Government Holidays
Saturday is the weekend holiday in Nepal when government offices and most business are closed .Other government holidays occurring during September – October2009
Sept 3 (Thu)- Kumari -Jatra, a living goddess of Nepal
Sept 21 (Mon)-Ed-Ul –Fitra,festival of Muslim community
Sept 25-oct 1 (Fri-Thu)-Dashai Festival
Oct 17-oct 19 (sat-Mon)-Tihar Festival
Oct 24 (sat)-chad Parva ,sun as a god is worshiped with fruits (banana)and UN day
Kumari Devi :
Nepal ,not only have many gods, goddess,deities,avatars,which are worshipped and revereed as statues ,images,paintings and symbols ,but its also has a real living goddes "Kumari'.The Kumari Devi is a yourg girl who lives in the building known as Kumari Ghar,beside Kathmandu Durbar Square.The selection of the living goddess is a highly elaborate tantric ritual.Few girls about age 4-7 years from the Shakya community,one has to be choosen .Each has to face the test and must have 32 attributes of perfection,including the colour of her eyes ,the shape of tooth and her voice .Her horoscope must also be appropriate .The Test are each girls are kept in a dark room ,inside room a buffalo heads are scattered around ,the demon -like masked dancers,the terrifying noises they encounter etc.The real goddes is unlikely to be frightened ,so the one who is calm and pass througout the tests, became a Kumari.From that day she performs all her daily ritulas from house "Kumari Ghar"a god house. During her tenure in the god-house, Guthi Sansthan,the government trust fund bears her entire expenses including that of her caretakers. Under normal circumstances, her days in the god-house come to an end with her first menstruation, but if she turns out to be unlucky, as they say, even a minor scratch on her body that bleeds can make her invalid for worship. She then changes back to the status of normal girl and the search of a new Kumari begins.It is said to be unlucky to marry an ex-Kumari.On Indra Jatra, in September, the Living Goddess travels through the older part of Kathmandu city in a three wheel chariot accompanied by Ganesh and Bhairab for three days.The three chariot are pulled by the people with long and thick rope.On this days thousands of people come and gather around the Kathmandu Durbar Square to to watch the indrajatra and to take blessing from Kumari. During this festival she also blesses the King as head of come and take blessing from Kuamri now the president continuing the tradition .
Bird watching in the Kathmandu valley
Nepal is a bird watcher’s paradise with more than 848 species (almost 8% of the world total) of birds. And among them, almost 600 are found in Kathmandu valley alone. The surrounding hills offer a varied ecology ranging from primary and secondary forests to rhododendron, oak and pine forests. In addition, the wetlands and open fields inside the valley make up a diverse habitat for many species of birds.
The most popular bird watching spot is the Phulchoki hill, which is situated 20km south east of Kathmandu ,with some 265 species recorded till date .The birds seen here include babblers ,warblers,tits,thrushes ,minivets,woodpeckers,eagles and many migrant birds.Godavari,at the foot of Phulchoki hill where the Royal Botanical Garden is situated ,records over 100 species of birds including the lesser Racket-tailed drongo ,Tibetan siskin and the spotted forktail.
The Shivapuri National Park,situated 11km to the north of Kathmandu ,is another exciting location .Nagarjun Royal Forest also known as Jamacho or Rani Ban,is situated 5km from Kathmandu on the way to Kakani from Balaju.The birds seen here includes Blue Magpies ,Kalij,Bonelli’s eagles,great Himalayan barbets and other exotic birds.Next is Gokarna forest,7km to the northeast of Kathmandu,boasts the speakled Moountain thrush,orange-headed groung-thrush, brown wood owl and the white-bellied yuhina among other colourful varieties.
As for the wetlands in the valley,the banks of the Manohara river on the way to Bhaktapur,and the Bagmati river ,which flows into the valley from shivapuri hill and out through Chobhar Gorgr,are good places for watching waders and waterfowls.Harboring 40 species of birds mostly dependent on wetlands,Taudaha,a lake on the way to Dakshinkali ,attracts flocks of migrant birds.
Notes: carry your binoculars and cameras along with you.
Nepal Tourism Year 2011
The ministry for tourism & civil aviation and different government agencies, travel trade associations have decided to celebrate Nepal Tourism year 2011. The government has set the target of bringing one million foreign visitors in the country in 2011. Other objectives of the campaign are to establish Nepal as a choice of premier holiday destination with a definite brand image; to improve and extend tourism related infrastructures in existing and new tourism sites; to enhance the capacity of service providers; to build community capacity in the new areas to cater the need of the tourists; and to promote domestic tourism for sustainability of industry.
- Phewa Lake
- Rupa Lake
- Begnastal
- David fall
- Mahendra Gufa (Cave)
- Seti river
- Ramghat
- Bindbasini Temple
- Buddhist Monastery
- Mahendra Pull
- Natural History Museum
- Barahi Temple
- Damsite
- Peace Pogoda
- Krishna Temple
- Narayansthan
- Royal Palace Ratna Temple
- Shiva Temple
- Kritipur (Old City)
- Thimi (Old City)
- Godawari (Botanical Garden)
- Balaju (Water Garden)
- Budhanilkantha (Sleeping Bishnu)
- Dakhinkali (Hindu Temple)
- Chovar
- Central Zoo
- National Museum
- Mamobuddha
- Nagarkot
- Kakani
- Dhulikhel
- Palanchowk Bhagawati
- Changu Narayan
- Boudhanath
- Pashupatinath
- Bhaktapur Durbar Square
- Hanuman Dhoka Durbar Square
- Patan Durbar Square
- Swoyambhunath
- Akash Bhairab
- Banglamukhi
- Bhadrakali
- Bhim sen
- Bijeswori
- Baudhanath stupa
- Golden Temple
- Guheswori
- Krishna Mandir
- Kumbeshwor
- Mahankal
- Maanjushree
- Pachali Bhairab
- Pashupatinath
- Sankata
- Shovabhagawati
- Swoyambhunath
- Taleju
- Living Goddess -Kumari
- Kasthamandap
- White Machhendra
- Bagh Bhairab
- Adinath
- Shekha Narayan
- Dakshinkali
- Jalavinayak
- Changu Narayan
- Nyatapola
- Muktinath
- Thyangboche
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
