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Kathmandu, Sptember 12
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Rise and fall of the Shah Dynasty
KATHMANDU, May 29 - The Shah Dynasty that unified and ruled Nepal for the last 240 years, often through bloodshed, came to a peaceful end on MAY 28, 2008. If the rise of the Shahs was spectacular, so was their downfall. In modern history, hardly any monarchy has been abolished either through the ballot or so peacefully.
The story of the Shah Dynasty, stretching over a period of over 450 years, is a saga of both triumph and tragedy.
After Drabya Shah, a prince of the royal house of the adjoining principality of Lamjung and progenitor of the Shah Dynasty, wrested Gorkha from local tribal chiefs in 1559, the Shahs remained confined to this impoverished, hilly principality for the next 183 years.
But that changed once and for all after an audacious prince, Prithvi Narayan Shah, ascended to the throne of Gorkha in 1742 at the age of 20.
Two years later, he had already conquered Nuwakot, ensuring Gorkha's participation in the profitable trade between Kathmandu and Tibet. A shrewd king, he was strategic in his thinking, meticulous in his planning and ruthless in obtaining his military objectives. His eyes were fixed on Kathmandu Valley from the very beginning, but he made a strategic detour: He decided to first cut Kathmandu's trade lifeline with both Tibet and India. He did so by conquering the kingdom of Makawanpur and seizing the Kuti and Kerung passes to Tibet.
In March 1767, Prithvi Narayan Shah conquered Kirtipur in his third attempt, providing the Gorkhalis their first strategic foothold in Kathmandu Valley. Already demoralized by the towering presence of Prithvi Narayan in Kirtipur and economically weakened by his blockade, Kathmandu Valley fell to the Gorkhalis in 1768 without offering much resistance. Patan and Bhadgaon, the other two Malla kingdoms of the Valley, fell in line within a year.
By the time he died in 1775, Nepal's expansion eastward was complete. The whole of the eastern tarai upto Jhapa and the entire eastern hills up to theTista river were now under the Gorkha Empire in-the-making.
Prithvi Narayan Shah died at a relatively young age of 53 without completing his unification project-- but more importantly, without providing a people of vast cultural diversity within the newly acquired frontiers, a sense of belongingness to this new kingdom.
But he did something fundamentally different and more important than past kings of the Indian subcontinent: He refused to share his conquest with his brothers even though they had worked alongside him, and equally hard. Instead, he devised the principle of allegiance to the Dhungo, which literally means stone. But metaphorically it represented the state. “The concept of Dhungo, implied that the Gorkhali state was a permanent entity that transcended the person of the ruler. In other words, allegiance to the state superseded personal loyalty to the ruler,” writes historian Mahesh Chandra Regmi.
The Dhungo concept implanted in people the idea of the permanency of the state. This was perhaps so instrumental an idea that it kept the Nepali state from unraveling even during difficult times and helped it emerge into a modern state. In that sense, too, Prithvi Narayan was a true founder of modern Nepal.
End of the golden age
As it often happens with a great revolution after the death of its progenitor, with Prithvi Narayan Shah gone, Nepal lost direction, the principal actors lost their character, and the newly unified but still unconsolidated state fell into an era of uncertainty and chaos.
For the next 70 years, before Jung Bahadur Kunwar finally seized power through a bloody coup, Nepal was ruled by kings and regents who were either insane, inept, profligate or promiscuous-- or all four. The kings were so inept or underage that regent queens ruled for most of those 70 years.
Luckily, the unification project continued. Mainly three persons--Queen Rajendra Laxmi, regent Bahadur Shah and Bhimsen Thapa-- at different times gave continuity to the unfinished business of territorial expansion. Before the project ended rather disastrously in 1816 with the Sugauli Treaty with the East India Company, Nepal was well set to become a Himalayan Empire, stretching from Kashmir in the west to Tista in the east.
British historian John Pemble writes, “In the space of half a century, the Gurkhas had unified, for the first time in history, a belt of territory which was the most beautiful, the most inaccessible and traditionally the most fragmented in Asia. There seems no
reason to suppose that had the war with the British not intervened, this empire would not have proved viable.”
But even after ceding a huge swath of territory to the British in India following defeat in the 1814-16 war, Nepal was left with an area of 136,000 square kilometers. It had grown over 500 times since the tiny Gorkha kingdom, less
than 250 square kilometers in size, started the expansion drive just 70 years earlier.
These defeats had more internal reasons than external. Rivalry and betrayal in the palace and among the Gorkha nobility played a key role in the launching of unplanned-- and perhaps unnecessary-- wars with China and British East India. “The haste with which the decision [to annex the vassal state of Garhwal and its territories further toward the west] was taken again raises the suspicion that Rana Bahadur Shah, grandson of Prithivi Narayan, may have put the nation in a war footing to preempt his domestic rivals.”
Forget the Gorkha nobility, rivalry started right within the Shah family right after the death of Prithvi Narayan Shah. Pratap Singh Shah, son of Prithibi Naryan, put his warrior uncle Bahadur Shah in jail, before forcing him into exile in Betia, India. He was later on recalled by his sister-in-law, Rajendra Laxmi, following Pratap Singh's death. Rivalry between these two then ensued and they alternately put each other in prison. Bahadur Shah even killed Rajendra Laxmi's minister Sarbajit Rana, accusing him of an illicit affair with the queen, and also imprisoned her in the palace. Rana Bahadur Shah, after coming of age and wresting sovereignty from his uncle, finally killed Bahadur Shah.
Rana Bahadur was a mad king by any measure. He married four women in his lifetime, including a Brahmin widow, Kantivati-- an act socially not sanctified at the time. According to historian Babu Ram Acharya, Rana Bahadur first saw this young widow of the Mishra caste at Pashupatinath and abducted her to his palace. She was made his unwilling concubine for long before finally agreeing to marry him, but under the condition that their ‘illegitimate' son, Girwanyuddha, would be made king. Rana Bahadur already had sons by his second wife, Subarnaprabha. But he was so much in love and lust with Kantavati that he abdicated in favor of the one-and-half-year old Girwanyuddha. His insanity only grew when his beloved concubine died of smallpox (some historians claim it was tuberculosis). He killed and tormented those who were involved in her treatment, and uprooted and disfigured idols in temples where prayers had been offered for her recovery.
By Rana Bahadur Shah's time, and thereafter, the palace also abandoned the strict austerity measures that Prithvi Narayan Shah had so religiously observed. It became too profligate and engaged itself-- rather extravagantly-- in merrymaking. For instance, according to historian Regmi, Prithvi Narayan Shah received his pocket money in quarter-rupees and half-rupees, with only one recorded payment of a full rupee. He also frowned upon foreign dancers and musicians because, among other things, they were a drain on wealth. However, in 1798, Rana Bahadur recruited an Indian musician, Jivan Shah Kalwar, at a monthly salary of Rs 700! Compare this with the monthly salary of the commander of an army company at the time-- a meager Rs 30 -- and its gives a measure of the growing profligacy in the palace.
The rivalry between courtiers of the Shah and Thapa, Pandey and Bashnyat clans only grew in the subsequent years. Rana Bahadur Shah himself was forced to flee the country, but came back later on and wrested power from his second wife and killed dozens of her loyal courtiers, before he was himself killed, possibly in a family feud.
It was his teenager fourth wife, Lalitatripurasundari, who provided some stability to this fledging kingdom. She ruled for the next 26 years as queen regent to the two subsequent kings. But even this stability came at a price: Her minister, Bhimsen Thapa, killed 90 people, including her late husband's other wives and concubines, to consolidate her power.
There are serious questions as to the sanity of the next two kings - Girwanyuddha's son, Rajendra Bikram Shah and his grandson, Surendra Bikram Shah. Rajendra Bikram was a very week and ineffectual ruler and he declared his younger wife, Rajyalaxmi, his own regent in 1843. By this time, multiple wives, sex scandals, betrayals, rivalry and killings had become the norm at the palace.
The killing of Rajyalaxmi's confidante Gagan Thapa --some historians say he was her lover, precipitated perhaps the bloodiest massacre in Nepal's history--the Kot Parwa, or massacre at the armory, in 1846. This gave rise to another Chherti clan at the palace: The Kunwars. About 55 court officials were killed in the Kot Parwa, mostly men from the Kunwars' rival clans--Thapas, Pandeys and Bashnyats. Historians say the next day over 6,000 members of these clans fled Kathmandu in fear for their lives. Jung Bahadur Kunwar, who proclaimed himself Ranaji later on, rose to power after the Kot Parwa and his descendants were to rule Nepal for the next 104 years, keeping the Shahs confined to the palace as nominal kings.
Shah re-emergence and end
After the end of World War II, the independence movements in the British colonies reached a fever pitch. Inspired by Gandhi, India finally overthrew its colonial yoke and became an independent nation. Young Nepalis, who studied and lived in India, participated in this movement and in the process became fired up for the liberation of their own country from the clutches of the Ranas. In the meantime, there were already internal efforts underway, especially those led by the Praja Parishad, to overthrow the Ranas. B P Koirala, Subarna Shumsher and other energetic youths started an armed insurgency.
King Tribhuvan, who had suffered humiliation at the hands of the Ranas for years, quietly slipped to the nearby Indian embassy and then made it to Delhi. Some historians suggest that Tribhuvan even urged Jahawar Lal Nehru,
then Indian prime minister, to annex Nepal to India, a suggestion rejected by Nehru.
Rana oligarchy was put to an end through a tripartite agreement reached in Delhi in 1951. Tribhuvan, along with the Nepali Congress leaders came back to Nepal. This was supposed to usher in a democratic era but Tribhuban defaulted on his promise and betrayed the people.
The major political agenda, after the overthrow of the Rana regime, was to write a new constitution through a Constituent Assembly elected by the newly sovereign people. But King Tribhuvan, who was reinstated in power by the people, deferred the election on one or another pretext till his death in 1955. His ambitious son, King Mahendra, never agreed to the idea of a constituent assembly election and forced the parties to settle for parliamentary elections instead. King Mahendra, in 1960, sacked the first popularly elected prime minister of Nepal, B P Koirala, and imposed a partyless Panchayat System that ushered in the absolute rule of the kings for the next 30 years.
King Mahendra, under his Panchayat project, tried to construct a Nepali nationalism based on the single edifice of one nation, one language, one religion, one culture and even one national dress. History textbooks only talked about the glory of the Shah Dynasty, hiding the dark side. Somehow that didn't go down well with the people. “The jingoism of the Panchayat era rang false,” writes Manjushree Thapa, a novelist.
Students rose up against the Panchayat system in 1979, forcing King Birendra to announce a referendum. But it was in 1990 that the people finally forced a major concession from the monarchy through a popular Janaandolan or People's Movement. King Birendra promptly accepted multiparty system.
June 1, 2001 was probably the turning point in the monarchy's demise. King Birendra, an affable man, and his entire family were killed in a royal massacre. People were in a state of shock after they heard news of the massacre but when they came to terms with the reality they had lost faith in the monarchy, whose reins now fell into the hands of a new king, Gyanendra.
It's hard to pin down Gyanendra's personality. But above all, he proved to be an arrogant, self-righteous and ambitious monarch. In his lust for power-reminiscent of his father- he was blind as a bat to his own best interests. Before seizing power on February 1, 2005, he miscalculated three things: First, he thought the Maoists and mainstream parties would never join hands and form a collective front against him. Second, given a choice between the Maoists (read terrorists) and the monarchy, the international community would eventually chose monarchy. Third, and most importantly, he underestimated the consciousness of the Nepali people, which had grown by leaps and bounds in the post-1990 open society and during the decade-long Maoist insurgency.
Finally, in April 2006 the people turned the tables on the monarchy. Janaandolan II vanquished the monarchy and culminated in the declaration of a republic. Maybe a republican order would have come sooner or later, but Gyanendra is solely
responsible for bringing it to this country on MAY 28, 2008, ending the 450-year-old reign of the Shah Dynasty.
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Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal
KATHMANDU, May 29 - Nepal has become a Federal Democratic Republic from today after the Constituent Assembly overwhelmingly voted for abolition of the country's 240-year-old monarchy.
“I declare that the proposal tabled by the government for implementation of a republic has been passed as 560 members out of 564 present today voted in favor of the proposal and 4 against,” announced meeting chairman Kul Bahadur Gurung after a division vote late Wednesday night.
Only royalist Rastriya Prajatantra Party-Nepal members voted against the proposal.
Home Minister Krishna Prasad Sitaula tabled the proposal for a republic at Wednesday's CA meeting. The proposal said, “Nepal has turned into an independent, indivisible, secular, inclusive, federal democratic republic with sovereignty and state authority vested in the people.”
The proposal further said that the former king and royal family members shall no longer enjoy any rights and privileges other than those of common Nepali citizens.
The CA also instructed the government to make sure that Gyanendra Shah and his family leave Narayanhity Royal Palace within the next 15 days. The meeting instructed the government to make necessary arrangements for the safety of all property inside the palace.
The government shall make all necessary arrangements for utilizing all the heritage inside the palace in the national interest including for setting up a historical museum.
The proposal states that all constitutional provisions, laws, administrative rules and arrangements at variance with the proposal have been scrapped.
A second sitting of the CA passed a separate bill to amend the Interim Constitution and make new arrangements for a president as head of state. Through addition of part 4 (A) in the Interim Constitution, it says that the second meeting of the CA will provide for a president as head of state. The president will be supreme commander in chief of the army and will perform other duties as determined by the constitution. The president will mobilize the army upon the cabinet's recommendation.
The president will remain in office until the CA promulgation of a new constitution. S/he will remain as patron of the constitution and will also abide by the constitution. The president can impose emergency rule upon recommendation of the cabinet. Two thirds of CA members can remove him/her from office through impeachment.
The amendment also provides for a vice-president.
The parties, after more than 10 hours of negotiations ultimately agreed to amend the constitution and provide for a constitutional president but the presidents' powers and duties are yet to be finalized.
The meeting was convened about ten hours later than the scheduled time.
The parties, however, could not finalize the names of 26 members to be nominated by the cabinet. “Another bill will be presented in the near future to bring in other provisions on election procedures and the powers and duties of the president,” Sitaula said.
The meeting also declared that Nepal will mark Jesth 15 (in the Nepali calendar) as Republic Day every year and extended tributes to the martyrs whose sacrifices have brought the country to the present stage.
Dream came true
Addressing the meeting before tabling the formal proposal for implementation of a republic, Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala said this was an epoch-making day in Nepal's history. He said his past remark—that a day comes once in an era — came true the moment Nepal entered a republican phase. “The dream of the Nepali people has come true today,” the 84-year-old Koirala said at the meeting.
Koirala said one of his biggest responsibilities was now over but another huge responsibility had come upon the shoulders of CA members, a responsibility towards the martyrs, orphans and widows who made their sacrifice for a stable, peaceful, democratic and prosperous Nepal.
“We have arrived at this stage only after removing several hurdles, so what we have achieved today is Nepal's greatest asset,” said Koirala. “So we should preserve and work together not only until a new constitution is framed but also until there is a complete transformation of the country into a fully democratic country.
Club Of Himalaya Trekking & Travel
Himalayan News Service
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Army, police to thwart Free-Tibet demo on Everest
Will open fire if necessary
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| Maoist supremo Prachanda addressing a press conference in Kathmandu on Sunday. |
Kathmandu, March 23: Club of Himalaya Trekking & Travels
Maoist chairman Prachanda has alleged that 60 of his cadres were killed since the Maoists entered the peace process two years ago, and added that it surprises him why the media have been blacking out such incidents and blowing out of proportion minor incidents in which his party was guilty.
“But we are still committed to the peace process and the CA polls,” he said during an interaction organised here by Media Group Nepal today.
Prachanda lamented that there had been a minimum level of understanding among the republican and democratic forces for the CA polls. “Some of the parties have taken the CA election as if it is a regular parliamentary election,” he said.
He reiterated that his party would accept whatever verdict the people would give in the elections, provided the elections were free and fair. “But one must not look at
the peace process and CA polls as separate entities, as election is taking place because thousands sacrificed their lives,” he said.
He disclosed that he met Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala this morning, and took up the issue of killing of Maoists since their beginning of the peace process. He said he urged the PM to implement the 23-point agreement reached among he seven-party alliance. “If the 23-point agreement is not implemented it may be difficult to hold the elections as expected,” Prachanda said.
He came down heavily on the Nepal Army for issuing denials about a series of meetings held between him and the NA generals. “Why do they do it when the election is knocking on
the door? Do they want to derail the peace process and take advantage of chaotic situation that may arise afterwards?” he wondered.
He revealed that he had met NA officials — at Hotel Summit and Hotel Ambassador. “I will disclose what went on during the meetings only at an appropriate time,” he said.
He also asked King Gyanendra to vacate the Narayanhiti Palace at the earliest, as it was apparent that he would be dethroned after the polls.
Prachanda criticised the UNMIN report made public yesterday which blamed the Maoist for indulging in violence. “I met UNMIN chief Ian Martin this morning and told him his report is biased. The report mentions nothing about brutal killings of our cadres,” he said, adding that two persons arrested on the charge of killing RJN candidate Kamal Adhikari in Banke were not his party cadres.
He said the seven-party alliance meeting scheduled for tomorrow would discuss the latest political and security situation.
He hoped that the meeting would help cement ties among the alliance partners.
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KATHMANDU, March 19 - The United Nations Electoral Expert Monitoring Team (EEMT) Wednesday expressed concern over the intensification of harassment and acts of violence against some electoral candidates and their supporters.
“Such acts disrupt the electoral process by violating the people's right of free assembly and obstructing the capacity of political parties and candidates to participate in a fair campaign,” the EEMT said in a press statement today.
Stating that the signing of agreements between the government and the United Democratic Madhesi Front (UDMF) and the Federal Republican National Front (FRNF) were fundamental for allowing the reduction of violence in the Terai region, the EEMT stated that ‘compared with the previous visits of the EEMT, the security situation has improved.'
Urging the government, security forces, political parties, electoral officials, and stakeholders to make all efforts to avoid a resurgence of violence, it further added, “Every effort should be made to guarantee that the current positive conditions prevail not only before and on Election Day, but also during the counting and announcement of results.”
Expressing satisfaction over the preparations for the election being conducted in a timely manner, the EEMT noted that “the Election Commission has been working under a tight electoral calendar, but has shown flexibility to accommodate new nominations in order to widen the participation of candidates and make the process more inclusive.”
“In this context, political parties have a special role in ensuring that the electoral process, in all its phases, develops in a peaceful environment in which candidates and voters can express their opinions and political will free of fear and intimidation in order for voters to freely exercise their rights on Election Day. It is of crucial importance that political parties strictly follow the code of conduct and election norms. Political parties should refrain from interfering in the administration of the election, especially with regard to the organization of the polls and the provision of security, which are exclusively entrusted to the Election Commission and the security forces respectively.”
The EEMT established under the mandate of the Security Council Resolution 1740, has concluded its fourth visit to Nepal, which took place from 3 – 17 March 2008.
The five-member Team, appointed by the Secretary-General and led by Dr. Rafael Lopez-Pintor, is responsible for assessing the Constituent Assembly electoral process on a regular basis in order to determine whether it is proceeding in a manner that will lead to a result that accurately reflects the will of the Nepalese people, according to the statement.
The team held talks with members of the Government, election officials, political parties, leaders of women's, ethnic and traditionally marginalized groups, the media, civil society, the diplomatic community, international observers, Armed Police Force and Nepal Police and the public in general. In addition to its activities in Kathmandu, the team also visited several districts in the central and eastern Terai, the statement added.
The EEMT is not a part of United Nations Mission in Nepal (UNMIN) and operates separately from the UNMIN Electoral Assistance Office, which provides technical assistance to the Election Commission, it further stated.
Meanwhile, UNMIN has expressed grave concern over the killing, in Betahani VDC in the Mid-Western region in the evening of 18 March, of Kamal Prasad Adhikari, who was a candidate for the Rastriya Jana Morcha party in the Banke-2 constituency.
”Violence and threats against candidates represent a serious obstacle to the creation of a free and fair atmosphere for the election, and all efforts must be made to bring those responsible to justice,” it said in a press statement today.
UNMIN and OHCHR-Nepal continue their monitoring activities, in support of the creation of an atmosphere conducive for the election and the protection of human rights, it added.
EU mission starts to observe poll's process
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KATHMANDU, March 18 - The European Union (EU) Election Observation Mission (EOM) Tuesday officially launched its Constituent Assembly (CA) polls monitoring programme.
The EU informed that the EOM will oversee all the procedures and aspects related to the CA polls.
Speaking at a press conference in the capital today, head of the EOM Jan Mulder said that the monitoring would be carried out abiding with international election regulations and laws of the country.
All the election monitors will remain unbiased and the mission will work according to the election code of conduct set in the country, he added.
The EU has deployed a 110-member EOM team for the polls.
Besides a core team of 10 experts, the mission includes 40 long-term and over 60 short-term observers.
The mission is scheduled to stay in Nepal for an over-all period of ten weeks
CPN-Maoists issue statement on Tibet unrest
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KATHMANDU, Feb 27 - Members of parties hailing from Madhes on Tuesday accused the agitating United Democratic Madhesi Front (UDMF) of trying to prolong monarchy in the country.
Speaking at an interaction in the capital, Minister for Forest and Soil Conservation Matrika Yadav charged that some Madhesi leaders were hatching a conspiracy in demanding to defer the Constituent Assembly (CA) poll be defered by one month.
"There would be no elections at all if it is not held in the stipulated date," he said. "The demand is nothing but a conspiracy to save the feudal monarchy."
Yadav expressed confidence that the poll would be held on the stipulated date even if some leaders choose to boycott it. "It does not have any meaning whether or not Matrika Prasad Yadav takes part in the poll," he said, adding: "Entire Madhesi people are in favor of participating in the poll."
Madhesi leader Ram Raja Prasad Singh said the CA poll should be held on the stipulated date despite the violence that has surfaced in some tarai districts. "Minor incidents of violence are common everywhere on the eve of elections," he added.
However, Singh said it is necessary on the part of the rulers to have what he called 'greatness' in them to draft a new constitution that could last for centuries.
Former chief election commissioner Surya Prasad Shrestha said all stakeholders must present themselves in a responsible manner at this critical juncture of history. While urging not to incite localized and communal feelings, he said, "Leaders should be able to project themselves as the country's leaders rather than these of a particular place."
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Heavenly place: Ghumarichok Ecotourism project Angry with town noises? Need to relax? We have what you want…. Ghumarichok ! It is a small village in the Kathmandu Valley (about 20 km). The landscape is beautiful and you can enjoy the Tamang culture. You can have a rest in a nice guesthouse: Surya guesthouse after your visit of the Bajrayogini temple and before exploring the Shivapuri National Park. Surya Bahadur offers a nice guesthouse with 4 double beds separated by curtains. The lovely room is well garnished. One can access to the room ascending a stair from the balcony. Tourist will be able to appreciate the calm and nice view of sun rise and sun set sitting on the straw mattresses with a glass of hot milk or lemon tea. Separate toilets and bathroom are also available. Sura Bahadur and his family hold a grocery shop on the ground floor and collect milk brought by the villagers every morning.
Sun rise from the village From the guesthouse, we can enjoy a magnificent view of the Kathmandu valley, mountains and hills. This is also the best place in the village to see sun rise and sun set, to go to visit forests, observe birds and flora. A lover of nature, calmness and tranquility will find peace of heart. When the weather is clear you can enjoy a beautiful mountain view from the top of the village: Ganesh Himal, Annapurna Himal. View of KTM valley on the fog Proposal of a two-days trip: First day: Morning: Departure from Kathmandu. Take the bus at Ratna Park to Sankhu . Possibility to stop on the way at Boudha in order to visit its beautiful stupa, the biggest in Nepal. Arrival in Sankhu • City of Sankhu: About 7km distance from Boudha, a trail to the south crosses the Manohara River on a temporary bridge (dry season only) and ascends the ridge to Changu Narayan. The road carries on to SANKHU: an important trade and spiritual centre in ancient times which now drifts on as a Newar backwater in a far corner of the valley. A large but unhurried town, it's not especially well preserved, but neither is it at all touristy. The oldest part is the bazaar area to the east of the main north-south road. Sankhu's main festivals are Magh Sankranti (January), observed with bathing just upstream of the town, and Sankhu Jaatra (the full moon of March-April), when the image of Bajra Jogini is paraded. You won't find a restaurant here, but you should be able to get snacks in the bazaar and at the Bajra Jogini temple. Sankhu : street scene Two roads connect Sankhu with Nagarkot: the more traveled route leaves Sankhu from the old bazaar area, heading north, while a steeper back way branches off on a more easterly bearing. The main road from Boudha continues northwards partway to the Vajra Jogini temple. Sanku or Sakwa is a small and charming but a very old Newar city and lies 23 km from Kathmandu. It derives its name from Sankhapura, which means Conch City. It lies on the famous route to Tibet. It is believed that sankhu was established in 1299 AC, it is the oldest urban center in the valley. The traders used this route. This legendary city is worth a visit because of its old houses, beautiful wood- carved temples and old stone water taps. After the visit of Sankhu, walk to Bajrayogini temple. On the way, take five minutes to stop at the Buddhist monastery (on the left side after the first small stupa). • Temple of Bajrayogini The famous temple of Goddess Ugratara Bajrayogini is situated at a 45 minutes walking distance from Sankhu. The temple complex is supposed to be as old as Changunarayan (467 AD). It is mentioned in Gopal Vamsabali, a research manuscript, which states Manadev performed penance at this place. The present three-tier structure or the temple is the contribution of King Pratap Malla. Temple of Bajrayogini Bajryogini is Nepal's unique and valuable treasure. Sankhu Bajrajogini is one of the Valley's oldest shrines. Both Buddhists and Hindus have their separate tantras and sadhanas of Ugratara. She is accounted as a superior goddess of wisdom, Symbol of Women's power and spiritual dancer. Here is an extraordinary, sublime image of Yogini, and an eternal flame. After the visit of the temple, walk to Gumarichock (45 minutes). Afternoon: Arrival at Gumarichock Possibility to enjoy a great Dal bath in the Surya Guesthouse sitting on the balcony and looking at the Kathmandu Valley. Visit and discovery of the village • Ghumarichok, a Tamang village: If visitors are interested to learn about Tamang, this village can offer a good panorama on Tamang culture and society. These Tamangs have a long history of exchange with the Newar of Sankhu. Both of those groups celebrate certain festivals related to Bajrayogini. Tamang are autochtonous people of Ghumarichok village. There are 300 houses and about 2000 inhabitants. They speak Tibeto Burmease language. Many are engaged in the agriculture (75%) and others do some business and services (25%). They grow iskuss, rice, wheat, millet, corn… Some of them produce milk and local wine and sell it in the market. The Tamang (also known as Murmi) are one of the several ethnic groups living in Nepal descended from Tibeto-Burman origins. Living mainly north and east of the Newars in the Kathmandu valley, they constitute 5.6% of Nepal's population, which places their population at 1,280,000, slightly higher than the Newars. Due to their geographical location, their language is vaguely intelligible with Neawri but closely related to both Tibetan and Sherpa. The name Tamang means horse traders in Tibetan, which suggest that their ancestors came from the north and traded horses with the local community (Newars) and later settled and intermarried among them. However, many of them today earn a living through serving as porters. Like the Sherpas, they are also good mountaineers and mountain-guides. The Tamangs are followers of Lamaism mixed with elements of the pre- Buddhist Bön and the Tambaist religion. Due to their close proximity with the Newar, a slight Hindu influence can be seen in their practises. Their priests include Lama, Bombo and Tamba. Tamang celebrate different festivals: Pashain
(October), Tihan (22 days after Pashain), Buddha Purnima (full moon between april and may), Maghe Sankaranti (Mid January), Sawane Sanlcaranti (Mid July) and others… Do not hesitate to ask if there is soon a marriage in the village because the marriage celebration is different from other casts. Evening: Stay at the Surya guesthouse and have dinner Second day: Morning: Visit of the Shivapuri National Park (one hour to go). Nature, flora and fauna The village of Ghumarichokk is adjacent to the Shivapuri National Park. One hour of walk from the guesthouse, you can arrive to the park where the lovers of nature could appreciate flora and fauna, tranquility and peace. A scenic view of the mountains enchants the eyes of visitors . The breathtaking views of the high Himalayan peaks can be seen from the top of the Shivapuri Mountain. Shivapuri park on the top of the village The Shivapuri National Park (144 sq km) is the major watershed supplying drinking water to the capital city of Kathmandu. Lying in the transition zone between the subtropical and temperate climatic zones, its diverse vegetation is composed of pine, oak, rhododendron and others. The park is rich in wild mushrooms (129 species), The wildlife found in the national park includes Himalayan black bear, leopard, jungle cat, and rhesus monkeys. The park is home to over 177 species of birds including 9 threatened species, over 100 species of butterflies including rare and threatened. Afternoon After the visit of the park, go to Manichood temple. Quiet hidden place in the Shivapuri National Park with a small lake and several small temples. Return to the Kathmandu Valley: 2 possibilities: Kathmandu by bus. Go back to Sankhu, take the bus to Kathmandu. (Ratna Park). Nagarkot by bus or by walking (4 hours) If you have more time Manilingeshor Temple (1/2 hours) Small waterfall where you can bath and see a religious place where villagers have the habit to come during festivals. Sundarijal Temple (2hrs ½) Kageswar Temple (2 hours) Chishowpani (4 hours) Gosain Kunda (3 days) Langtang National Park: An area of 9710 sq. km where you can find dabra, kustari, leopard, snow leopard, dangali sheep, bear, yak… Ghumarickock is situated on the trekking road of the park. Tourist guide available in the village: There are motivated people among the villagers who speak simple English and are really devoted and ready to work as guide. They are cheerful, cooperative, and intelligent and possess a good knowledge of Tamang culture. If it is easy for Nepali people to find the road to the different temples, it is not so for tourists! So do not hesitate to take a guide. Chances are that all the features will help you enjoy a lovely stay; such as natural scenes and landscape, nature, forest, tranquility, smiling people, villagers ready to receive guests. Price for the guesthouse: 300 Rupees per night per person including Bed, commodities (toilets, bathroom) Nepali tea, Dinner (Dal bath or noodles), breakfast (tea, biscuits, eggs) A part of the sum will be used by the tourism committee to improve the conditions of living in the village (school, medical help…). Additional cost: see with the guide
E-MAIL:
TIBET TOURS
Travelers who are keen to visit Tibet Everest Base Camp (North side) combining with Lhasa and other highlighted places of Central Tibet are welcome to join this tour. This tour commences from Kathmandu with a spectacular Trans-Himalayan flight, which probably is the most beautiful flight on Earth. In Lhasa , you will spend two days for sightseeing tour. After Lhasa , you will take a Jeep tour to Everest Base Camp via Gyantse, Yamdruk Tso, and Shigatse, these are the
highlighted places in Central Tibet .
The Everest Base Camp tour departs from Kathmandu on regular basis from April through the end of October. Rest of the time, the tour operation depends on weather condition. Since, the weather in Tibet is very harsh, the high passes in the winter time can be blocked some times because of deep snow. We operate this tour for both individual and small group travelers.
Our company will arrange Tibet group visa and all necessary travel documents in advance, all you need to do is to choose the departure date as per you convenience and send your Passport PhotThe price includes the following services:
1. All necessary Tibet travel permits
2. Kathmandu - Lhasa – Kathmandu flight ticket
3. Transportation in Tibet with 4WD Land Cruiser (deluxe model)
4. Accommodation in Tibet on sharing basis with breakfast
5. Two days guided sightseeing tour in Lhasa
6. Tibetan Guide (English speaking)
7. Monastery entrance fees / sightseeing entrance fees
8. Tibet group visa
9. All applicable taxes and service charges
10. All applicable taxes and service charge
The price excludes the following services:
1. Meals other than breakfast in Tibet
2. Airport tax in Kathmandu (US $ 25) while flying to Lhasa
3. Nepal re-entry visa fee (US $ 30 per person)
4. Your travel insurance
5. Insurance for any loss and damage
6. Personal tip for guide and driver
7. Any additional expenses due to unforeseen circumstances
Note:
1. For an American citizen, there will be an additional US $ 15 for visa fee
2. If you would like to have a single room for the entire journey the supplement cost is US $ 150
Here I want to invite you all to visit Nepal in the year 2007.
Would you like to travel with low-cost
accommodations, meet interesting
people,and share travel experiences?
Does the warmth and hospitality of a
bed and breakfast experience appeal
to you?
Then we have an exciting alternative!
Join a host of other friendly travelers in the
growing family of the Affordable Travel Club!
You stay in private homes of travelers like yourself, paying a small gratuity. In the 'private home hospitality accommodation', the hosts are individuals who enjoy meeting other people, sharing their homes and communities, and perhaps even serving their favorite breakfast,Lunch and Dinner recipe.
With over 1000 host locations in the states and entire the Himalaya countries), there is a wide assortment of homes both in atmosphere and location: urban, suburban, rural It is a 'home away from home' experience, only better, since you don't have to cook breakfast,Lunch and Dinner
Although many of the hosts are House wife,retired, others have jobs outside the home during the day but enjoy taking guests when their schedules allow. Amenities vary with each home. Sometimes, for special consideration, your host will act as a guide in the area or go to dinner with you on a "Nepali Bancha basis"to the next Neighbour as well. Most important, your host knows the area and can give you information on tourist attractions and the best places to dine. and to be around for the next days.
EASTER HOLIDAYS SPECILA 2008
you are welcome to vitis Tibet from mail line China and as well as Club of Himalaya Trekking and Travels base in Nepal can Arrange you all package to Tibt and also Train Ticket connection To Lasha the Holy ans old city in Tibet.
Trekking To Manaslu Himalaya
"24 Nights 25 Days Nepal" ( Kathmandu Gorkha & Manasalu Trekking )
Itinerary
Pristine HIMALAYA views, rich culture and genuine adventure sum up the trek experience to the base of Mt. Manasalu. Opened in 1992, this area offers a combination of rich culture heritage, unsurpassed beauty and biological diversity. Beginning in Gorkha, home of the celebrated Gorkha soldiers, visit the ancient palace of King Prithivi Narayan Shah. Soon after civilisation fades and we glimpse ancient villages, observing the simple agricultural habits of its people. From here, begin your ascent through the Gandaki River valley, fed by innumerable rivers and waterfalls and plunge into its bathing pools. From here, the strenuous section begins and yaks begin to outnumber people in a rocky landscape. In Samagoan (3450m.), visit the glacial green lake of Birendra, before crossing into mystic Samdo, a mere 15 km from the Tibetan border. Here, Tibetan monks inhabit sacred monasteries. There, combined with the views of Tibetan plateaux against stark white Himalayas makes this a truly spiritual place. Continuing, more monasteries await you in Larkya Bazaar, along with your biggest challenge - crossing Larkya pass. Snow covered peaks reaching over 6500 mt, demand your utmost respect as you are crossing, quite literally, the top of the world. The relaxing descent will take you through alpine, tropical areas, bursting with ferns, bamboo's, pine, waterfalls and aqua-blue green lakes laced with cotton-white beaches. Finally, the Manasalu will disappear behind you as you descend to Beshishar (832m.). This 3 week's excursion will leave you with a sense of peace and respect for the people of Nepal and its ecological wonders.
Himalayan Travellers Club Tours & Travel
At least 25 Maoists were killed in crossfire between the activists of the Maoist affiliated Madheshi Mukti Morcha and the agitating Madhesi People's Rights Forum (MPRF) Wednesday afternoon in Rautahat headquarters Gaur.
District Police Office Rautahat confirmed that the people were killed in the exchange of fire while a dozen more were injured at Rice Mills area in the district at around 2:30 this afternoon.
"The clashes between the two parties ensued after they met at the same venue to stage their mass gatherings," Superintendent of Police Ram Kumar Khanal told ekantipur over the phone.
According to Khanal, 13 died at the scene of the clash while a further 12 bodies were found at Hajmonia and Mudbalawa VDCs in the district this evening.
He said that some two dozen people were injured in the incident and that a dozen critically injured have been taken to a hospital in Birgunj.
None of the deceased has yet been identified, the official said.
