Nepal

The Kingdom of Nepal is a land where nature lovers revel in a unique Himalayan setting of great beauty, choosing from a variety of ways, suitable to their personal ideals of relaxation, meditation and pleasure. Nepal is a land of rare scenic splendor unrivaled in the Himalayas. Bordering the Tibetan Plateau, her territory stretches 800 km east to west, and some of the highest peaks in the world, including Mt. Everest, mark her northernmost limits.

The land cascades sharply downwards in a short 200-km span through rugged mountains, coniferous, temperate and tropical forests, terraces of paddy, millet and corn to the low-lying foothills, which form the southern borders, where they join with the plains of India. It is a land of cultural diversity, being the religious crossroads of Hinduism and Buddhism, and is the birthplace of Lord Buddha and Goddess Sita.

Location: Nepal is located in southern Asia and is couched between the two Asian giants of India and China. This small Hindu kingdom is a strategically important country and is surrounded by the Indian mainland on the east, south and western sides respectively. It lies between the latitudes 26°N and 30°N and longitudes 80°E and 88°E.

Nepal has four physiographic belts: the Terai plain along the Indian border, the sylvan Churia foothills and the Inner Terai zone to the north, the mid-mountain region, and the Great Himalayan Range. The Terai plain is low in elevation, flat, and fertile, being a northern extension of the Gangetic Plain and is some 26 to 32 km wide. In the south, it is agricultural, and where it joins the foothills, it is marshy and forested. The sparsely populated Churia Hills and the Inner Terai region rise to the rugged Mahabharata Mountain Range, which has elevations of 600-910 m; the intermountain basins are covered with forests.

The mid-mountain region, between the Mahabharata Range and the Great Himalayas, has a complex system of ranges between 2,400 and 4,300 m that enclose the Kathmandu and the Pokhara valleys, two flat basins drained by the Baghmati and Seti rivers, respectively. The densely populated Kathmandu valley is the political and cultural hub of the nation. The Great Himalayan Range, from 4,300 to 8,800 m in elevation, contains several of the world's highest peaks-Mt. Everest, Kanchenjunga I, Makalu I, Cho Oyo, Dhaulagiri I, Manaslu I, and Annapurna I-all above 8,040 m. The Kosi, Narayani (Gandak), and Karnali rivers run southward through transverse valleys of the Himalayan chain. They are Nepal's major rivers and have large reserves of hydroelectric power.

Best time to visit: The climate of Nepal ranges from subtropical monsoon conditions in the Terai region to alpine conditions in the Great Himalayas. Annual rainfall ranges from 70 and 75 inches in the eastern Terai and between 30 and 35 inches in western Nepal. Flooding is a serious problem in the low-lying areas of the Terai plain during the monsoon season, from July to mid-October. The winter season extends from November to March, when temperatures vary from 19°C in the southern Terai region to 13°C in the intermountain basins. During the summer season, which lasts through April and June, the mercury varies from 21°C to 28°C, in the same regions.

history: Buddhist and Brahmanic Hindu versions of Newar legends dominate the early history of Nepal. The ancient Indian classics contain references to the Nepal valley and lower hill areas. During the 3rd century bc, the emperor of India, Ashoka, supposedly visited Nepal.

In 1769, the Gurkhas led by Prithvi Narayan Shah conquered the Nepal Valley from the Malla dynasty. He moved the capital to Kathmandu, providing the foundation for modern Nepal. From 1775 to 1951, Nepali politics were characterized by conflict between the royal family and several noble families. Often the Shah rulers were relegated to honorary positions, while the political power was concentrated within a dominant noble family.

With support from the Indian government, royal Nepali sovereignty was restored and revolutionary forces gained a position in the administration in the early 1950s. A constitution was approved in 1959, and parliamentary elections were held. Controversy arose between crown and Cabinet in 1960, and King Mahendra dismissed the congress and imprisoned many members. In 1962, a new constitution was promulgated giving the crown greater authority. Though the country was then nominally a constitutional monarchy, the king for many years exercised autocratic control over the country's multi-tiered system of panchayats, or councils, which extended from the village to the national level.

The king was able to dominate the Council of Ministers and much of the National Assembly without opposition because political parties were banned under the constitution. In 1972, King Mahendra was succeeded by his son Birendra. In 1990 a series of demonstrations and protests over the king's autocratic rule forced him to lift the ban on political parties and to accept a new cabinet composed largely of opposition political figures. That year a new constitution was also approved that provided for a multiparty democracy and a bicameral parliament.

Tourists attractions: Nepal has three main cities of tourist attraction-Kathmandu, Patan and Bhaktapur. The capital city of Kathmandu offers many attractions to the visitor. It is the seat of the world famous Pashupatinath Temple. Kathmandu's core is Durbar Square, with the Vishnumati River to the west and Ratna Park to the east. The Baghmati River forms the southern boundary, while Thamel, the budget travelers' hangout, sprawls to the north.

Patan has many pleasant attractions like the Durbar Square, Royal Palace, Jagannarayan Temple, Golden Temple, Kumbeshawar, a collection of Buddhist stupas, Nepal's only zoo, and the Tibetan carpet market at Jawlakhel.

Bhaktapur, 35 km from Kathmandu, offers attractions like the Durbar Square, famous for its temples, squares, statues and columns, Taumadhi Tole Square, Nyatapola Temple, Til Mahadev Narayan, Potters' Square, and Tachupal Tole Square.

In the Terai region, the Royal Chitwan National Park and Janakpur, the legendary birthplace of Goddess Sita of the Ramayana, are the oft-visited sites. Pokhara is famous for its picturesque setting, Tibetan settlements, hilltop monasteries, the Devi Falls, caves and lakes. The Dakshina Kali Temple, south of the Kathmandu Valley, attracts hundreds of pilgrims everyday. The Nagarjuna forest reserve is also a treat for the nature lover.

Adventure sports - Nepal provides a large range of adventure sports. Trekking is possible in the months of September and December and March and April. The Everest region boasts of the highest mountains of the world such as Mt. Everest, Lotse, Nuptse, and Ama Dablam and is the home of the Sherpas, Lamas and Buddhist culture. In the Annapurna region, most of the treks commence from the Pokhara Valley, and one has to cross the Throng La at 5416 m here.

Towards the north of Kathmandu, the Central region covers the treks in the Kathmandu Valley, Langtang, and Gosaikunda. In the far western region, the Phoksindo National Park covering an area of 3555 sq km is an oft-visited site. It boasts of the Rara Lake, Upper and Lower Dolpo, Mt. Kailash and Simikot. In the far eastern region, one can find the spectacular peaks of Kanchenjunga, Makalu and Junu.

For those who cannot withstand the rigorousness of mountain climbing, there are mountain flights from Kathmandu that fly around the Mount Everest and provide a close look of the top of the world. From Nagarkot (32 km east of Kathmandu) and Daman (80 km southwest of Kathmandu) one can have a distant view of Mount Everest and beautiful Himalayan ranges. Trekking is the best way to get to interesting and remote mountain villages of Nepal and to have a glimpse of their lifestyle untouched by modern civilization.

Rafting and kayaking are immensely popular, especially on the Trisuli River near Kathmandu and the Sun Kosi in Dolalghat. Remoter challenges include the Karnali (a two-day trek from Surkhet) and the Tamur (a three-day trek from Dobhan in eastern Nepal). Other activities include mountain biking in the Kathmandu Valley and safari in the Terai.

Fairs & festivals: Nepal's festive calendar is frenzied and exciting. Dasain, celebrated nationwide in October, is the most important of all Nepalese celebrations and features the biggest animal sacrifice of the year. It is the same festival of Durga Puja in India.

Tihar is celebrated in the month of November, where animals are honored. Other festivals celebrated nationally include the colorful Holi in March, Chaitra Daisan (or Basanti Puja) in April, Haribodhini Ekadashi in November, Maha Shivratri in March, Gai Jatra in August, and Krishna Jayanti in August/September.

Buddhist celebrations include Mani Rimdu in November (in Solu Khumbu), Buddha Jayanti in May (in Kathmandu), and Losar or the Tibetan New Year in February (in Swayambhunath, Jawlakhel and highland communities). Other important festivals are New Year's Day (April 14), Mother's Day (April), Rath Jatra (May-June), Guru Poornima (August), Krishnashtami (August-September), Father's Day (August-September), Indra Jatra (September), Constitution Day (November 9), Bala Chaturdarshi (November-December), Birthday of His Majesty the King (December 28), Basanta Panchami (January-February), National Democracy Day (February 18), and Ghode Jatra (March-April).

How to reach:

Air - Royal Nepal Airlines, the national flag carrier of Nepal, and other International airlines operate scheduled flights to Kathmandu from Bangkok, Bombay, Calcutta, Delhi, Dubai, Varanasi, and several other cities. The international airlines operating their flights to Kathmandu include Aeroflot, Biman Bangladesh Airlines, China South West Airlines, Druk Air, Indian Airlines, Lufthansa, Pakistan International Airlines, Singapore Airlines and Thai International.

Road - Public buses are the main form of transportation and are cheap, although uncomfortable and tedious. Buses ply almost on every road-paved or unpaved. There are several services between Kathmandu and Pokhara aimed specifically at tourists. There are no trains and no drive-yourself rental cars in Nepal. Cars with drivers can be hired.

Bike riding is gaining popularity with visitors for short jaunts and a bike is often quicker than using local buses, especially in the Kathmandu Valley. Walking is still the most important and most reliable method of getting to places and for moving cargo. In several parts of Nepal walking is the only option. Human porters carry more goods than by every other form of transport combined.