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Popular Tourist
Destinations In Nepal |
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Places To See In Gorkha |
Gorkha is a scenic hill- town
with great historical significance.
GORKHA (pop. 20,600) is a hill town 110 km east
of Pokhara. It is 23 km from the turnoff at Abu
Khaireni which lies about midway between Pokhara
and Kathmandu. As the ancestral seat of the Shah
dynasty and home of the original Gurkha
soldiers, Gorkha is a national pilgrimage spot.
Its centerpiece is the 17th-century Gorkha
Durbar, which is a fort, a palace and a temple
with excellent views of the Manaslu range. A
side-trip to the hilltop temple of Manakamana is
in order. It can be reached by hiking from Abu
Khaireni (three hours) or by cable car from
Cheres on the main highway (96 km from Pokhara).
(Temperature 7-36 degrees Celsius.) King Prithvi
Narayan Shah, who unified the kingdom of Nepal
during eighteenth century, was born in the
township of Gorkha. Situated on a small hillock
at an attitude of about 1000 m, Gorkha offers
panoramic view of snow-fed mountain.
Then the small kingdom of Gorkha, founded by
king Drabya Shah in 1560 A. D. became famous
during the dynasty of Ram Shah (1604-1641 A.D.),
who earned the reputation of being just to his
people. There was a famous proverb in those days
which said that one should go to Gorkha if he
were looking for justice.
In the middle of eighteenth century there were
hundreds of small kingdoms and principalities in
what is today's Nepal. The great Prithvi Narayan
Shah took the mammoth task of unifying Nepal in
the eighteenth century. The Gorkha soldiers
under his dynamic leadership eventually
succeeded in conquering the Kathmandu valley.
The capital of greater Nepal was shifted to
Kathmandu since then. But this beautiful
township has always remained as the center of
attraction for many Nepalese as well as foreign
visitors.
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Some of the Interesting
Places To See In Gorkha |
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Gorkha Durbar |
This historical palace is
situated on the top of the fortified hill above
the township, about one hour's walk uphill from
the bus station. On the west side of palace is
the temple of Goddess Gorakhkali. There is also
a famous cave sheltering the statue of
Gorakhnath Baba (sage). It is believed that the
name of Gorkha was derived from the name of this
sage, whose blessings inspired King Prithvi
Narayan Shah for the unification of Nepal. From
the top of the hill above Gorkha palace and from
a saddle east of the bazaar, the view of Manaslu
and Himalchuli is spectacular.
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Gorkha Bazzar |
It is primarily a cobbled
street market place where by people from
neighboring hill dwellings come to trade. There
are a few temples near about, but not much. Yet,
it is worth a visit as it provides a very good
vista of the quiet charm that soaks a typical
hill village of Nepal.
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Gorakhnath Cave |
Ten meters below the palace's
southern side, is the sacred cave temple of
Gorkhanath. The cave is is carved out of the
solid rock and is among the most important
religious sites for mainstream Brahmins and
Chhetris of Nepal. Gorkha is also an alternate
starting point for a few trekking routes in the
region. Gorkha-Trisuli is an easy three day walk
along unspoiled Nepali country side. One can
also walk a long day's walk to Besishahar, which
is the usual starting point for Annapurna and
Manang area treks. One can also walk through
Besishahar area to Pokhara in a four days.
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Upallokot |
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It is situated at a 20 minutes
walking distance from Gorkha palace. There is a
viewing platform at an altitude of 1520 meters
in Upallokot from where the spectacular view of
Gorkha palace and the sliver shining snow-fed
peaks can be enjoyed. |
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