradition as their significant part of life. Very less influenced by the modern city just a few kilometers far from the village, Bungamati exemplifies true beauty of the still living age-old culture and civilization, your journey to Bungamti, starts with a vantage point where one can behold the entire village of Bungamati and Khokana. Walking down the lanes of Bungamati, you will pass through local Newari people busy working intricate designs in wood or stone on their way to creating many more beautiful artifacts keeping their talents running for the future generations to enjoy. However, small, at least 100 people from the village earn their living through woodcarving. The village was earlier, the origin of the precession of the chariot of Machindranath, one of the most important festivals of the Newari community. Near from the village of Bungamati, there is another beautiful Newari village called Khokana, where an important temple of Durga is situated

Kirtipur & Chovar

Kirtipur

Kirtipur situated on the top of a hillock is 6 kilometers southwest of Kathmandu. The ancient township is a natural fortress and has a proud and courageous history. Shiva Deva founded it between 1099 and 1126. It was part of the kingdom of Patan after the division of the Kathmandu valley in 1482. Historically, this city is famous for its resistance against the invasion of Gorkhas. The King of Gorkha, Prithivi Narayan Shah attacked there three times in attempts to conquer this city. The city is historically and artistically important. There are many small and big temples and stupas scattered around the city. The Chilamchu Stupa and the temple of Bagh Bhairav are the major sights here. Kirtipur offers quaint streets lined with artistic houses and temple squares. The people are known for their skill in building and weaving.

Kritipur is also the setting of colorful festivals of the Newars, notably the Indreni Jatra that takes place each year between the month of December and January. This colorful occasion lasts for three days.

Chovar

The small picturesque village of Chobhar overlooking the Bagmati River is just a kilometer beyond Kirtipur. The Chobhar Gorge below is the greater attraction. Alongside is the Jal Vinayak Temple, an important pilgrimage site for the valley residents. Legend has it that the gorge was carved out by a mighty blow of the sword by Manjushree who wanted to drain the lake that filled Kathmandu Valley in ancient times. Even today, the Valley's waters gush out to the plains beyond the hills through this place.